Herman Li

“To ignite one’s passion for music, to transform that passion from the heart to sound through proper training” Music is a language of expression, you listen and try to feel the performing’s emotion and expression. And vice versa, you play and try to let others know what you are feeling. Music should be in everyone’s life as everyone needs to find a way to express themselves. Music studied has been passed down for generations, and I would love to be part of the network that passes down this incredible language and raises a new generation of musicians. I studied music at Queen’s University where it opened up my heart and my passion for music. I learned that even if one’s very passionate about music and performing, the sound that comes out might not be an accurate representation. Throughout my university years, I have learned how to improve my touch and proper hand control on the piano keys, my teacher was very keen on making a “singing” quality. I believed hitting the right note at the right time is only half completion of learning a piece. Without phrasing and transfer of expressions, everyone would be playing the same piece of music the same way. Everyone is unique, so why should we all play it the same way? Students will acquire the necessary technique throughout the course of learning and develop his/her own style of playing, to phrase at will. Imagine singing “happy birthday” without any change in dynamics and pitch, it would be a very boring song. Before shaping music, one must learn to play it first. Focusing on technique is an extremely important step as it builds a solid foundation for the rest of the musical journey. Spending time on techniques might seem to slow down the learning process at first because the student is not playing many music pieces, but a strong technical foundation can help students learn piano pieces easier and faster at a later stage. Practice is strongly encouraged for every student. Practicing at home is a self-learning process on note reading, getting the hand’s dexterity to speed to be able to reach the note at the right tempo. Students should be focused on how to make music during the lesson. Take the “happy birthday” song example again, if you already know the words and the tune (by practicing at home), it would be much easier to learn to phrase as I can tell you where to take a breath and where it needs to get louder or softer in order for it to sound better. To work with other musicians, joining an ensemble, or doing accompanying work would give students experience in collaboration, it will train their flexibility in music playing as they will have to follow others from time to time whether it's tempo change or making adjustments on the spot. Working with others will also be able to expose to different genres of music, classical, pop, jazz, etc. They can find one that connects to them the most and to learn how different styles can benefit technique development. After learning the fundamentals and controls, it is time to put them to the test! Exams, recitals, and competitions are encouraged to participate. Standing up in front of an audience takes time to get used to, and once the student became comfortable in front of a crowd, it not only benefits piano performance but the student’s future as they will be doing presentations at school or at work. After learning techniques and ways to shape music, students can find their own ways and continue their own musical journey. And one day, to pass on what they have learned to their students and music lives on.