11/3(Tue)The Rise of Asians in Classical Music (Host:Kooper)

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Kooper
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註冊時間: 週三 4月 11, 2007 11:40 pm

11/3(Tue)The Rise of Asians in Classical Music (Host:Kooper)

文章 Kooper »

Seeing Asian musicians on the concert stage these days is not uncommon. What is striking is their level of recent success. The 64th Montreal Symphony Orchestra Competition last November was noteworthy not only because the winner was Ang Li, a Chinese-Canadian, but that overall, four of the six winners from the different age categories were Asian-Canadians.

Although Asians constitute only 5.8% of the Canadian population, they make up the largest group (43%) of the nation's visible minorities. They are well represented across the country and excel in various fields, including science and engineering.

Outside the sciences, the number of Asians making a career in the classical music industry is becoming more notable, with the Chinese and Koreans leading the way. Korean-born violinist Young-Dae Park, a 25-year veteran of the Toronto Symphony Orchestra (TSO) and a violin coach for the Toronto Symphony Youth Orchestra (TSYO), recalls that when he studied at the Royal Conservatory of Music in the 1960s, there were only two other Asians in the entire school. In the Glenn Gould Professional School (GGPS) alone, there are currently eighteen students from Asian countries, not counting Asian-Canadians. According to Jenny Regehr, a piano examiner for the Royal Conservatory of Music who is also on the faculty of the GGPS, more Asian students have been going through the exams over the last ten years. And there is no lack of Asian musicians playing in Canadian orchestras. Park notes that "over half of the string section in the TSYO now are Asians, of whom eighty percent are Koreans."

The stereotype that Asians excel in the sciences rather than in the arts implies that Yo-Yo Ma, Midori and Sarah Chang are anomalies in the music world. The outcome of the recent 64th Montreal Symphony Orchestra Competition is just one example that refutes this conclusion. Other examples include the fact that top winners in the piano and violin categories for the latest Kiwanis Music Festival were predominantly Asian, and the last two gold medallists of the prestigious Honens International Calgary Piano Competition were Chinese. As well, TSYO concertmasters during the last five years have been Asian.

That Asians are increasingly excelling in the musical arena can partly be explained by culture. They are reputed for being academically inclined and possessing a strong work ethic with a high level of discipline that serves as a powerful driver for success. Parental influence is a key factor nurturing this attitude towards progressiveness. Asian parents actively encourage their children to study music at an early age in order to enable them to become well rounded and disciplined Because music lessons are expensive and considered a privilege reserved for the wealthy and cultured, Asian parents take their children's music education very seriously. Consequently, they are more apt to accompany their children to lessons and push them to practice diligently at home. More ambitious parents may even tag child prodigy potential to their offspring, thanks to the example of high profile virtuosi like Midori. Sometimes, parents transfer their unfulfilled aspirations to their children. Such was the case for violinist Sydney Chun, one of the newer members of the TSO. Her mother played the piano in her native Korea, but regrets not pursuing it professionally. As a result, Chun feels that her mother greatly influenced her decision to become a professional musician. She also credits the growing number of successful Asian role models, in her case Kyung-Wha Chung, for further inspiring her to pursue a career in music.

Ironically, although Asian parents often enrol their children in music lessons, they tend to consider music as an extracurricular activity rather than as a possible career option. Whereas medicine, law and engineering are deemed respectable professions, a music degree is not regarded as "real education," a perfect illustration of Asian pragmatism. "There is some degree of sexism," notes Chun. "Asian parents will push their sons to become doctors and lawyers, but their daughters to become musicians." Park shares the same observation, noting that there are far more female Asian players in orchestras than males.

Does being a visible minority in the music industry present unique challenges to Asians? Park and Chun, both seasoned musicians, say that they have never experienced discrimination because of their ethnic background. Amy Park (no relation to Young-Dae), a Korean-born student in the eleventh grade and current concertmaster for the TSYO, hopes to pursue a music degree in performance. "Certainly there are many barriers [to pursuing music as a career], but they don't have much to do with being Asian," she says. She does think that Asian parents instil in their children the idea that they have to push themselves harder because they belong to a minority group. Andrew Kwan, an artistic manager who represents several Asian players in his roster, comments, "The classical music market plays no favouritism to any culture," affirming that Asians and non-Asians alike face the same challenges in trying to break into the industry. On the other hand, some believe that being Asian actually has its advantages. Philip Chiu, a Chinese second-year performance piano student at the GGPS, says that "some teachers may think that Asians are better students because they practice more!" While Regehr hesitates to make such a generalization, she does observe that students from Asia usually have a tradition of respect for teachers and tend to follow their instructors' advice more readily.

Stereotypes associated with Asian musicians remain. Undoubtedly, Asian players tend to favour the piano and the violin, the Chinese being considered the better pianists and the Koreans the better violinists, as exemplified by artists like Lang Lang and Sarah Chang, respectively. This generalization may be founded on the fact that the best-known classical music repertoires are written for the piano and violin, thereby attaching a "glamour factor" to these instruments. Also, for parents wanting their children to learn music at a young age, the piano and violin are more feasible; playing a brass instrument, for instance, would be more cumbersome for a small child to handle physically. It is therefore no coincidence that the Suzuki method was developed by a Japanese musician who originally conceived the method for the violin.

When considering the subject of Asians in the classical music scene, perhaps one of the most prevalent stereotypes is related to artistic ability. Just as Asians are thought more likely to excel in the sciences rather than in the arts, Asian musicians are more often acknowledged for technical merit instead of artistic expression. Overcoming this stereotype is likely one of the more formidable challenges for Asian musicians today.

With a growing concentration of Asians in major Canadian cities, and an increasing number choosing a career in music, one might expect a similar trend reflected among concertgoers. But this is not necessarily so, according to Liz Parker, Public Relations Manager at the TSO, herself half Japanese. "Certainly, concerts that feature Asian artists like Midori are very well attended by people from their ethnic groups, but the audience in general does not reflect the diversity of the population." The TSO does not officially compile data on its subscribers and donors based on ethnicity, but it is "definitely aggressively going after the Asian market, particularly the Chinese and Koreans." The TSO now features a Chinese-language website and telephone hotline. Concert ads are taken in Chinese and Korean newspapers and interviews are aired on Chinese radio and television. For the 2004�2005 season, plans are underway to create distinct programming and subscription offerings aimed at the Chinese community. Mike Forrester, vice-president of Marketing and Development, is tight-lipped about details but admits that tickets sell extremely well through the Chinese hotline. "I'm confident the marketing efforts are already working, and I'm very thrilled and optimistic that more Asian concertgoers will come on board."

Source: http://www.scena.org/lsm/sm9-5/ascensio ... ues-en.htm

Here are two more interesting articles related to Asian musicians. Check them out if you would like to delve deeper. :D
Child prodigies are getting younger and younger, but what happens when they grow up?
http://www.newsweek.com/child-prodigies ... row-271862
The Virtue of Being a Virtuoso: Why are Asian Americans so Musical?
https://victoricat.wordpress.com/2013/0 ... o-musical/


Questions for Discussion
Session One:
1: Did you take any music lessons in your childhood? At what age did you start and stop practicing them? How did it start in the first place and why you quit it? Did you enjoy the learning experiences? Did you get tiger parenting in music education? What benefits do you think you have got from learning them? Do you plan to have your children take any music lessons?

2: Why do you think Asian players, or possibly their parents, tend to favor the piano, violin, or cello more than any other instruments?

3: Classical music has quickly fallen out of favor with the public over the past century. Will it worry you if one of your children shows strong interests in pursuing music as a career?

Session Two:
4: There are several stereotypes associated with Asian musicians, or their parents, being mentioned in the article. What are they and how many of them do you think are more or less true?

5: Why do you think Asians, particularly the immigrants in Western countries, are thriving in the field of classical music these days? Why does the number of Asian concertgoers does not reflect the rise of Asian musicians on the stage?

6. Child music prodigies is doing an age race, mastering skills and putting on public shows at an ever-younger age. In this preteen world, Asians are in a majority. How does this come to be? Does tiger parenting, which is prevalent in Asia, play a role in this?

********************************************************************************************************************************************
Agenda:
6:45 ~ 7:00pm Greetings & Free Talk / Ordering Beverage or Meal / Getting Newcomer’s Information
7:00 ~ 7:10pm Opening Remarks / Newcomer’s Self-introduction / Grouping
(Session I)
7:10 ~ 7:50pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
7:50 ~ 8:10pm Summarization (20 mins)
8:10 ~ 8:25pm Regrouping / Instruction Giving / Taking a 10 Minutes Break (Intermission)
(Session II)
8:25 ~ 9:05pm Discussion Session (40 mins)
9:05 ~ 9:25pm Summarization (20 mins)
9:25 ~ 9:30pm Concluding Remarks / Announcements ********************************************************************************************************************************************
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Rock
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註冊時間: 週三 10月 31, 2007 9:03 am

Re: 11/3(Tue)The Rise of Asians in Classical Music (Host:Koo

文章 Rock »


Is her mom a tigress? She doesn't seem to be abused too much.
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Rock
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文章: 2162
註冊時間: 週三 10月 31, 2007 9:03 am

Re: 11/3(Tue)The Rise of Asians in Classical Music (Host:Koo

文章 Rock »

Kooper 寫: 3: Classical music has quickly fallen out of favor with the public over the past century. Will it worry you if one of your children shows strong interests in pursuing music as a career?
No, it wouldn't bother me, not a bit.
Just like Kooper said, classical music is out of the public's favor, so it's hardly any fun for most kids. Besides, the learning process is boring and tedious. If a kid can still appreciate it naturally, he or she must be highly talented. Usually, talented people are versatile and able to handle many things. Their life will be fine.
On the other hand, kids who say that they are so into NBA or pop music can be talented, or simply silly. Until now, I haven't met a single talented one; all those kids saying that they want to pursue a career in professional basketball or entertainment industry are simply silly. Thanks to the media for encouraging people to just follow their hearts, now we have more and more dreamers.
最後由 Rock 於 週一 11月 02, 2015 9:32 pm 編輯,總共編輯了 1 次。
Kooper
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註冊時間: 週三 4月 11, 2007 11:40 pm

Re: 11/3(Tue)The Rise of Asians in Classical Music (Host:Koo

文章 Kooper »

Here is advice made by a music graduate to those who would like (or would like their kids) to pursue music as career: 一個畢業生的提醒:讓孩子讀音樂班前,你知道99%音樂系學生,生涯高峰在畢業當天嗎?http://www.businessweekly.com.tw/KBlogA ... &pnumber=2
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Rock
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文章: 2162
註冊時間: 週三 10月 31, 2007 9:03 am

Re: 11/3(Tue)The Rise of Asians in Classical Music (Host:Koo

文章 Rock »

Oh, that's bad news for music majors. I feel sorry for them.

Maybe times have changed? When I was in NTNU (not NTU :? ), I joined the school band and had some friends from the music department. Those child prodigies were amazingly smart, and most of them were from rich families, too.

Actually, those who pursue a career in music, art or sports should not have an illusion that they can certainly be another Picasso or Ma (the cellist, not the president :lol: ). Only 1% of them, according to the article Kooper mentioned, or even less, can become super stars. However, the problem of making a living didn't seem to bother my music-major friends too much because they had rich parents-- thanks to the expensive early investment of the professional music tutoring acting as a filter: Only rich families could afford it.

Times must have changed. Now, more and more not-so-rich parents also want to help their kids to make dreams come true. If I had a really talented kid, I would do that, too. But, isn't it a common sense that stars are so far away and almost unreachable? Why are so many people still encouraging others to shoot for one?
Kooper
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文章: 2725
註冊時間: 週三 4月 11, 2007 11:40 pm

Re: 11/3(Tue)The Rise of Asians in Classical Music (Host:Koo

文章 Kooper »

Participants(18): Kooper(host), Leo Chang, Linda Fun, Tashi, Steve, Chris, Kat, Amy, Morris, Flora, Tom, Douglas (new comer), Sophie, Luis, Wen-han, Ryan, Ken, Julian

Kat's correction:

Watch out for the pronunciation of Asia and Asian

win at starting line

vio'lin: force is at the third syllable

Thanks for sticking it out: to continue to do something to the end, even when it is difficult or boring

(X) Piano is more complicated
(O) Piano is more demanding = more difficult to learn or master

have a herd mentality: [Wiki]Herd mentality, or mob mentality, describes how people are influenced by their peers to adopt certain behaviors, follow trends, and/or purchase items. Examples of the herd mentality include stock market trends, superstition and home décor. http://www.forbes.com/sites/amymorin/20 ... mentality/ http://psychcentral.com/news/2008/02/15 ... /1922.html

Ways to say 學樂器:
(O) pick up piano
(O) learn piano
(O) take piano lessons
(X) study piano
(x) study music

I feel like sth/feel like doing sth = I want sth / I want to do sth
Ex: I feel like some coffee.
最後由 Kooper 於 週六 12月 26, 2015 10:52 am 編輯,總共編輯了 2 次。
Luis Ko
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註冊時間: 週三 6月 06, 2007 10:18 pm

Re: 11/3(Tue)The Rise of Asians in Classical Music (Host:Koo

文章 Luis Ko »

good topic, if not great. actually i didn't think it's good for discussion when seeing the title at the very beginning, but found it quite discussable after reading it. and i have to say if it's not because of the articles, i will probably never know those relevant words in classical music field as i'm not interested in it at all. anyway, learnt some new words and phrases from the articles, though i couldn't really use them and express my ideas in English well tonight, still great lo~ 8)
i might be a cynic and, a sceptic as well but, i'm definitely not a bad person!!
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