Bei
Bei is a Gu Zheng (Chinese Zither) virtuoso. She
started to play the Gu Zheng at the age of seven.
She received her professional musical training,
majoring in the Gu Zheng at the Central University
of Nationalities in Beijing, China and the Hong Kong
Academy for Performing Arts in Hong Kong. Bei Bei is
a multi-award winner of many national and
international competitions such as the 1999
College Students Art Festival in Beijing and the
First Dragon Music Cup International Gu Zheng
Competition. Bei Bei came to United States in 2003
both to perform and study music recording. She has
been collaborating with musicians from different
genres such as Jazz, Alternative, Rock, New Age,
Hip-Hop, Electronic and dancers. Bei Bei has been
featured as an instrumentalist and composer at
Revolution 626, the Chinese Moon Festival Concert,
Knitting Factory Hollywood, Irvine Barclay Theater,
and UC Irvine Claire Trevor Theater, and more. The
feedback that she has received as she has introduced
American audiences to Gu Zheng and its broad and
varied repertoire has been extremely positive. Her
passion for her instrument and the beauty of her
music have touched people across the world.
INTERVIEW:: conducted
by
JiZO Jewles
PA:
Please tell us a little about yourself? Where were
you born and where do you reside now?
BeiBei:
I am 23 years old. I was born in Cheng Du, a south
western city in China, where people love spicy food
and enjoying life. Currently I live in Los Angeles,
California. I am now a freelance musician
and instructor for the Gu Zheng.
PA:
Why did you choose the Gu Zheng (Chinese Zither) as
your musical instrument? BeiBei:
I had a friend who was learning the instrument at
the time, and I loved the sound of it and how it
looks, so I begged my mother to let me learn it.
PA:
It looks like it could be a very tough instrument to
learn. When did you learn to play? BeiBei:
I began to take private lessons when I was almost
7.
PA:
Besides you, does anyone else in your family have
any musical talent? BeiBei:
My mother used to dance and play violin when she was
young and my younger sister is a singer who has won
multiple national awards in China.
PA:
What other instruments do you play? BeiBei:
Piano, Gu Qin (7 stringed Chinese Zither), Drums
PA:
What is the meaning of music to you? BeiBei:
It means love, passion, life, enjoyment, emotions,
inspirations, and fulfillment. I get into another
world when I play.
PA:
Do you try to replicate different songs for the Gu
Zheng? BeiBei:
I haven’t done this yet, but I do plan to cover some
of my favorite artists’ songs in the near future.
PA:
When did you begin performing at a professional
level? BeiBei:
When I was 12 years old. I went to the middle and
high school program in the Central University of
Nationalities in Beijing to get my professional
music education.
PA:
Have you ever toured anywhere? BeiBei:
A few cities in China.
PA:
Are you working on any specific project? BeiBei:
I am working on a new album with my producer Marcus
DeLaCruz. We are experimenting Gu Zheng with Hip-Hop
and other types of electronic music. This is my
dream, and I am seeing it come true.
Bei
Bei is a Gu Zheng (Chinese Zither) virtuoso. She
started to play the Gu Zheng at the age of seven.
She received her professional musical training,
majoring in the Gu Zheng at the Central University
of Nationalities in Beijing, China and the Hong Kong
Academy for Performing Arts in Hong Kong. Bei Bei is
a multi-award winner of many national and
international competitions such as the 1999
College Students Art Festival in Beijing and the
First Dragon Music Cup International Gu Zheng
Competition. Bei Bei came to United States in 2003
both to perform and study music recording. She has
been collaborating with musicians from different
genres such as Jazz, Alternative, Rock, New Age,
Hip-Hop, Electronic and dancers. Bei Bei has been
featured as an instrumentalist and composer at
Revolution 626, the Chinese Moon Festival Concert,
Knitting Factory Hollywood, Irvine Barclay Theater,
and UC Irvine Claire Trevor Theater, and more. The
feedback that she has received as she has introduced
American audiences to Gu Zheng and its broad and
varied repertoire has been extremely positive. Her
passion for her instrument and the beauty of her
music have touched people across the world.
