Clavier Companion - March/April 2013 - 46

appreciate, and understand music, and to be
instruction, in opportunities for lucrative
able to play an instrument. The piano is the
piano-related businesses, and in a special
right instrument since, in China, it is the
relationship among teachers, students, and
Yueqi Zhi Wang, or the “King of
parents that is not commonly seen outside
Instruments,” with its over three-hundred
China.
years of history, and requirement of methodToday, piano production is exploding and
ical training and sophisticated playing styles
the piano is one of the hottest selling items
for mastery.
in China. Two decades ago, there were five
Secondly, the one-child policy introduced
main piano manufacturers located in
in 1978 for population control had an uninBeijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Yinkou, and
tended consequence: Chinese parents spend
Ningbo. Between 1981 and 1983, they proIn Urumuqi, the capital of Xinjiang,
much more time and effort than those in
duced thirteen to eighteen thousand pianos
Gulimina performed to a full house, standprevious generations to find the best opporper year.4 By 2006, however, the number of
ing room only. Xinjiang Autonomous
piano factories had grown to 142, producing
tunities for their only child. Parents who can
Region is approximately two and one-half
370,000 pianos and dominating world proafford an instrument and the necessary lestimes the size of France.
duction.5 The manufacturers are constantly
sons for their child make the piano their first
concerned about production speed to meet demand now that many
choice. Furthermore, the so-called “Lang Lang Effect” dominates
families can afford pianos. As a result, the number of piano stuthe wishes of many parents and children, not unlike the dream of
dents has also dramatically increased, creating a huge demand for
becoming a successful basketball player in certain segments of the
piano education and for private piano teachers.
American population. To achieve this end, some Chinese parents
Private piano teachers are mainly conservatory/collegiate piano
go to the extreme of giving up their homes, jobs, and personal lives,
professors, conservatory/college piano majors, kindergarten music
and they use their entire savings to accompany their child, often
teachers, and piano teachers who only teach at home. Since China
teenage or younger, to cities far from their hometowns for piano
universities do not award the doctorate of musical arts in piano
study. The piano, like its basketball counterpart, is seen as a path to
performance, many domestically trained private piano teachers
a successful life.
have either college or master’s degrees in piano performance or a
Thirdly, China is a nation of over 1.3 billion people, and compedegree in music education with a piano emphasis, equivalent to a
tition, by necessity, penetrates almost all aspects of Chinese society.
B.M. or M.M. degree in the United States.
As a result, many parents devote all their efforts to provide their
Teaching standards vary considerably nationwide. In metropolichildren with the best possible competitive edge. Kahn and Wakin
tan areas, for example, where music-related activities thrive, one
reported that, “[Chinese] Children are being pushed to study an
can find better-trained piano teachers, whereas in smaller cities
instrument, both as a possible means of advancement in the counwith fewer cultural activities, piano teachers are less plentiful. In
try’s hypercompetitive school system and as a way of creating
rural China it is not possible, by and large, to learn to play the
respectable, well-rounded adults.”3
The piano has justifiably become an influential part of Chinese
piano.
children’s heavy extra-curricular activities in the hypercompetitive
The concept of private piano studios in China is very vague,
admission process of Chinese schools, beginning with middle
because most piano teachers do not treat their private teaching as a
school and continuing through high school and college. A student
business entity (with tax and zoning considerations, for example).
who passes the highest national piano exams and who earns perNeither do they develop thoughtfully or legally written studio poliformance certificates and competition prizes will have a better
cies as many private piano teachers do in the U.S. Verbal agreechance of being admitted to good schools than those who do not
ment, mutual respect, and trust between parents and teachers are
play the piano. These piano-related activities not only validate a
considered more essential.
student’s performance ability, but also corroborate that student’s
In large cities, such as Beijing or Shanghai with populations over
academic excellence and will play a key role
twenty million, a teacher could easily have
in the admission process into middle or high
twenty to fifty private piano students. As a
school. It is also well known that a liberal
rule, a teacher with a higher professional
arts university with an orchestra usually
title can charge higher fees and thus can
looks for students who excel both academiteach fewer students, usually no more than
cally and musically, and will lower the
ten. Their students are often prospective colrequired admission score twenty to thirty
lege piano majors. In smaller cities with
points (a significant reduction) to attract
populations less than ten million, a teacher
them. This is similar to some American
usually has fifteen to thirty students. Unlike
schools’ admission decisions to attract footthe U.S., where the length of a piano lesson
ball players.
depends on the student’s age, ability, and
Finally, for Chinese students, the cultural
level, most teachers in China offer standard
belief of “no pain, no gain” means that one
weekly one-hour lessons. Half-hour lessons
These piano-major students, age thirteen to
has to work hard to achieve success in life,
are rare, but forty-five-minute lessons are
seventeen, are from middle and high schools
even if it means enduring an excruciating
sometimes offered to young beginners.
affiliated with China Conservatory of
process first. Chinese parents consider the
Many university professors offer only fortyMusic in Beijing. Their repertoire already
arduous process of learning to play the
five-minute lessons, but require two lessons
includes works such as Liszt’s Tarantella,
piano as the best way to imbue good habits
back-to-back each week.
and Venezia Napoli; Granados’s Allegro
and to cultivate delayed gratification in
Private piano teaching has become highly
de concierto, op. 46; Ravel’s La Valse for
their children.
lucrative in China, as has the piano examipiano solo; and Scriabin’s Piano Sonata No.
These four factors result in an unprecenation process. It is common to see children
4 in F-sharp Major, Op. 30.
dented demand for pianos and piano
start piano lessons at age three or four since
46

CLAVIER COMPANION

MARCH/APRIL 2013
Clavier Companion - March/April 2013

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clavier Companion - March/April 2013
