Chi Yuen - Ardwick - Music

Find out more about Chi Yuen

• When did you first develop a passion for music and your favourite instrument?

  I would like to say that I developed a passion for music at a young age, but it really wasn't like that at all. I was an ordinary Asian kid made to learn piano, and it wasn't until much later when I came across the music of Chopin and under the guidance of a really wonderful teacher, that my passion for playing the piano truly grew and flourished.

• Is there a particular type music or artist that you listen to on a loop without it driving you crazy?

  Chopin most likely. I am the type of person who searches for the lost beauty in the world, instead of showing it as it is, and the type of person who dreams of their own childhood and prefers tranquillity over excessive drama. I would listen to Chopin to find my centre when I have had a rough day, for example.

• Explain to us the most difficult or riveting course you could personally give to a student of music.

  My students often request I write an arrangement of their favourite tune, so they could play. I am not beyond, for example, writing one such arrangement, while combining all their previous known weaknesses into it, and then presenting it to them with a grin. Learning music should be about enjoyment, but that doesn't mean I have to make the cake super easy to eat.

• What do you think is the most complicated instrument to master and why?

  Piano is probably the most complicated instrument to master. The coordination of two hands, plus feet, and also the eyes switching between the music score and the hands, often overwhelms beginners. The same case can be made for Organ, but Violin for example takes much longer than other instruments before players can develop a pleasing sound.

• What are your keys to success?

  Keys to success are universal. How does anyone succeed in life? Or be good at anything? Patience, Persistence and Planning are just some of the values I enforce in my lessons, which are the same keys you would need to succeed elsewhere in life.

• Name three musicians you dream of meeting in your favourite bar in the early hours of the morning. Explain why.

  Lang Lang, Yundi Li, and Valentina Lisitsa. All great pianists with a charming personality and absolute masters at their art. But to be honest I am not someone who visits bars that often, so I would much rather meet them after a concert or something. Or at a concert bar.

• Provide a valuable anecdote related to music or your days at music school.

  Pianists are strange creatures. They say hi, and quickly rush down the corridors to hide in one of their practice rooms, practising 6-8 hours a day. The solitary nature of practice (especially for a pianist) can at times be seen as antisocial. Music is a journey, and a journey that needs to be shared with those around you. This is a principle I wish I had known during my days at music school.

• What are the little touches that make you a Superprof in music?

  I believe in several fundamental principles: Everyone can play the piano, Rejoice in the students' progress, and never stop believing or give up on students. I don't always give out praises, but when I do I always mean it. I share my knowledge generously, but also understand that everyone is different and needs different things from the teacher. To teach is to accept that you still have much to learn, and I always strive to improve my teaching with each student.