Meet YE JIN | Musician/Chinese lute Pipa Player & Educator

We had the good fortune of connecting with YE JIN and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi YE, what led you to pursuing a creative path professionally?
I started learning the Pipa (a Chinese string musical instrument with a fretted fingerboard plucked historically with a plectrum, but now mainly with the fingers) when I was five, and I did not stop learning until I completed my undergraduate study and wanted to decide on a career. I had practiced the Pipa for fifteen years by then, and it seemed natural for me to work as a music teacher and musician after graduation.

I worked as a Pipa teacher in my hometown Shanghai for a couple years after my graduation from China’s top art university. Unresigned to knowing nothing but the Pipa, I yearned for more beyond the art line. Eventually, I completed the fashion merchandising course in San Francisco as well as obtained a master’s degree in Leadership in the Arts and Entertainment Industries from New York Institute of Technology.

However, it was strange that I never pondered my decision to join the art line as a fresh graduate. Was it because of my great love for the Pipa? Or was it the habit of years of Pipa learning, playing and practice? I only figured out the true reason after trying my hand at other industries; I soon sensed that it was the music industry that my passion lies. I fear that I would not have realized how deeply I truly desire to be a musician if I had not experimented with other industries.

After postgraduate study, I served as new media director in Santa Monica for a year. On my return back to China, I however worked in a job that was not directly relevant to music for 2 years. As creativity and executive capability were not required, these jobs stifled my imagination and freedom. I felt no passion and joy. Through repeated attempts and deliberation, I decided to throw myself again into the art of music which has kept me company for nearly 30 years.

As a young child, I was interested in visual arts. However, my parents wished that I learn traditional Chinese music, so I took up practicing the Pipa. The Pipa, a traditional Chinese musical instrument with a history of over 2000 years and a reputation for being the hardest Chinese instrument to play, is considered the king of Chinese musical instruments. Being as hard to learn to play as the violin, it can only be passion that has kept me practicing the Pipa for over 20 years.

Art makes me think, spurs me to better myself, and offers me chances to get acquainted with outstanding musicians. Art is my spiritual sustenance, and my pursuit of it has forged me into a more dogged self and created my rich inner world – Art keeps me pure and promotes my aesthetic taste. While putting on performances in various cities of the US, I kept wondering about the differences between oriental and the western art. In effect, music knows no borders. There are no boundaries between traditional Chinese music and western music. Music of different backgrounds can appeal to and integrate with one another. That is where the magic of music lies. Pipa, a foreign music instrument to most Americans, is well received in the US. I have played ensembles and various music genres on a combination of the Pipa and the national instruments of western countries. In each case, the audiences got deeply drawn in and developed keen interest in the Pipa.

Art boasts a charm distinct from other sectors, as it maintains its source. Art is alive, and it cures all. It serves as a spiritual value provider and cheers people when life goes wayward. It is thus fair to say artists are spiritual healers. Students of art are usually pure and sincere. Years of studying art separated artists from practitioners of other industries through demeanor and personal quality. To me, the spiritual wealth created by the artists is immeasurable and far better than mundane money.

Nevertheless, I am confident in art’s ability to create tangible and intangible wealth. Like many artists, I score my personal value through art. In the years to come, AI is expected to replace most sectors. On this very note, I choose to be an artist.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
As a greenhorn, the pipa was a hard and painful instrument for me to learn to play. It took me 3 months to learn to hold the Pipa correctly and 3 years to learn basic fingering. I think only the violin is equally as hard to learn to play. However, I was able to overcome the difficulties relatively smoothly. Today, I am deeply devoted to the Pipa. As the Pipa is relatively obscure in the US, I cherish each performance opportunity irrespective of scale. My performances have helped expose me and the Pipa to people of various cultures and skin colors in the US.

Moving to the US entailed a lot of misery even as I engaged in study, work and performances, but I choose not to share this with anyone. However, it had its rewards. Performing with the San Francisco Symphony gave me the greatest sense of accomplishment and won me a handsome reward. The music became the interlude of the movie “The Last Emperor” for which a Pipa part was needed — That was how I got that opportunity. Also, playing the only oriental instrument in such an august place gave me the sudden awareness that I had made Chinese national music carry weight in the US.

I put on another performance in Los Angeles during CicLAvia, the largest Open Street activity in the US. The municipal government of Los Angeles and Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority were collaborating parties. The performance coincided with UCLA’s centenary celebration. Since 2010, over 1.8 million people have joined in this activity. For the event, I played a mixture of 10 pieces of modern and traditional music, one of which was Adele’s Rolling in the Deep. I sought to demonstrate with this performance that western popular music can be rendered well with traditional Chinese instruments. As expected, the audience were so swept away that they rocked with the music and took out their mobile phones to take photos and make video recordings.

I was interviewed and many of the performances I put on were reported on by the Chinese American community’s mainstream media. In addition, the performances were recognized by former mayors and senators of the County of Los Angeles. More importantly, it was an announcement to the American audience that the Pipa is trendy and going global.

As a musician, it is imperative for me to be capable of experimenting with all genres instead of being trapped in the bounds of traditional music. I wish to integrate elements of various instruments and different forms of art into Pipa music and create an artistic work and musical hallmark of my own that boasts unique characteristics, thus making the Pipa well-received in the US. I aim to make it known to all that Pipa can not only be played and appreciated by Chinese, but also by people from all countries.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
I’ll show the natural landscape of Los Angeles, including the most iconic Hollywood Sign which can be appreciated from the Griffith Observatory first. Next stop is J. Paul Getty Museum which is magnificent and deserving of repeated visits.

Los Angeles also boasts many delicacies. With authentic refreshments and restaurants, Little Tokyo is one of the best places to enjoy in the evening. My plan for the weekend is to visit Walt Disney Concert Hall or Hollywood Bowl where performances by noted musicians are put on.

Who else deserves some credit and recognition?
First, I would like to give appreciation to my parents. Although we often held different opinions after I entered adulthood, it was my mother who first made the decision that I should learn to play the Pipa. And it was my father who consistently got me to and from music school. They may not have been able to give me much advice on music learning, but it was their initiative and perseverance that made me what I am today.

Next, I am grateful to Professor Bi, my Pipa instructor at university. Under her instruction, I grew tremendously. She has been most open minded and knows me best next to my parents. I am also grateful for the substantial suggestions and support on my Pipa performance she offered me. Thanks to her, I was able to reinvent myself.

Besides, I appreciate all that have supported me. This includes the many world-renowned professors and musicians who have written recommendation letters for me. Their significant testimony of my competence helped me score the American visa for outstanding artist, which started my career in the US smoothly.

I also have thanks for all the people and events that bruised me. They kept me introspective and clear-minded at every moment. The lessons that I have drawn from them have made me stronger and more confident.

Website: yejinpipa.com

Instagram: yejin_pipa

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/yejinpipa/

Image Credits
Ji Studio. (Photography studio)