What is your favorite piece of music to play? To listen to? I always feel that pianists are so lucky because we have more repertoire than any other instrumentalists to play and listen to. Therefore, we often have a harder time picking our favorite pieces. However, music by Chopin is on one of my top lists. I also choose to play/listen to music depending on what mood I’m in.
What is one of the most essential pieces of advice you received as a musician or teacher? This advice is probably not only for being a musician and a teacher but also for being a human being — Try your best and never give up!
If you can create a habit/ritual that every person on this planet is required to practice daily, what would that be? I began piano study at 4 years old. Until I was 10, I did not know that other kids at school did not practice piano every day. I thought everyone was like me, practicing piano like brushing teeth…not one day could be skipped!
What achievement over the course of your life are you most proud of? Due to the Culture Revolution, I did not finish middle school and high school. I took a cashier’s job at a street fast food kitchen for eight years. I worked 10 hours a day and taught myself piano and other subjects. All of that hard work paid off when I was accepted into the Shanghai Teachers’ University with the top score among more than 4000 applicants.
How do you motivate your students to practice and excel at their craft? I motivate each of my students in different ways. I often help students devise a detailed practice plan that can be integrated among other afterschool activities. Sometimes I change their repertoire to spark more interest. In some cases, getting the parents to be more involved can be very effective too.
What's been the biggest challenge in your life recently? And what important life lesson did you learn from it? Taking care of my aging parents who are 100 and 95 while I was sick. My advice is — “Don’t get old!”
What is your advice for someone who aspires to be a music educator? You will not be rich. But you will be doing something you love. You will get a lifelong reward!
What is your favorite restaurant in Honolulu? Depending on if I am on a budget watch or want to treat myself and splurge a little, I will go to different types of favorite restaurants. Here are a few: Choi’s Garden, Tim Ho Wan, and Assaggio.