Snatching first place in a national competition is not something every 11-year-old can boast about, but Richmond's Audrey Tai did just that at this year's Canadian Music Competition.
Tai competed in the 10-year-old category of the competition that was held in Quebec City and said she “felt really happy and excited” about her results.
She told The Richmond News that to her “music is a form of communication, and every single piece of music has a unique purpose and is created to connect with the audiences.”
Having watched Tai learn the piano since the age of three, Vicky Chao, Tai’s mother, said results or awards were never as important as her daughter’s happiness.
“The most important is whether my baby girl has enjoyed the beauty of music during the whole process or not. I feel happy as long as she has fun,” said Chao.
“When we were on our way to join the competition, my daughter asked me if she would be fine without bringing home an award. I told her: ‘It doesn’t matter. It’s not a competition. Please treat it as a show and enjoy it.'”
In Asian culture, parents often arrange extracurricular activities during their children's free time to drive them to high levels of success.
However, Chao said her parenting style is entirely different.
“I hope she can always be happy, enjoy whatever she does, and be willing to help others if she could. As her mother, I always support her no matter what dream she has for the future.”
Canadian Music Competition is a prestigious competition founded in Montreal in 1958 with the goal to make music accessible to the greatest number of young musicians.
