Helen Fang explores the concepts of influence, sampling, allusion, and quotation in music composition--with a particular emphasis on cross cultural linkages. When is it an influence or homage, and when is it cultural appropriation? Born in Auckland, New Zealand and raised in Shenzhen, China, Helen Feng is an aspiring composer, pianist and vocalist who is currently an eleventh-grader. She found interest in composition around four years ago, and was since prompted to explore ways in which music can intermingle with her passions for literature, philosophy, and social action. Studying performance inspires her to reflect on the evolving definition of the 21st-century composer-performer, amid a growing influence of new media, emphasis on interpersonal music-making, improvisation, interdisciplinary studies, and cultural competency in an interconnected world. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx