Piano Lessons in Asia

I have been fortunate to be taking piano for the past couple years. Though all three of my US teachers were very encouraging and supportive, my last teacher was extremely flexible in style; she would adjust her teaching for each particular student. Her goal was to help students develop a love of the instrument which would inspire and motivate students to continue learning. I needed the chance to enjoy myself and learn in a relatively stress-free environment, which greatly encouraged my music appreciation. I only studied the songs that were inspiring to me.

We were pleasantly surprised that there's a nearby music store that provided piano, violin, and cello lessons. Erik brought his violin, and we’re keeping an eye out for cello renting opportunities for me. Anyway, we were very blessed to find a music school right in front of our noses. However, I didn’t yet understand how contrasting my experience would be here vs. the US.

How I felt after my first "asian" piano lesson.

This week was my first lesson with a Chinese teacher. Boy, was it different than what I was used to in the US! I was completely overwhelmed at her sharp eye that spotted my every move and mistake like a lion getting ready to pounce. Quite remarkably, she noticed my mistakes even before I did. Having had a more informal approach in the US, this was stressful. When I struggled sight-reading a scale in front of her, she immediately asked (though, already knowing the answer):

“Have you EVER done scales before?”

“No...”

“Typical American,” she criticized.

Oh, snap. Now I’ve done it. Now she's mad. I had no possible idea what she would do to me now. She looked at me sternly and tried to teach me the proper technique. I messed up horribly, and took to wincing every time I made a mistake. I knew I can’t cry, because Asian students don’t cry. I gritted my teeth and took to wincing even more. This is what she seemed to say every 5 seconds:

“Keep your wrist straight…” “Don’t move your arm…” “Wrist!…” “Independent fingers…” “You were supposed to press a G…” “When you come back next week you need to play it like this...”  (…Plays piece five times faster than I did.)

I think she expects too much out of me. At this point, I feel about as lost as if Jon Batiste was my new teacher in this funny video clip (Step 9 of his “9 Easy Steps to Play Piano"):

                           

I kept searching the room for a clock to know how much longer I’d have to endure. When 30 minutes passed, she started putting papers away and I thought: "I am a survivor!" But then she pulled out another book and said, “OK, 15 more minutes... Now, play this!” What???!!! 45 minute lessons?

East vs. West

The right long-term approach for me is probably a mixture of the American and Asian approaches. My U.S. piano experience was for my enjoyment, and I got to pick out the songs I wanted to play. Once I mastered a piece, I would move on to the next. I think this care-free way of learning was necessary for my love of piano to bloom. 

Asians are much different: Criticize until the technique is mastered. They don't give many complements, which may discourage students like me. I think that if I had started with an Asian teacher, I would have quit piano in the early stages. I have learned that learning from an Western teacher before a Asian teacher has been the right process for me.  

I know that this is good opportunity for me to get better, but it will take a lot of mental adjustment. Welcome to Asia!