Despite being blind, the pianist's talent shines in the world of music

Imagine what it would be like to stand in a crowded square with your eyes closed. You'd be able to hear passers-by rushing to their destinations, but you wouldn't be able to see them. This might induce a feeling of helplessness, even panic, and you would barely be able to contain your impatience to open your eyes on the world again. But actually, people who have to live in this darkness all the time, they are much stronger than you might think. 

Liu Hao, 17-year-old pianist [Photo：courtesy of Liu Hao's mother Kang Guiqin]

Liu Hao, a blind 17-year-old pianist，showed a talent for music at the age of just three. Over the past ten years, he has overcome immeasurable challenges and achieved incredible things, all thanks to the caring people who have supported him throughout his trials.  For more detail, please click the audio below.

On October 11^th this year, a special piano concert was held in the Forbidden City Concert Hall. Five blind pianists performed there, playing music including The Art of Fugue by Bach, Piano Sonata No. 8 in C minor 'Pathetique' by Beethoven, and Hungarian Rhapsody No. 6 by Franz Liszt.

Liu Hao was performing in the Forbidden City Concert Hall on October 11, 2018. [Photo: from website of the Forbidden City Concert Hall}

Liu Hao was one of the performers. Prematurely born in 2001 in Chifeng, southeastern Inner Mongolia, he sadly lost his sight after being treated with too much oxygen at birth. But at the age of three, he showed his talent in music. Since then, despite the cost, his mother Kang Guiqin has been devoting herself to helping her son to learn the piano.

Liu Hao and Lang Lang jointly performed a duet in a TV program. [Photo：courtesy of Liu Hao's mother Kang Guiqin]

In 2016, thanks to Liu Hao and his mother's efforts, Liu was able to hold his first recital in Beijing; and just one year later, he and the famous Chinese pianist Lang Lang jointly performed a duet of a traditional Chinese song in a nationally famous TV program called I Want to Perform in the Spring Festival Gala, which is the most-viewed annual TV celebration in China. And to cap it all, his story has even been adapted into a movie called The Blind Boy who Plays Piano, in which Liu plays himself.

Liu Hao and his mother Kang Guiqin [Photo：courtesy of  Kang Guiqin]

So where did it all start? This gifted 17-year old's story begins on the day his mother first found him playing a song she hadn't heard him play before. Kang Guiqin had finished work and went home, where her son was playing his toy keyboard piano. The song echoing around the room caught Kang's attention, because it wasn't one of the music selections in the toy. Was Liu Hao playing the song himself? The thought flashed through her mind and it gave her goose bumps.

"I questioned myself immediately because it seemed impossible. Liu Hao told me it was him playing the song. He'd heard it recently and just knew how to play it. He played it to me again, and I was astonished when I heard for myself," Kang Guiqin recalls.

The song Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star is a famous lullaby and it's possible that lots of children can play it. But it has profound meaning for Kang Guiqin, because it brought her hope, marking the first occasion on which she realized that her little boy could play a song after just a couple of listens – in other words, he could play by ear. He can differentiate each note and semitone and automatically form the sheet music in his head.

Kang Guiqin was very excited and decided immediately that she would let her boy learn how to play the piano no matter what kind of difficulties they would face in the future. Two years later, Liu Hao won first prize in a music competition held in Chifeng. When Liu Hao was seven, Kang Guiqin took him to Beijing with one mission in mind – to get the country's top teachers to teach her little boy.

Liu Hao's teacher Sheng Yuan,  professor from Central Conservation of Music  [Photo：courtesy of Sheng Yuan]

Currently, Liu Hao is studying at an affiliated high school of the Central Conservation of Music. In his spare time, he has a 90-minute lesson with his teacher Sheng Yuan, who is a professor from Central Conservation of Music. Sheng Yuan explains how he met Liu Hao.

"Liu Hao was quite famous in his hometown before he came to Beijing. The Beijing Apple Charity Foundation heard his story, so they introduced him to me and asked if I could teach him to play the piano," Sheng Yuan says.

At first, Sheng Yuan had some concerns. His main worry was whether Liu Hao would be able to make a living from the piano when he grew up. Sheng Yuan explains.

"I worried what Liu Hao would do in the future if he learned piano, so I told my friend from The Apple Charity Foundation that I had to see how he played first. As soon as I saw him play, I decided to teach him. He is so talented, and I am sure he will have a promising future."

Sheng Yuan and Liu Hao. Photo was taken during their piano lesson. [Photo: from China Plus]

Sheng Yuan is an experienced teacher, but it was the first time that he had taught a blind student. He realized he would have to make some adjustments to his teaching methods. For example, in their first lesson, Liu Hao played a song called Grande Sonata Pathetique. To give him a better understanding of the song so that he could inject his emotion into the performance, Sheng Yuan was about to describe a visual scenario, then he suddenly stopped because he realized it was inappropriate. Sheng Yuan tells the story.

"I was about to ask Liu Hao to imagine the ambience of a warm, summer night, boating on a peaceful lake; the moonlight was very bright. But I stopped, because I realized he probably wouldn't be able to form this image in his head. I was overwhelmed by feelings of sadness. I told myself I had to find a way that Liu Hao could understand. I changed the words --- think about one relaxing summer night, you're really enjoying yourself and you can feel the breeze on your face. You also hear a melodious bird singing in the distance. I could tell he got my point. Later, I tried my best to use physical senses instead of visual senses."

Now that Liu Hao's piano skills have reached a higher level, he doesn't need to put his hands on his teacher's hands while the teacher is playing to feel the motion of the fingers as he did when he was young. Nowadays, to memorize a piece of music, he listens to clips of famous pianists playing it a couple of times, then his mother Kang Guiqin reads the music to him so he can get to know every detail on the sheet music. Liu Hao says his mother plays a significant role in his learning process.

"After I've listened to the audio of a popular pianist playing a piece of music, I almost know the entire song. But I need to know every detail, like the musical symbols, so my mum reads the music and records it. Whenever I need to confirm anything about the song, I listen to my mum's recording," Liu Hao says.

Kang Guiqin learnt how to read music with Liu Hao, and that's when she realized she would be able to make contributions. Now, assisting him in learning to play the piano has become the most important thing in her life. Even though she has never had a particular interest in it herself, now she devotes her time to it and can not only read music, but also make sheet music for blind musicians. Liu Hao is forever grateful.

"During the day, my mother has to take me to school and take care of me. When I was younger, she would make customized sheet music for me at night. Sometimes, she stayed up all night to do it. My mum has helped me a lot, and I am grateful for what she offers to me. She is a great mum."

After Liu Hao has fully memorized the music for a new piece, he practices on his own. In his lesson with his instructor, he plays the music while Sheng Yuan corrects him if he makes any mistakes and helps him improve his performance. Sheng Yuan notices that whenever a big jump is needed in the piece, Liu Hao tends to touch the keyboard first so his fingers can reach the right key. Although it is hardly noticeable, Sheng Yuan believes Liu Hao can do better, so he encourages him to challenge himself.

"I always tell Liu Hao that he has a keyboard in his heart, so he does not need to touch it. Just move his fingers without any hesitation or fear. His instinct is exquisite, so I know he can do it. It is the best way to improve his accuracy, and it helps with his emotion."

Being blind is of course a huge challenge for learning to play piano, but Sheng Yuan says every coin has two sides. Blind people's ears are more sensitive and they can absorb more information when hearing each note. Sheng says the world-renowned composer Chopin from Poland used a special training method with his students so their ears would become more sensitive.

"It is well documented that Chopin asked his students to remember the music and practice at night without any light. In this way, they were nowhere but in the world of music. After years of practice, their listening became more sensitive than ordinary people's," Sheng Yuan explains.

Liu Hao's performance in the Forbidden City Concert Hall has just finished. It was a complete success, as you will hear from these members of the audience expressing their feelings and admiration for this young and determined musician.

"It is so fabulous and these pianists have done a fantastic job, especially Liu Hao. His performance really impressed me."

"It is a great concert. I am in college and my major is piano, and I wanted to see how they perform without seeing the keyboard. I think their accuracy is even better me."

"It has been wonderful to hear classical music. It is just amazing and these guys are so wonderful that how they can play the piano without seeing the piano. I can just tell from their body that how they involve in the music.”

As Liu Hao is about to finish his high school education, he has decided to continue studying the piano at a music university in the US. There he has the chance of pursuing his dreams and living a bright, musical future.

(written by Chen Ziqi, voiced by Ken Smith)