Getting beyond rote practice

A musical friend of mine, Bao Xiaolin, who was a full-time piano teacher for eight years, is now a PhD student in musicology at the Central Conservatory of Music.

She says that few of her young piano students continue playing when they attend middle school despite having achieved the piano certificate.

She says many parents used to approach her asking: "Will my kid become smarter if he learns piano?" "Can playing the piano cultivate a sunny personality?" "How much time will my kid need to prepare so he can pass the next exam?"

But if parents put too much weight on the tangible benefits of playing the piano, children may lose their personal appreciation of the music.

Learning the piano should not be about passing exams or showing how well one performs, but a skill that can be taken into adulthood and accompany one through life.

A close friend of mine has just started to learn the piano. She said she finds playing the piano relaxing and also a way to cultivate her taste and sensibility.

She said that it's not a matter of how well and how fast she learns, but a skill she wants to develop to enrich her life.

Contact the writer at dongfangyu@chinadaily.com.cn