Meet CiCi Fader

We recently connected with CiCi Fader and have shared our conversation below.

Hi CiCi, appreciate you sitting with us today. Maybe we can start with a topic that we care deeply about because it’s something we’ve found really sets folks apart and can make all the difference in whether someone reaches their goals. Self discipline seems to have an outsized impact on how someone’s life plays out and so we’d love to hear about how you developed yours?

My mother is such a rock in my life, and from an early age she instilled in me so many basic important principles. Not only by vocalizing them, which of course was invaluable, but seeing her move through her own life shaped me as the person I am today. My mom is so resilient, determined, and is a force to be reckoned with. When she sets a goal for herself she becomes super focused so that she can accomplish it, and through that she taught me to do the same. Throughout my childhood I would hear stories of her life in China and the hardships she went through growing up during the cultural revolution. Against all odds, she was able to go to college, build her own business, and come to America. Even though she spoke little to no English when she arrived, she studied and worked her way to the life she is able to enjoy now. I am constantly aware that I have opportunities that she did not have when she was my age. It’s because of her that I understand that some things in life don’t come easily, but nothing in life is impossible.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

Throughout my life, I have always been surrounded by the arts. Whether it be visual, musical or anything in between, I’ve always been drawn to the creative world and the possibilities that come with it. Since I was a child I’ve always been attracted to performing- whether that’s singing my heart out, figure skating, or playing the piano. The piano and I have been close companions since I was 5 years old. It’s taken care of me and I’ve nurtured my love for it over the years. So much so, that I cannot now imagine life without it, and thus have been a concert pianist for nearly 10 years. I gave my first full solo concert at the age of 12, and I haven’t looked back since. I know I will spend my life with this instrument, and it still won’t be nearly enough time. The exploration of music is one of my favorite things about it– the different eras, the different styles, the collaboration with instruments you didn’t even know could be put together. I am always looking for opportunities to do something I’ve never done before. I feel as though this mindset made me resist being boxed in to just one thing. I am classically trained, but my love of this art form extends so much further than that.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Some of the most important skills and qualities I’ve learned to develop are to listen, to be self disciplined, and to be kind. The best advice I have for anybody on the path of becoming a musician, whether that be professionally or not, is to listen. Listen to everything you can! Listen to things you love, things you don’t really understand, things you really hate. Why do you love it? Why do you hate it? Why does this song make you want to dance, why does another song make you angry? What is it about each of these compositions that makes it unique? My teacher and mentor Alan Feinberg gave me this advice during one of our first meetings, and I’ll never forget it. “Who cares if you don’t like it!” he said to me. “The important thing is…. why don’t you like it”. There is so much music out there, more than any of us can ever begin to comprehend. Chances are, some of it won’t appeal to us. But building that toolkit in your brain, having a better understanding of what elements make up the music that surrounds us, will shape your own voice and unique sound.

As for self discipline, it is one of the hardest but most important things I’ve had to develop. As a child, I really wasn’t very self disciplined at all. Try telling a 5 year old that she can’t hang out with her friends because she has to practice her scales. It goes against everything our instant-gratification brain wants! To be in this field, it has to be an essential part of who you are. As I got older, it wasn’t something I wanted to do anymore, it became something I needed to do. I remember the first time I felt that shift happen. I had fondness for playing the piano when I first started, but it was the kind of fondness that was casual and relaxed. I had no intention of putting aside my childlike fun to practice and get better. For a while, that was okay with me. I was fortunate have some natural talent, and so I was able to progress enough to satisfy my teacher without working too hard. Then one day, when I was still in elementary school, I heard a recording of Mitsuko Uchida play Mozart’s Piano Concerto in D minor. I was immediately entranced, and wanted to learn the piece. When I brought it to my teacher, he said no. He told me I couldn’t learn it quickly enough, and that it was too difficult for my level. So I ignored him and learned it on my own. For three months I poured everything I had into learning this concerto. I was glued to the piano bench, tracking my progress on a timesheet my mother helped me create. Little by little, as I made quick progress, it clicked. I felt that I can do absolutely anything that I set my mind to, if I had the discipline and focus to keep going. It was exhilarating watching myself do something I wasn’t even sure was possible. Now, at 21 years old, I keep that memory with me every time I walk into a practice room.

Finally, kindness. It sounds cliche and unnecessary to state, but it is so important. Overall, the music industry is one of the most beautiful things I get to experience, but can have an ugly side as well. It’s quick to foster negativity, competition, and jealously. It’s best to keep in mind, though, that we’re all in this together. Whether you’re in school, or just coming up in the music scene, the people around you now will be the people you grow with in this industry for years to come. They will be your peers for as long as you keep doing this crazy thing we call making music. It is completely and fully in the control of each of us to make a change in this industry. I understand it’s easy to become jaded. Many of us deal with with imposter syndrome, stress, overwork and anxiety. But rest assured, many of the people around you understand this feeling and are experiencing the same. We! Are! In! This! Together! The connections and bonds that can form within all this noise are some of the best ones you will ever make, and I am speaking from experience. Our community is beautiful and exhilarating and exhausting and disappointing and surprising in ways we can’t even imagine yet. It’s our industry to shape, ours to change, and ours to leave better than we found.

Okay, so before we go we always love to ask if you are looking for folks to partner or collaborate with?

I am always looking to branch out into areas that are new to me. As I mentioned above, my love of music extends far beyond my formal training. Creativity excites me! All I want to do is play and perform, in whatever form that may be. The very thing that thrills me about what I do is the endless possibilities to explore new dimensions of creativity. Whether it be musical theater, ballet, a pop band, a chamber music group, I am open to discovering every crevice of this instrument and industry. I’ve been so fortunate to develop my skills as a solo classical pianist, playing around the world on different stages and at different festivals, as well as collaborating with countless other musicians, composers, and artists. I’ve had amazing experiences such as playing with the AiYue orchestra in China, collaborating on new music, and playing with vocalists of all different genres. I chose this path because it felt right for me and what I want to leave with the world, but the road it takes is still being built, and that’s exactly how I want it to be.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Ashley Cho

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