Why I Almost Quit the Erhu After 10 Years (And How I Found My Passion Again)
- Jeffrey Pai
- Feb 6
- 5 min read
When I first started learning the Erhu, it wasn’t really my choice. My family wanted me to stay connected to my cultural roots as a Canadian-born Chinese. My mom, a piano teacher, knew I loved music and thought the Erhu would be the perfect way to combine my passion for music with my cultural roots.
The Early Years: Competitions and Procrastination
As a kid, I loved competing. Maybe it’s the Aries in me, but I’ve always had a strong competitive streak. Thanks to my parents and Erhu teacher, Yang ZhongCai, I participated in the Kiwanis Music Festival every year. And I’ll be honest—most years, I barely practiced. I’d show up, play my pieces, and still manage to win first place. That gave me the impression that I didn’t need to work hard to be the best.
Practicing felt boring, so I’d procrastinate until the night before my lessons, when my mom would say to me, "You haven’t practiced all week, and you have a lesson tomorrow! Do you think we’re just donating money to your Erhu teacher?"
Despite my minimal effort, I kept winning, which only fed my ego. It wasn’t until I joined the Canada YC Chinese Music Orchestra, founded by my erhu teacher, that I realized there were other students playing pieces far beyond my level. That was my first wake-up call.
A Turning Point: Meeting My Match
The real game-changer came during a Level 8 competition, where I met someone clearly better than me. He won first place, and I came second. For the first time, I felt the sting of losing. My inner Aries said, “Okay, I’ll beat him next year.”
So I started practicing seriously. The following year, I won first place in the Level 10 category with a score of 98.1%. That victory sent my ego through the roof, but it also led to another bad habit: I started slacking off again.
University Years: Losing Passion
When I got into university, I decided to “focus on school” and stopped taking Erhu lessons. I still performed occasionally, and the applause was always loud enough to convince me I was good. But looking back at those performances now? Let’s just say I cringe a little. I was decent, sure, but nowhere near the level I could’ve been if I’d kept practicing.
At this point, I was teaching Erhu to seniors and university students at the Canada YC Chinese Music Academy, but I felt like I’d plateaued. I wasn’t improving, and I’d lost my motivation to play.
Burnout and Career Detours
After university, I stopped attending orchestra rehearsals and performances. Like many post-grads, I was focused on finding a job that could make me a lot of money. I even took the LSATs and got into law school just to prove I could, but I ultimately decided not to go.
During this time, I was depressed and felt disconnected from the Erhu. To find some direction, I started a YouTube channel. At first, I didn’t focus on music because I didn’t feel confident in my skills, so I made a cooking channel instead. Eventually, I uploaded an Erhu cover of Despacito, which went viral within a week.
Rediscovering My Passion for the Erhu
The success of my Despacito cover reignited my passion for the Erhu. I returned to my old orchestra, and to my surprise, the “kids” I thought I was better than had grown into incredible musicians. One of them, Edward, was now better than me.
It was hard to admit at first, but it also sparked a new determination in me. I started practicing seriously again, playing pieces I genuinely enjoyed and reconnecting with the joy of the Erhu.
Taking It Seriously: Structured Growth
In 2022, I decided to fully commit to improving and enrolled in the Canada YC Chinese Music Academy’s Strings Performance Diploma Program. This program was a game-changer. One of my teachers, Liu Yang, made me record my practice sessions weekly, which forced me to review and critique my own playing. Watching those recordings helped me catch mistakes I didn’t notice while playing.
Another teacher I had was younger than me but insanely skilled. Her technical ability inspired me to practice even more—4 to 6 hours a day, to be exact. By sticking to a structured practice schedule, I finally started seeing real progress.
Sharing What I Learned: The Erhu Fundamentals Mastery Course
As I progressed through the diploma program, I realized how much I’d learned—not just from my teachers but also through trial and error. I started documenting these techniques and insights to share with others, which led to the creation of my Erhu Fundamentals Mastery Course (EFMC).
Over the past few months, I’ve also had the privilege of coaching Eliott Tordo, a talented Western Erhu player many of you may know. Working with Eliott not only reminded me of how much I’ve learned but also inspired me to create resources that can help others on their journey.
The EFMC is designed to help players of all levels improve their skills by focusing on the fundamentals, structured practice, and purposeful learning. If you’re just starting out or looking to take your playing to the next level, check out the course at www.jpaistudio.com/course. Everything I’ve learned through years of experience is packed into this course to help you avoid the mistakes I made.
Lessons I’ve Learned
Looking back on my journey, I’ve learned three key things about improving as a musician:
Structure is key. Following a program helps you stay focused and improves your fundamentals.
Purposeful practice matters. Repeating the same piece over and over isn’t enough—focus on specific goals.
Community is everything. Surrounding yourself with other musicians keeps you motivated and inspired.
Building a Community: Erhu World
These realizations inspired me to create Erhu World, a Discord community for Erhu players and enthusiasts. Along with my friend Eliott, we’ve built a space where people can share sheet music, play-along tracks, and learning resources, and connect with others who share their passion.
If this resonates with you, I’d love for you to join us. Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned player, Erhu World is here to support your journey. Check out the link in the description below to join our growing community!
Final Thoughts
My Erhu journey has been full of ups and downs, but every twist and turn has shaped me into the musician I am today. If you’ve ever felt stuck or uninspired, I hope my story shows that it’s possible to find your passion again.
Thank you for taking the time to read my story! If you’d like to hear more about my journey, let me know in the comments. And if you’re ready to start or continue your Erhu journey, I’ll see you in Erhu World or in the EFMC course!
Erhu World Discord Server
Erhu Fundamentals Mastery Course
Commentaires