By Mai Nojima
Circulation Editor
While many of the student acts at the annual Mira Costa Talent Show on Jan. 30 wowed the crowd with performances like singing or dancing, Mira Costa senior Apple Liao took a new direction and amazed the crowd with a traditional Chinese instrument called the guzheng.
The guzheng, more commonly known in the United States as a Chinese plucked zither, has a total of 21 strings that one plucks to make a sound. The left hand is used to put pressure and adjust the individual pitch.
“It is basically like a harp but laid out horizontally, instead of vertically,” Liao said. “It is a cool instrument to play.”
Liao was first introduced to the guzheng in second grade when she lived in China, and she has been playing since. Although she temporarily stopped during middle school, she decided to pick it up again when she got into high school.
“The first time I ever heard the guzheng, I fell in love with the sound,” Liao said. “I immediately became obsessed with it and started to play myself.”
According to Liao, her mother was the one who gave her the push to play and has been the number-one supporter for her playing the instrument.
“Playing the guzheng involves a lot of memorization and control over the strings,” her mother, Becky Chen Liao, said. “It has definitely made her mind more flexible and has enriched her life.”
Liao is not currently taking any lessons, but she plays for her enjoyment whenever she has the free time.
“I love playing it because it lets me forget all of the stress and pressure that I have, and I just get to relax and enjoy the melody,” Liao said.
This was the first year Liao participated in the Mira Costa Talent Show. Although she had performed in front of small audiences before, it was the first time she performed for a large crowd at the Talent Show.
“I had an idea of performing in the Talent Show last year, but I decided not to because I was too nervous and afraid to play in front of the whole school,” Liao said. “This year as a senior, I decided that I would try something new and do something that was totally out of my comfort zone.”
Her performance piece was a mix of three songs: “The Cloud Chasing the Moon,” “Harvest Drum,” and “Dance of Yao.” “The Clown Chasing the Moon,” a slow-paced song, is a popular piece in China. According to Liao, the other two songs she picked were much faster paced, which was intended to catch the listeners’ attention.
“I had heard about the guzheng when I lived in China but never had the chance to listen to a good performance,” senior Shian Yang said. “I was impressed with Liao’s performance because she mixed three sounds together, a technique that is very difficult.”
According to Liao, she did not receive any awards that evening, but received an experience she will not forget.
“When everybody applauded me after my performance, I knew I had made the right decision to come,” Liao said. “You never know what is going to happen if you don’t try.”
Liao is not planning on making this a professional career but will continue playing as a hobby.
“I hope to keep playing as long as I can because it brings relaxation to me and, hopefully, relaxation to others that are listening too,” Liao said.
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