What is the most difficult thing about being a musician? You can easily understand it talking to Qirong Xu, a young girl who is playing the Guzheng or the so-called “Chinese Harp” for half of her life. Our interviewee was born in Shanghai and, due to her origin, she loves Chinese culture and never misses a chance to do anything that reminds her of Chinese people and their lifestyle. The girl can be regarded as a goal-setter and a person who has enough energy to devote time both to studying and to her hobbies; having public relations as a major, she still manages to improve her playing skills on a regular basis. It is difficult to deny that being a musician takes a lot of energy, but Qirong just smiles when asked about her busy schedule. Indeed, proper motivation makes you jump over hurdles!
Qirong got acquainted with Guzheng when she was a little girl, and her mother played a significant role in her becoming a musician. Being supposed to choose any instrument she would like to play, Qirong made quite an unusual choice. “Believe it or not, but I just was impressed by one song from a popular TV-show we were watching. It was performed by one gorgeous band… The Band of Great Sister if I’m not mistaken”. Frankly speaking, her story is similar to those of many famous musicians.
As for the long and tiring learning period that followed that moment of truth, “per aspera ad astra” could be defined as her motto. Our interviewee acknowledges that there were a number of problems she faced during that period. In particular, she had to spend seven months to learn only one song! Also, playing the Guzheng can be a real torture for your fingers, but this girl knows a lot about the ways to avoid traumas. Having more than twenty strings, the Guzheng can make any musician broil with anger. But Qirong smiles again and says that she would like her future child to play a traditional Chinese instrument, too. Frankly, it sounds good if the talent can be inherited.