Yi Qian

Program coordinator, co-founder, piano and ensembles

As a six-year-old prodigy in a small town of southern China, my early life involved extensive touring of my province. Because of my tour schedule, I often had to skip school, and though my parents accompanied me on my trips, I was isolated from children my own age and unable to make lasting friendships.  Music was my only true friend, and at that young age, I simply accepted my lot in life: concert after concert, tour after tour. My mother once told me, "You are a performer. That is your dream, my child." 
 
I continued to sacrifice much of my normal life in pursuit of a career as a musician, and on Aug. 26th, 1992, I came to the United States to further my education and finally achieve my dream. While people told me this is a land of dreams, ironically, it was here that reality hit me. There was not a lot of work for a musician. In order to be a concert performer, one had to go through competition after competition, and soon, music became a burden rather than a joy. 
 
One day, in the cold winter of 2004, I was sitting with my best friend, Ken, in his apartment, located in the heart of Manhattan. After so many competitions, I told him that I was done putting myself through the emotional wringer. I wondered aloud how music, which had been my joy, could have become the source of so much stress and sorrow. Surrounded by the noise of the city, I told him that at this point in my life, what I really wanted to do was start a music school and try to ensure that the next generation of musicians wouldn't feel the same obligation to music that I felt. I wanted to help make music fun for children, and help them retain that sense of excitement for as long as they play their instruments. Ken smiled at me and said, "Let's do it!" That was the beginning of an inspirational idea and a beautiful partnership. 
 
I have never asked my mother if I have disappointed her by not quite reaching my dream. I am waiting for the moment that one day she can come to visit the iSchool and see that my dream took a detour and has found its secret garden, where all of the kids are the flowers, sharing the beauty of music with me. It's a different kind of stage, but I am doing the same thing: sharing my passion, my joy and music!