Lang Lang - Why you shouldn't give up.

I just heard Lang Lang on the radio. He was being interviewed on the CBC (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation). During the interview, he told a story that everyone should keep in mind. 

When he was just 7, Lang's Lang's father took him to Beijing to study with a very famous teacher. Lang called her Mrs. Angry. Lang's father had quit his job so that he could guide Lang Lang on a path to become a famous pianist.

It seems the teacher, Mr's Angry, didn't think  Lang Lang was good. She told him he would never be famous, that he couldn't play the piano well at all. Lang's father was very upset and it was an extremely difficult time for both of them. 

As it turns out, Lang won an international competition three years later and has moved on to become one of the most famous and best pianists in the world. He has play the piano in front of billions of people. He is in Toronto for two weeks where he will play five concerts with the Toronto Symphony. Playing five nights gives him the chance to play every Beethoven concerto, something that he has never done before. 

All of this is quite a different outcome than Mrs. Angry would have planned. Even though she was a famous piano teacher, she obviously wasn't perfect. She couldn't tell that Lang Lang was incredibly talented. Once he was 'fired' by this teacher, it must have taken incredible strength for him to continue on. 

What can you learn from this? Basically, don't give up. Don't let an 'expert' tell you that you are wrong. Do the best you can, try as hard as possible and don't listen to negative people. If your parents tell you that you can't do something, prove to them that you can. Whatver you do, don't listen to people who pretend to know more than you. If you think you are talented, then you are. Keep on keeping on!

Thanks for reading.