Piano Mania in China - The Beginner Stages

"Why piano-mania grips China's children" by Clarissa Sebag-Montefiore
In Mao’s China, pianos were destroyed as despised symbols of the bourgeoisie – but now an estimated 40m children are learning the instrument. What has changed? Clarissa Sebag-Montefiore investigates


This interesting article appeared on my Facebook feed and I was reminded of my experiences in Beijing in 2008. I believe that for one to understand this phenomenon further you would also have to observe what is happening on a day-to-day basis outside the music conservatories.

I was a doctoral student in piano performance at the time and had to continue practicing for my final recital upon my return after my study abroad semester. My host university did not allow me access to their practice rooms because I was not a music major but a Chinese language student. The practice rooms at school were very basic. It had an upright piano, a hard bench, overhead fluorescent light and no heat/air conditioning. There were no electricity outlets either. It would take an immense amount of dedication to practice in there in the stifling humid Beijing summer and the brutal winters. There is no way the pianos would remotely stay in tune.

I had to be very resourceful and creative to find out where I could practice, preferably with some central air unit.  I cornered one of the music majors and found out there were two music stores close by which rented practice rooms by the hour. I could get to them by bus. I chose the one closest to my university, I could walk there in about 20-25 mins if I really wanted to, cutting through alley ways and such.

The rooms could be rented for a RMB10 an hour, or I could buy a non-refundable card for 11 hours at RMB 100. I chose to buy a card so I could practice for slightly cheaper. If there were no rooms available when I came in, I would just inform the lady at the desk. I could wait and resume practicing when one became vacant again. The rooms were in much better shape than the ones at the university. This place had heat and air but only in the hallway. The upright pianos were fairly in tune and most had working pedals. Some of the rooms had padded benches, full length mirrors and posters on the wall. The doors had some sound proofing as well. I settled in to practice a little while, but found myself pretty sleepy due to the lack of ventilation. Later in the semester, I was blessed to encounter someone who sold me her card for RMB50. She was moving to another city and could not use up her remaining hours.

Some of my practice sessions were interrupted by teachers who taught lessons in those rooms as well. There were schedules posted on the doors but it didn't mean much, as they changed quite a bit. I had the pleasure of observing many of these lessons as inconspicuously as possible while waiting for the room to be available again. Most of the lessons I was able to observe were beginner piano lessons. (I observed one advanced voice lesson and that was pretty good.) The piano lessons were pretty strict and I would have found the literature uninteresting for a young beginner - Hanon! I don't know which was more tortuous for me - waiting for the room, watching a young kid struggle with technique but not necessarily learning music, the lack of ventilation or all of it. 

Most of the teachers used a middle C approach for beginners and the approach was so much about hand positioning, technique but no mention about sound. There was little ensemble playing with teacher duets, or the use of technology like CD accompaniments. Metronomes were in use even at this beginner stage. Practice techniques were not really discussed, other than, practice for how long a day and repeat the piece how many times. I wouldn't describe the literature as particularly interesting musically either. Parents were sometimes in the room with the child. 

There was another time when I arrived and all the rooms were taken up by young kids. What a great observation opportunity again! Some of them practiced with their doors open, so I could really hear what they were doing and what the interactions were like between the child and his/her parent. Most of the parents had no musical background or any knowledge of the piano, in which the article above mentions. The parent was just there to enforce that the child was practicing X no. of minutes and repeating the piece X no. of times. 

There was a little boy and he attempted to play his junior Hanon. He couldn't find his beginning hand position and he didn't know any of his note names either. His dad asked him whether he played everything correctly and the boy answered yes. It was 5-6 repetitions of the wrong thing! His dad said it didn't sound correct and asked if he was sure, those were the right notes. (Piano teacher's nightmare = student has practiced mistake over and over) I was standing by the door and the dad saw that I was smiling and asked me if I was a teacher. I said, yes, that I was but not here. I said I was waiting for the practice room with a good piano. I asked his dad if I could help his son with the piece he was practicing. I helped him with his beginning hand position and let him continue from there. 

I browsed a lot of music stores in the city to see what beginner methods are available. John Thompson was popular, alongside Chinese method books. Hal Leonard and Faber are available in limited quantities. Only one store carried it in the Wangfujing District. The Chinese exam syllabus is published and all those books are easily available. The pieces are set and those do not change.  Parents compare their children by which exam grade has been passed. A lot of the students can play their pieces very well, but there is still a very sterile, mechanical element to the playing.

With all these observations I have made for the whole semester in Beijing, it does make me wonder about how my approach to teaching beginners from Chinese families is being perceived. Most of the parents are first generation immigrants to the USA. I believe that a child learns through play and exploration. A lot of repetition goes into learning a new fine motor skill and this could either stifle a child's creativity or bring it out. It is a challenge to devise slight changes to each repetition so that the child remains engaged. I wonder whether the parents think I am wasting their time and money, when I play musical games or when I use CD accompaniments. I praise the students a lot and I try to be very subtle in my correction. Sometimes I let their mistakes go and prefer to tackle the musical/technical issue using another piece of music. Another issue I've also encountered is the parents expect the child to play difficult pieces, but I would prefer mastery of a slightly easier piece, with good tone, fluid technique and musicality. They might not understand why I am having the child repeat such a simple piece. 

In closing, I still observe China and its obsession with the piano with amazement and awe. As someone who researched Chinese piano music during the Cultural Revolution, I find it utterly amazing that the piano, once hated, is now pursued with such intensity.

Back to School 2013/2014

The end of the summer is drawing near and back to school planning is in full swing here at Musica Gloria.

Musica Gloria Piano Studio is now accepting piano students for the fall semester. Please check out the "Piano Studio" tab for more information. Collaborative pianist services are open for booking now. If you need a pianist for your next recital, please contact me early.

We've successfully conducted our "Summer Group Piano for Kids" camp. We are looking forward to hosting another piano discovery class for 5-6 yr olds (Pre-K-1st Grade) in October. Larsen Music will again host our class in their Clavinova room. Watch for the announcement when registration opens.

Enjoy the last few weeks of your summer vacation!

Chinoiserie, Jenny Lin perf.

I wish to just add some information to the CD liner notes. The author of the notes, Jacqueline Waeber-Diaz did a fine job giving the background of the pieces. In fact, the CD lists the publishers for the music, enabling one to contact the publishers directly.

Pieces that are based on folk songs:
Percy Grainger, Beautiful Fresh Flower & Anton Arensky, Etude sur un theme chinois
These two pieces are based on "Jasmine Flower" or "Morlihua", a folksong from the Jiangsu province. My paper presented at CMS was based on these two pieces and Puccini's setting of the folk song. You may read the abstract here in the April archives. The Grainger piano score is a little difficult to find. I wrote to the Bardic Edition publishers and received my complimentary score.
The Arensky score is published in "Nineteenth Century European Composers: Unfamiliar Masterworks" by Dover.
Buy 19th-C European Piano Music: Unfamiliar Masterworks

Jacqueline Waeber-Diaz, Improvisation on a Chinese Folk Song
The composer writes that she has based this piece on Ravel's Le Gibet from Gaspard de la Nuit and Jeux d'eau. The piece is distinctly reminiscent of Ravel obviously. The composer neglects to mention the name of the folk song she used as the basis for her work: Kang Ding Love Song. It is a beautiful song with lyrics mentioning horses on a hill or pasture. The score has recently been published and it is available at Theodore Front.

Alexander Tcherepnin, Five Concert Etudes, op. 52
This is a most interesting set of pieces which were composed in the 1930s. Tcherepnin toured China and stayed there for two years and taught composition there. By this time, he was estranged from his wife. In Shanghai, he met a lovely pianist, Li Xian Min, whom he later married. The third piece in this collection is dedicated to her. The last piece, Chant, is dedicated to Louise Tcherepnin, his ex-wife. Some of the pieces are very evocative of two Chinese instruments. guzheng and pipa. He successfully captures the essence of Chinese music and presents very sophisticated settings of pentatonic melodies. A good publication of the score is available here. This edition gives the background information for the pieces.

Abram Chasins, Rush Hour in Hong Kong 
I believe the score is now available through Alfred's Masterwork Edition series. It is published in the collection "Three Chinese Pieces".   

Chinese Piano Music

Dragon Songs, Lang Lang
Already mentioned in another post. Pretty good selection of Chinese pieces.

Chinoiserie, Jenny Lin performer. BIS #1110
This CD is a compilation of Western piano compositions influenced by the Orient. I found the two pieces that I performed on my graduate recital on this CD. Some of the pieces bear more similarities to Chinese music than others. Composers like Arensky, Grainger, Busoni, Cyril Scott, John Adams, Tcherepnin and Rossini are featured. I will discuss what I know about the pieces on other posts. I love this collection of pieces. Buy Chinoiserie CD at Amazon.





Three Chinese Piano Concertos, Eileen Huang. ASV 1031

This CD contains the Yellow River Concerto and the Chinese Youth Piano Concerto. The Chinese Youth Piano Concerto is hilarious.. I can't stop laughing when I listen to it. It is a quite the cliche piece of traditional Chinese orchestra and the piano. The third concerto "The Moon's Reflection of the Second Springs" Abing/Chu Wanghua is not really a concerto but an ensemble of Chinese instruments with the piano. I performed the piano solo version of this piece on my graduate recital. Also found on this CD is the "Autumn Moon Mirrored in the Lake" which was programmed on my senior recital at Southwestern College. Buy Chinese Piano Concertos at Amazon.


 

Ancient & Modern Chinese Music, Eileen Huang. Appassionato #69306
A collection of piano works by 20th century Chinese composers. These pieces are a good sample of the compositional styles and are considered to be famous works. Most of the pieces are suitable for college or advanced pianists. There is a second volume but I have not been able to obtain it. Available here.

Chinese English Worship Songs

Just posted some new resources on Ministry Musings. Enjoy the songs!

Preparing for Summer Camps

Camp Allegro Wichita 2013 and Summer Camp: Group Piano for Kids Oklahoma City, OK are the two events I will be teaching at. Camp Allegro is where I first taught piano ensemble to younger students. I was asked to teach Kinderpiano at the camp in 2011.

The idea of hosting a piano camp for young children ages (5-6 yrs) was birthed after I taught there. It was a new challenge for me. I have taught class piano to college students for many years and individual piano lessons to young children.  I have also worked as a tester for Success for All and had to work with some kindergarteners on English reading. Even with all this experience, I had never attempted teaching piano to young children in a group. I was a little nervous of accepting the assignment but the camp director was confident I could handle it.

My mother runs a private kindergarten next to my home in Malaysia. She has 250 students ages 4-6 daily. I have observed her and her teaching staff for most of my life. She started the business when I was a toddler. There have been a few times when I have taught some singing there. Armed with these experiences and observations, I tackled the challenge of Kinderpiano. I knew I would have 2 classes of about 8 students each  so I insisted on an assistant. :)

At the end of the camp, the students would also present in a concert. We started off the week with some singing and playing with music alphabet blocks. We learned a few songs by rote and we played together with a CD accompaniment. Children love making sounds on the piano, more aptly described as "banging very loudly" on the keys, so we had one particular piece that allowed them to do just that.

We did have a student who cried every morning but that is to be expected. As the class went on with the activities, he later joined in. By Friday, he was good and looked forward to class.

Since then, I have collected a lot more materials and game ideas for my studio. Looks like the animals on my piano are also ready to go on an adventure. I look forward to bringing this syllabus to the Oklahoma City area with my friend and colleague, Miss Vivi Vivi.

Camp Allegro Wichita 2013

Camp Allegro Wichita 2013
I will be returning to Camp Allegro for my 5th year as piano ensemble and music theory teacher. I look forward to an amazing time with my Kansas colleagues and teaching at this camp! This year's camp will be held at the Independent School at 8317 E. Douglas.

Camp Allegro fills up very quickly so mail your applications as soon as possible. Financial assistance is also available. Check out their website for more information.

Excerpt from Camp Allegro's website:

"Our summer session brings some new and exciting changes for Camp Allegro Wichita.  This summer, we will have TWO guest artists-in-residence: Hal Grossman, violin professor at University of Oklahoma, will return this summer to work with our advanced string players; and Wesley DeSpain, director of orchestra at Derby High School, director of the Delano Chamber Orchestra, and Friends University professor, will coach woodwind and brass ensembles, lead masterclasses and teach private lessons to our advanced wind players."

  

30 Famous Chinese Piano Pieces, 中国钢琴名曲30首

30 Famous Chinese Piano Pieces, edited by Wei Tingge. 中国钢琴名曲30首. Publisher: The People's Music Publishing.

Several of the pieces in this collection have garnered attention due to Lang Lang's recording, Dragon Songs. Be careful of what iTunes lists as the composers as the information is inaccurate or incomplete. It only lists the original composer of the tune and not the composer who transcribed the pieces. Below are the correct piano composers/transcribers for the pieces.
1. Autumn Moon On Calm Lake, Chen Peixun
2. The Cowherd's Flute (aka A Buffalo Boy Playing His Flute), He Luting
3. Colored Clouds Chasing the Moon (aka Silver Clouds Chasing the Moon), Wang JianZhong

There is a piece which Lang Lang performs, which from the Mermaid Suite, called "Straw Hat" by Du Mingxin. This book does not have the piece but has two other movements from the same suite, "Dance of the Coral" and "Dance of the Waterweeds." They would be late intermediate to early advanced levels.

Some other nice pieces in this collection are:
1. Flower Drum, Qu Wei. This is the famous Anhui folk song. There are English lyrics to this song too.
2. The Second Spring Bathed in Moonlight, Abing/Chu Wanghua. Originally composed for erhu.
3. A Hundred Birds Paying Respect to the Phoenix, Wang JianZhong. I believe this was a pipa solo
4. Ode to Plum Blosson, Abing/Wang JianZhong.
5. Music at Sunset, Li YingHai.

There are two transcriptions of music from the revolutionary ballet of the Cultural Revolution, "The Red Detachment of Women" by Du Mingxin. They are aptly titled, "The Happy Women Soldiers" and "Forging Ahead." Some day I will be as brave as these women and will program them on a recital.

I also want to update some information regarding where to purchase this piano collection. It is no longer available at China Sprout. Amazon.com has a few very overpriced copies, but I have found another seller, Science Press USA.The book is priced at an affordable $12.00 plus shipping at this website.

If you are just intending to browse the collection, I do have a pdf copy. Please leave me a comment and I will email that copy to you. For my friends near Kansas State or Wichita State, there are genuine copies at their libraries. I believe the copy at Wichita State was donated by yours truly. I have annotated dates for the pieces and the composers in my own copy. Please do not hesitate to ask for that information if you need it for a program.

----------------
June 2005:
This book offers a good selection of Chinese piano music by current composers. The score for the pieces I chose for my senior and graduate recital are found here. The paper quality of the book is rather poor. It would be advisable to make photocopies when learning a new piece. Markings would easily damage the score. I'm sorry I don't know whether it is an acid-free edition since it is published in China.

I do intend to talk about each piece and composer in brief, with the hopes that this would be a source of information for pianists and teachers alike. In my research I have found that the little information is scattered in many different websites and references. And of course it would also help me keep track of the information I have found. There is just too much note paper scattered in my apartment too.

The only website that sells this book for a decent price is China Sprout. While you are at this site, check out some of their other offerings. I will be investing in a couple more books later this year.

Latest posts - Steinbuhler keyboard

Follow my journey with my new Steinbuhler 7/8 reduced size keyboard at Musical Musings.

Getting Used to the Steinbuhler Smaller Piano Keyboard

        There is always a fear of the unknown and stepping out into any new paradigm. I knew I would have to jump into the world of adapting between two instrument sizes, like switching between violin and viola.  I had read the research of Dr. Carol Leone and other researchers who said it only takes an accomplished pianist about 2 weeks to learn to switch back and forth.

        The size of an octave on a 7/8 is about the size of a 7th on a full-sized piano. I found that to be the most challenging switch. I play for a church regularly and I started running through those pieces at home. There were some Sunday mornings when the first few octaves I intended to play came out as 7ths during the pre-service rehearsal. This occurred mostly in the left hand. It usually lasted for a minute before my brain fixes it. The time lapse reduced over a few weeks where I could switch back and forth.

        The ultimate test came when I accepted a challenge and a gig for a friend who is performing his graduate recital this spring. The piece that is requested is the Prokofiev Violin Sonata no. 2. I have to admit that I have not played any of Prokofiev's works in my recitals, but I was up to taking on this project since I have to the time to practice. The first question was whether I was going to learn the piece on a full-sized keyboard, which, of course, I would have to perform on eventually. I decided I was going to learn and practice this piece solely on my 7/8 Steinbuhler DS Standard. Prokofiev's composition has wide spacings and some awkward passages for the piano. I would not say it was an easy piece to read or learn.

           We had our first rehearsal in December to get a rough idea of what we had to concentrate on. The rehearsal was on a rather uncooperative grand piano and a cold room. I found out quickly how much I had to adjust from the 7/8 to a full-sized piano. The answer was NOT MUCH.

          I observed that I had learned the piece more securely than I thought. Because of this security, I was able to make those wide leaps and play with greater confidence and accuracy. I wondered why this was the case. I come to the conclusion that I had learned the piece in a relaxed manner, with little tension and in the most ergonomic positions possible. This taught my muscles to return quickly to its optimal stage after every stretch or leap. I had to adjust the degree and speed of movement for leaps and wide chords.

          When I played on a full-sized piano, I finally realized how uncomfortable it was to play octaves. I could feel a difference with my stamina and level of muscle fatigue when playing on these different keyboards. It makes me wonder what it would have been like if I practiced all my graduate recitals on the 7/8 especially Brahms, Beethoven and Chopin.

            I hope more and more small-handed pianists have the opportunity to try out these Steinbuhler keyboards. It is a world of difference and it has definitely rekindled my love for playing.

Now, onto teaching children on the 7/8 keyboard. That is for another post ... Stay tuned!





 

Group Piano Classes

Discover Piano Class for Children Announcing beginner piano classes for ages 5 and 6. Start your little one's journey into discovering music and piano. Digital pianos and fun activities for student-centered learning. All materials will be provided. One week "camp" in July with continuing course in the fall. Enrollment is limited. Please email for more information.

Piano for Leisure for AdultsHave you always wanted to learn to play the piano? Interested to engage in music making for leisure? Perhaps you have taken lessons in the past and want to rekindle your love for the piano. Learn to play tunes and melodies familiar to you. Stay motivated and connected with others pursuing the same goals of making music. Course will beginning in the fall and enrollment is limited. Please email for more information.

Collaborative Pianist Services, Oklahoma City, OK

If you are looking for a collaborative pianist/accompanist for your next recital or upcoming juries, I have experience accompanying vocalists and instrumentalists (strings, low brass and woodwinds mainly). I have served as the staff accompanist for several choirs and accompanied for some studios. I do have openings for the spring semester 2013, just in time for juries.

Costs:
1. $20 non-refundable retainer fee that is applied to the first rehearsal.
2. $40 an hour/$20 per half hour for rehearsals, lessons, or recital hearings.
3. $25 per jury (This includes warm up and rehearsing your piece before your jury, wait times and your jury.)
4. $60 per recital hearing.
5. $120 per recital (This includes 1 hr rehearsal time immediately before your recital and the recital itself.)
6. The above figures are negotiable. I will work with you and discuss a payment fair to both of us.


Things to note:
1. I take collaboration seriously so that you can achieve your musical goals. In light of that, there will be a simple contract between you and I. This will ensure a smooth working relationship between us.
2. A retainer fee of $20 is non-refundable and is payable when music is given to me. This will be credited towards the first rehearsal.
3. Clean copies of music should be given to me at least 2 weeks in advance of the first rehearsal. Six weeks would be required for more substantial pieces. If possible, please indicate these on your scores: metronome tempos, repeats, cuts and other edits.
4. Rehearsals or lessons should be scheduled a week in advance. Cancellations must be given 24 hrs in advance, unless in case of emergency or illness. If not, you will be billed.
5. I will also keep to the same 24 hrs notification. If you have already paid for the time, you will receive a credit or reimbursement.
6. Full payment is required at the last rehearsal prior to the performance event (jury or recital).
7. I can come to rehearsals at your college/university or you are welcome to rehearse at my home studio. There is no extra charge for mileage within the greater Oklahoma City area.
8. Termination - Please give me written notice that you no longer need my services along with whatever payment is owed. (Email is acceptable.) Failure to inform me will result in full charges for the performance event.

Please contact me at glojet@gmail.com for more information.

Steinbuhler DS 7/8 Smaller Piano Keyboard

Last fall, I purchased a Kawai piano that is equipped with a Steinbuhler DS 7/8 smaller keyboard (DS Standard™). This is a smaller keyboard than a standard size. I first encountered this keyboard at the MTNA National Convention in Kansas City when I was still a graduate student. When I played the pianos at the exhibit, I sight-read music that had intervals of a 10th and I dreamed of owning such a keyboard. I didn't even imagine the remotest possibility of privately owning one. I had hoped I would work for an educational institution who would.

My hand span is 7 3/8" (full disclosure) and reaching anything beyond an octave is uncomfortable. I have been very blessed that I have not developed any performance related injuries after many recitals. There have been many pieces that I have performed over the years which my hand span put me at a disadvantage. There are so only many wide chords that one can arpeggiate without losing the feel of the meter, not to mention hand fatigue.

I started watching the piano ads just for fun over the summer and came across an advertisement for a Kawai grand piano at an antique store. It took me a little while to figure out that it had been fitted with a reduced size keyboard. The sale price was a great bargain as the cost of the keyboard far exceeded the asking price. After a few weeks of talking to my husband about it, I suggested we take a 40 minute drive to look at the piano. If it was offered to me below a certain price and if it is good shape, we would seriously consider buying it. We made an appointment to see it.

In short, we saw the piano, I played it and the store made us an offer. My husband measured the piano properly so that we could brainstorm how to fit the piano in our house. There was also a note from the previous owner of the piano which really made me think hard. This piano needs a good home. I told the seller that we had to take a week to consider it. We went home and slept on it.. for five days, until the seller called to make us another offer. No one else would understand/appreciate the value this keyboard. We took the offer the next day, sent her a down payment and made arrangements for it to be moved to our home. There's nothing quite like the excitement of watching a grand piano delivered to my home!

The piano finish needed no work and it still looks like a brand new piano. The hammers showed some wear, the strings needed a cleaning and a good tuning (or two!). We had David Bonham service the piano because that was who the previous owner suggested. It still needs regulation and voicing. As soon as that is done, the piano will be ready for showings.

In my next post, I'll share some of my observations when making the transition to my new 7/8 keyboard.

Practicing..

How Many Hours A Day Should You Practice

I found this article very interesting and thought it would be good to post it here. One of the most important things a student has to learn is how to practice and that comes with studying from experienced teachers. There are multiple ways to practice effectively and I am still learning different ways of thinking. Happy practicing!