We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Yun Liu. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Yun below.
Yun, thank you so much for joining us today. Let’s jump right into something we’re really interested in hearing about from you – being the only one in the room. So many of us find ourselves as the only woman in the room, the only immigrant or the only artist in the room, etc. Can you talk to us about how you have learned to be effective and successful in situations where you are the only one in the room like you?
I believe self-awareness and perseverance are the most important traits that can help me navigating through such difficult times. Staying different from others is never easy, especially during school time when everyone around you does the same thing. When I was in high school, most of my classmates studied regular coursework extremely hard for the college admission tests. Being an art student who was determined to get in music schools, I had different routines every day as I needed to spend a lot of time on music studies. Just because my choice is different, many teachers, and even some classmates, often questioned my effort and tried to talk me through coming back to the traditional way of the “real” study. To be honest, it is difficult to keep doing things in a different way from everybody around me. I had to keep telling myself that the only one who really understands myself is me, and others didn’t support me because they had fear in the unknowns. Being resilient and certain that I was doing the right thing, I kept doing research on the path I was taking to make sure it was indeed the best option for me, and devoted the best I had to make sure I would success. These are the most powerful weapons I can rely on when surviving and thriving in an environment in which I am different.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I am a Guzheng musician, a vocal soloist, and an accompanying pianist. Guzheng is one of the most iconic traditional Chinese stringed instruments. I am specialized in traditional Guzheng performance, traditional Chinese folk song singing, piano accompaniment coach, and traditional Chinese music orchestration.
Since obtaining my bachelor’s degree in China and my master’s degree in the US (both in Musicology), I have devoted my passion in bringing traditional Chinese music to the forefront of American culture. I established my own studio to offer private classes for Guzheng, vocal singing, piano, and music theory. Over the years, I have coached many award-wining students, several of whom have been admitted to music schools. I have been featured in several articles, concerts, and TV shows internationally, including China Culture, Chinese Music, China News Service, Phoenix Television, SinoVision, Voyage Houston, and Xinhua Net.
In addition to teaching, I also perform regularly as a solo musician and in orchestras, often together with the Houston Chinese Traditional Music Group (HCTMG). I have been preparing diligently for the upcoming HCTMG 2023 Fall Concert happening during the Labor Day weekend in Sugar Land, TX. I have been doing special adaptation of several traditional Chinese sopranos and Guzheng music into new forms for this concert, so that I can always bring something new to our audience. You don’t want to miss it!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
Self-awareness, perseverance, and confidence are the most important three qualities for my journey. We need self-awareness so that we always know we are on the right path. In the realm of performing arts, repetition makes perfection. We need perseverance to keep improving our skills. Finally, without confidence and self-belief, live performance will never be a success. For artists who are early in their journey, especially performing artists, we must understand that there are no shortcuts when it comes to improving our skills. Practice, practice, and practice, that’s the only way we can succeed on the stage. Success on the stage will in turn make us more confident and believe in the path we choose.
How would you describe your ideal client?
An ideal client to me would be someone who really appreciates traditional Chinese music, can spend enough time practicing their skills, and enjoys performing on the stage. Out of these three characteristics, the second is usually the most difficult. Because most of my students only spend one hour per week with me, it is impossible for someone to become an expert of an instrument when only touching it during the class. Therefore, I design homework that motivates them practicing every day. Only by doing this, my clients can feel the difference and can one day perform by themselves with a smile on their face.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://yunliumusic.com/
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/user-743331435
- Other: https://www.hctmg.org/en/ HCTMG 2023 Fall Concert: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/-2023-tickets-663159145857
