Christian Wong, a pianist and composer from Grandview, Missouri, started playing music at age 6, but he wasn’t immediately drawn to it.
“I really hated it as a kid, and then I took a hiatus from music for five or six years and didn’t hear from them at all,” he admitted.
However, his love for music was rekindled when he went to summer camp at the age of 12.
“I was really inspired by seeing older teens playing keyboards,” Wong says. “I was like, ‘Okay, now I have to learn piano.'”
This newfound passion for music and piano playing was unexpected but exhilarating.
“After six years away from music, listening to music again from a fresh perspective brought new inspiration that I had never thought of before,” Wong says. “This time I got it right.”
While he was having fun playing, his mother encouraged him to try harder and see what he could do.
“I didn’t want to do anything too serious, but my mother was the first person who encouraged me,” Wong says. “I wanted to practice more. I wanted to learn more difficult pieces and new composers. That was a new inspiration.”
In addition to his piano playing skills, Christian draws inspiration from the greats in his compositions. “For example, I try to think about what Chopin was trying to do.” To tell “When did he write this passage?” or “Why did he write this note?”
“It really changed my perspective when playing. Instead of seeing the notes as just notes, I began to understand that the composer was trying to convey his message through the music.”
Christian is grateful to his family as he continues to grow as a musician and a person. “I’m blessed. They’ve really supported my journey.”
“That motivates me too, and I just love music.”
Listen to our full conversation with Christian in the audio player above.