What was Lang Lang’s first musical inspiration? Tom and Jerry.

Lang Lang’s story – Journey of a Thousand Miles – is one of Monkey King as his conqueror of fears, almost inhumane practice schedules (yes, even talents need to practise.. a lot..), big sacrifices by hopeful parents and the immense pressures they face, a child’s desperate longing for his mother, and how some luck always comes in handy. This child-prodigy-to-pianist-superstar story is dramatic and inspiring, not only offering a peek into the mind of an imaginative, passionate individual, but also teachers, politics in music, and differing musical and societal cultures. All these set in a very personal, easy-to-read form.

And of course, musical tidbits that should not be missed, such as:

Just as if I became overly conscious of the act of breathing, I would interfere with the natural flow of my breath, if I became overly conscious of the act of playing, I would interfere with my natural instincts and ability. “It is a matter of allowing yourself to feel a flow that is both inside the music and inside you,” he told me. Try not to try, I kept telling myself. And little by little, I got the idea.

- Lang Lang reflecting on advice from Professor Zhao Ping-Guo, his second teacher at Beijing’s Central Conservatory of Music

As I played, I felt that he wasn’t judging me but was, rather, appreciating me. He wasn’t looking for what I did wrong but was acknowledging what I did right. When I was through, he had comments about certain phrasings, but he presented them as suggestions rather than commands. He was gentle, and in that sense he reminded me of Professor Zhu. He motivated not by fear but with love – love of the music, love of his proteges, love of the very act of teaching.

- Lang Lang on Gary Graffman, his teacher at Curtis

Follow your own path, be your own man

- Christoph Eschenbach to Lang Lang, on negative critiques

Daniel (Barenboim) taught me that emotions are indispensable ingredients in performing music but that overwrought emotionality can be injurious. The first job of the interpreter is to understand the structure of a piece. Structure is all.

- Lang Lang

Was trying out my violins (let’s call them: mr. lousy, ms. ok and mr. good) again tonight and the uncanny feeling hit me yet again – why does it feel so much easier to play in tune on mr. lousy and ms. ok, compared to mr. good? (mr. lousy bought for experimenting and lending to students; trained on ms. ok for most part of my life; mr. good is on loan since last year) Then it just hit upon me to measure the string lengths, and voila,  mr. good violin has a longer string length (most probably due to my own adjustment of the bridge when experimenting with different strings) compared to mr. lousy and ms. ok. Went online for more information and with great relief, adjusted mr. good’s string length to the “standard” 328mm.

Links for future reference:

Joseph Curtin Studios: Set-up and Adjustments

Violins & Violinist, Stop – Neck – and String Length

As usual, got distracted by other articles, and uncovered these gems for “preservation” as well.

But now, and finally, what of the teaching of appreciation? My answer is that for the sake of the children and of music do not try to teach it; although you might try to educate it. That is, don’t try to describe it or to explain it into the children, but try to bring it out of the children.

…

“Appreciation,” says Plato, “is not capable of expression like other branches of study; but after long intercourse with the thing itself, and after it has been lived with, suddenly, as when the fire leaps up and the light kindles, it is found in the soul and feeds itself there.”

The Teaching of Appreciation of Music
By Max Schoen, Ph.D., Carnegie Institute of Technology

Attended the “Violin Seminar – The New Suzuki Violin School”, held at Singapore Post Centre on 24 March.  From the title, I was expecting changes to the Suzuki method, only to hear, at the start, that there weren’t any, by the clinician himself Mr Yasuki Nakamura. There is however,  a new revised edition of the Suzkui Vols. 1 to 3.  I had to leave early at 1pm due to teaching commitments, but was able to catch the interesting and delightful live masterclasses conducted by Mr Nakamura with the young violin learners from NAFA. Some interesting/insightful snippets (non-verbatim!):

• Talent is not inborn, it is educated.
• Student: When can I learn the vibrato? Teacher: Whenever you are ready!
• Mr Nakamura likened the vibrato to the whirling blades of a helicopter. One must vibrato to the end of the note, like how the helicopter blades must keep on turning for the helicopter to stay afloat in the air. He mimicked the helicopter with his bow spinning vertically in the air, how the helicopter would start descending if the blades start and stop continuously.
• Imagine there is a bird’s nest in between your left hand palm and the violin neck, and there are eggs inside. If you squeeze your palm towards the violin neck, you will crush those eggs!
• Every lesson should have only one key point.
• No matter how bad the student’s playing is, always find something good about it to encourage the student.

Enrolment for students staying in Sengkang and Buangkok is open. If you wish to enjoy violin lessons in the comfort and convenience of your own home, do check out my “Teaching” section for more information or contact me at 9754 4238, or violin@jaycheng.com. Enrolment is limited so act soon!