Piano teacher in tune with stress-free music lessons
By Fu Yao |
August 28, 2012, Tuesday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
GERMAN Joerg Rinderman's musical talent became widely known among Suzhou residents when he won first prize in the 2011 Suzhou Talent Show for Foreigners.
Rinderman, who comes from a German and South Korean family background, has been living in Suzhou for five years and is head of Raffles Music Classroom (RMC).
Like many foreigners who come to China for a lifestyle adventure or career move, Rinderman believes the country offers many opportunities.
"My love story with China can be traced back to my friendship with a Chinese guy I met in Germany. I had been learning Chinese from him and found myself fascinated by this magical country and its culture," Rinderman says.
After his Chinese friend moved back to China, to Suzhou, and started his own business, Rinderman decided to make the same trip.
"I worked at my friend's company for almost two years as a salesperson. To convince people to buy things is really challenging. But the big attraction of sales lies on the many traveling opportunities. I visited almost all the big cities of China as a salesman, acquiring a close understanding of the country and its people," he says.
"I think most Chinese people are patient, calm and polite. Actually, having a South Korean mom, I don't feel alien to this environment at all. I had spent a lot of time in Asia before I settled down in Suzhou. I know how to use chopsticks and think I understand local people better than many foreigners."
After working in business for some time, Rinderman decided to indulge his love of music.
A graduate of the School of Arts of Free University Berlin, he describes himself as "quite musical."
And his musical talents shone when he won first prize in the 2011 Suzhou Talent Show for Foreigners with a jazz-tinged Chinese pop song "Love as Tide" and a piano solo.
"Music is the No. 1 thing in my life. I started learning piano when very young and I have a special obsession with jazz."
Rinderman found out more and more Chinese parents are encouraging their children to learn music from a very young age, though he feels some parents and schools place too much pressure on young musicians.
"My Chinese friend and I saw a business opportunity there because, sadly, we found many parents and schools are just not doing things in a right way. Music is beautiful and fun and should not be turned into torture."
Chinese parents are notorious for pushing their children hard to learn an instrument (or two) after school and pass national-level examinations.
Rinderman co-founded Raffles Music Classroom in Suzhou Industrial Park in 2010. It started with three piano classrooms, and when enrollments reached more than 90 in 2011, moved to a bigger space. This includes six piano rooms, two group-class rooms and one performance room.
"One will never stick to a hobby for long unless it's fun," says Rinderman, who was determined to make his music school a place of "fun education."
Long-term enthusiasm
RMC offers three courses within a one-year enrollment: the piano class, the music theory class and the music development class.
"Learning piano is not only about the instrument itself. It's everything relevant to comprehension of emotion. We encourage kids to listen as much as possible before they start to play. They are asked to decode the emotions inside: the sadness, the curiosity, the fear and the surprise. Music is a universal language. One has to understand it before starting to speak."
While many schools place great emphasis on national piano grades examination, Rinderman believes these don't encourage long-term enthusiasm toward piano.
"Twice a year RMC holds a performance in public, which encourages our kids more than a successful national piano examinations. I question the traditional way of teaching piano with the aim of sitting a national examination."
In Rinderman's eyes, music is not only perceived by ears, but also by eyes (through music reading ability), and through the heart as well. Students are encouraged to be responsive and passionate about learning, rather than anxious about playing.
"Sometimes you feel like you want to sing and sometimes you feel like moving to the rhythm. You just can feel the fluctuation of emotion."
Rinderman insists RMC has a different ethos to other schools in other ways too.
"In contrast to the other music schools, I put my effort to assessing the different abilities of kids and hence diversify our ways of coaching. And we never sell pianos or instruments to parents."
Asked about his future in Suzhou, Rinderman says a certain lady is central to his plans.
"I fell for a Suzhou girl a year ago. She makes me think maybe I can settle here for a very long time. Her name is Zhuang Xiaoteng, and, I'm proud to let you know, she is the designer of the logo of the Pingjiang Road, the renowned historical street of Suzhou."
With his talent contest fame and business in the city, Rinderman may well become a renowned feature in Suzhou too.
Nationality: GermanAge: 43
Profession: Head of Raffles Music Classroom
Self-description: Very musical, lucky to be a new citizen of Suzhou, a great fan of Chinese culture, especially Chinese food and people's attitude toward life.
? Strangest sight: Not only in Suzhou, but also in other big cities I see highly polluted water channels.
? Motto for life: Attitude decides failure or success.
? Worst experience in Suzhou: Getting a taxi between 6pm and 8pm.
? How to improve Suzhou: Cleaning up the water channels in downtown; building up more community/solidarity events, such as children care day, music festival, food festival, etc.
? Advice to improve Suzhou: Be patient with everyone and everything!
Rinderman, who comes from a German and South Korean family background, has been living in Suzhou for five years and is head of Raffles Music Classroom (RMC).
Like many foreigners who come to China for a lifestyle adventure or career move, Rinderman believes the country offers many opportunities.
"My love story with China can be traced back to my friendship with a Chinese guy I met in Germany. I had been learning Chinese from him and found myself fascinated by this magical country and its culture," Rinderman says.
After his Chinese friend moved back to China, to Suzhou, and started his own business, Rinderman decided to make the same trip.
"I worked at my friend's company for almost two years as a salesperson. To convince people to buy things is really challenging. But the big attraction of sales lies on the many traveling opportunities. I visited almost all the big cities of China as a salesman, acquiring a close understanding of the country and its people," he says.
"I think most Chinese people are patient, calm and polite. Actually, having a South Korean mom, I don't feel alien to this environment at all. I had spent a lot of time in Asia before I settled down in Suzhou. I know how to use chopsticks and think I understand local people better than many foreigners."
After working in business for some time, Rinderman decided to indulge his love of music.
A graduate of the School of Arts of Free University Berlin, he describes himself as "quite musical."
And his musical talents shone when he won first prize in the 2011 Suzhou Talent Show for Foreigners with a jazz-tinged Chinese pop song "Love as Tide" and a piano solo.
"Music is the No. 1 thing in my life. I started learning piano when very young and I have a special obsession with jazz."
Rinderman found out more and more Chinese parents are encouraging their children to learn music from a very young age, though he feels some parents and schools place too much pressure on young musicians.
"My Chinese friend and I saw a business opportunity there because, sadly, we found many parents and schools are just not doing things in a right way. Music is beautiful and fun and should not be turned into torture."
Chinese parents are notorious for pushing their children hard to learn an instrument (or two) after school and pass national-level examinations.
Rinderman co-founded Raffles Music Classroom in Suzhou Industrial Park in 2010. It started with three piano classrooms, and when enrollments reached more than 90 in 2011, moved to a bigger space. This includes six piano rooms, two group-class rooms and one performance room.
"One will never stick to a hobby for long unless it's fun," says Rinderman, who was determined to make his music school a place of "fun education."
Long-term enthusiasm
RMC offers three courses within a one-year enrollment: the piano class, the music theory class and the music development class.
"Learning piano is not only about the instrument itself. It's everything relevant to comprehension of emotion. We encourage kids to listen as much as possible before they start to play. They are asked to decode the emotions inside: the sadness, the curiosity, the fear and the surprise. Music is a universal language. One has to understand it before starting to speak."
While many schools place great emphasis on national piano grades examination, Rinderman believes these don't encourage long-term enthusiasm toward piano.
"Twice a year RMC holds a performance in public, which encourages our kids more than a successful national piano examinations. I question the traditional way of teaching piano with the aim of sitting a national examination."
In Rinderman's eyes, music is not only perceived by ears, but also by eyes (through music reading ability), and through the heart as well. Students are encouraged to be responsive and passionate about learning, rather than anxious about playing.
"Sometimes you feel like you want to sing and sometimes you feel like moving to the rhythm. You just can feel the fluctuation of emotion."
Rinderman insists RMC has a different ethos to other schools in other ways too.
"In contrast to the other music schools, I put my effort to assessing the different abilities of kids and hence diversify our ways of coaching. And we never sell pianos or instruments to parents."
Asked about his future in Suzhou, Rinderman says a certain lady is central to his plans.
"I fell for a Suzhou girl a year ago. She makes me think maybe I can settle here for a very long time. Her name is Zhuang Xiaoteng, and, I'm proud to let you know, she is the designer of the logo of the Pingjiang Road, the renowned historical street of Suzhou."
With his talent contest fame and business in the city, Rinderman may well become a renowned feature in Suzhou too.
Nationality: GermanAge: 43
Profession: Head of Raffles Music Classroom
Self-description: Very musical, lucky to be a new citizen of Suzhou, a great fan of Chinese culture, especially Chinese food and people's attitude toward life.
? Strangest sight: Not only in Suzhou, but also in other big cities I see highly polluted water channels.
? Motto for life: Attitude decides failure or success.
? Worst experience in Suzhou: Getting a taxi between 6pm and 8pm.
? How to improve Suzhou: Cleaning up the water channels in downtown; building up more community/solidarity events, such as children care day, music festival, food festival, etc.
? Advice to improve Suzhou: Be patient with everyone and everything!
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