From childhood to my youth, I listened to and enjoyed music from three pieces of audio equipment from home at different times of my life.  Music has accompanied me always.

The first one was an old-fashioned record player.  During the Cultural Revolution in the 1960's, every item and every book with a Western influence was banished from our house, except for that one record album left on the record player, which the Red Guards deemed too unimportant to notice.  One day, my child's curiosity made me turn the player on, and out came Paganini's Violin Concerto No. 1 in D Major.  In an era when songs praising the revolution filled the land, that totally different music mesmerized and excited me.  From then on, I was glued to the record player everyday, listening intently to that piece of music.  Even though it was the one and only piece of music available to me, it injected a sense of luxury and sophistication into my simple life.  It was this violin concerto by Paganini that cultivated my interest in music in my childhood and had a far-reaching influence on my choice of music as my life's career.

When I was a little older, my family got our first player/recorder, which was shaped like a brick.  I said goodbye to the old record player and that one and only record album.  The "brick" not only played music, it could also record, and was a language learning tool.  The "brick" was small but it meant a lot to me.  When it finally quit working from over-use, my English and piano playing had improved by leaps & bounds.  Thanks to the "brick", I successfully entered my first university.

During my youth, we got a Japanese-made Aiwa stereo.  From European classics to modern pops, the Aiwa allowed me to thoroughly enjoy world-class performances.  More importantly, I recorded and made copies of my performances with the Aiwa for my application to universities overseas, and entered my second university as a result.

From my childhood through my teenage years to my youth, the upgrading of audio equipment in my house witnessed the progress of China, from the poverty of the post-Cultural Revolution era to the rapid development since the implementation of the Reform and Opening-up Policy.

After graduating from Beijing Normal University, I continued my studies in Germany.  During my eight years in Germany, its music culture, scientific research, educational standard, and the serious attitude of the German people about life as well as their dedication to their work had a deep and positive influence on me.  I was like a sponge, soaking up new knowledge and culture.  I came upon records of Cai Yuan-Pei, Xiao You-Mei, and Wang Guang-Qi when they studied in Germany many years ago.  Cai Yuan-Pei and Xiao You-Mei returned to China from Germany and dedicated their lives to music education.  In November, 1927, through their joint effort, the National Conservatory of Music was established in Shanghai.  Today it's called the Shanghai Conservatory of Music.  Maybe it's coincidence or maybe it's destiny, I also taught at the Shanghai Conservatory of Music after returning from Germany.  While I felt honored to teach at the school founded by Cai and Xiao, I also felt the weight of a sense of mission.

After the 80's and the 90's, education was not a small challenge.  In this age of highly-developed commerce and information, I try hard to make my students calm down to listen more and think more.  I not only teach them to immerse themselves in their studies, I also encourage them to build a proper sense of value and responsibility toward society.  It's never easy to teach and build character in students, but I start by understanding them and caring about them, and gradually leading them in their pursuit of knowledge and their appreciation of music, then onto setting goals and serving the society.  Through teaching, I realized the importance of continuous learning.  My work in education encouraged me to further my knowledge and broaden my thinking.  In my joy over my students' progress, I feel the pleasure of my own advancement.