She was born and raised in Canada, but studied music in Europe and absorbed many cultures, much the way chefs do when they pursue cooking. My childhood rival at those competitions was Amanda Chan, also a child of immigrants who's now head of piano at the Vancouver Academy of Music and a sessional lecturer at the University of British Columbia's faculty of music.

No matter how I did, it meant having a victory (or consolation) kids' meal at the local fast food joint. She was the archetypal sports parent, analyzing the play (literally!), but always in a constructive manner - the good and the bad. But it was my Japanese Canadian mother's laser focus on detail, teaching me to put in the hours, and post-competition talks in the car that influence me to this day. I owe anything remotely related to showing discipline to my parents, who were both extremely hard workers over their careers. Of course, dedication to hard work and respect is not exclusive to Asian culture, but it's definitely a central (if not primordial) tenet - even if it has fuelled the model minority trope around Asians in North America. Timothy Chooi performs Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in the final round of the 2019 Queen Elisabeth Competition, where he was awarded 2nd prize. Eventually - and this is a big one - despite them never fully accepting his decision to follow his heart, he said, 'I had to let go of trying to win their approval and stay true to what I felt was my life's calling.' Ho was offered scholarships to study music, which enabled his choice to go ahead with it, regardless of his parents' objections. Much of their dreams for success were placed on the shoulders of their children to fulfil.' He elaborated: 'As immigrant Chinese parents, they had expected me to pursue professions that would ensure financial stability and success - doctor, lawyer, engineer. 'Not well.' That's how Juno-nominated composer Vincent Ho responded when I asked him recently how his parents reacted to his decision to pursue a career in music. 'I had to let go of trying to win their approval' That kind of parental support is not a given, though. I found my calling in orchestra public relations for the bulk of my career, while always keeping a hand in teaching piano to kids, which is my career focus now. They pointed out I could use my skills in other professions. My parents were very supportive of me choosing music as a career, though I wasn't interested in becoming a performing artist. It's not about becoming a professional musician (gasp!) it's to learn the focus required to become a lawyer or doctor.īut what happens if the student is actually highly gifted and musically inclined? It's no secret that the study of classical music forces you to focus and develop detailed analytical skills. The idea is to learn the discipline required to master a classical instrument. Most of them study for a few years, without any intention of taking it to a professional level. If you glance at the entry list of any music competition, or happen by any music school, you'll notice a high proportion of youths or young adults who are of Asian descent. There were East-West influences growing up: mom kept an eagle eye and ear on our progress when we were kids, and sat with us for every practice session, whereas dad would coax us to practise and occasionally played peacemaker - especially for me, when I grew into a teenaged hellcat door-slammer. My brothers and I all showed signs of musical ability, and it was decided we would all get, at bare minimum, our Associate of the Royal Conservatory of Toronto (ARCT).

I come from a Canadian piano family where, along with school, piano was the absolute rule. When the whoops and cheers died down, she added: 'I do not play the violin.'Ĭho knows the stereotype, and that she's in the minority - she didn't study classical music as a child.īut why do so many Asians spend their childhood studying classical music?īefore I try to answer that question, I should explain that despite my English name and white-passing appearance, I'm the daughter of a Japanese immigrant mother and Canadian-born English father. 'Hi! My name is Margaret Cho,' said the famed Korean American comedian, introducing herself when she walked onstage at a show I attended several years ago.

Asian piano prodigy