For more classes like this one, please visit the Benjamin Zander Center - www.benjaminza... Annabelle Lee, violin Interpretations of Music: Lessons for Life with Benjamin Zander Dave Jamrog Audio/Video
Oh my God! That poor kid. How could that mother say that at the end about her daughter?! Thank you Benjamin Zander for stepping in and pointing out what is important.
how can the mom not think her daughter is beautiful? it just crushes me. at least Mr. Zander attempted an intervention. I hope that other people in the little girl's life found out about what happened here and took steps to intervene as well
@@goldiel2435 My heart breaks for you. No one deserves that. If your parents are still alive see if you can find it in your heart to forgive them. Maybe it will take a leap of faith but perhaps such a leap will bring you closer to them before it's too late. I waited too long in that regard and I regret it big time. On a more positive note , I'm really happy you understood what I wrote. Fyi wo ai xuesi hanyu meiyuo uexi hanzi. Keshi xianzai ye wo zhidao yi bai ge hanzi !
Typical Asian parents Always demanding more and more As if they've done a blessing giving birth to a kid. One needs support, encouragement, hope, and appreciation to be inspired and motivated to do well in whatever they wish to pursue on. Do correct me if I'm wrong. Idk
Brought me to tears at the end, it reminds me when I was a child.. I gave up violin even though I truly loved music, because I associated so much stress and pressure to it. I wouldn't even want to practise if my mum was within earshot range. I wish I had met Mr Zander back then! But I am grateful for the passion that cultivated within me from a very young age. These lessons are invaluable.
What a beautiful and talented little girl. The first thing I thought when I started watching this video is, someone please make her smile and give her a hug she looks so sad. Her music is beautiful, I hope shes allowed to be happy. Well done Mr Zander for addressing such a difficult issue. I hope for Annabelle's sake that her mother listens to his advice!!
It is unbileavable what parents do to their kids. It is though a great comfort to know that there are people like Benjamin Zander out there. Trully he gave a great lesson of parenthood and life.
This was difficult to watch until the end, but I'm glad I did. I never thought I'd see something so revealing about a parent, and perhaps about a culture. It is heartbreaking to think what that little girl has to endure.
+Tom Nemeth Same thought here, glad I did finish it, the girl was extremely eerily chill, its like she gave up feeling. I really hope she will be inspired and become lively like a kid again, however I wonder how Heifetz make it? He was also very chill dead serious, but technically brilliant, and sounds phenomenal too, but how did he make it ? can a person make it in absence of passion/ happiness ?
@@PassionPno their comment is communicating to someone else (who’s comment is now deleted), that culture is not an excuse for damaging parenting. You both agree here, probably
Don't push your kids like this woman does. Poor child can't even smile! This is very big sign to warn about. They will be best if they already believe in this. It's not working in other way. That's the message of Mr. Zander.
Your quote is tendentious. Mr. Zender asks the mother: 'Do you think she is doing well ?'Then she says: 'Not yet.' An honest answer that Mr. Zender induced to patronize her.
@@ignazmatthey5767 I think you need to watch that again and listen more closely. He asks her "Do you think she's beautiful?" She then replies "According to my husband, yes.". Then he asks "And you?", to which she replies "No, not yet.". Absolutely disgusting.
@@Neophema It's actually not that disgusting anymore when think about the asian culture. This woman was probably a girl just like her daughter many years ago. It is how they are brought up. So actually you should not only "blame" the mother but the mother's parents too. Do you get my point? So I hope for the girl that the mother will take in that advice.
Just because she was raised like that isn't an exuse to inflict the same on her daughter. It doesn't take genius to see that that attitude is incredibly harmful for her child's wellbeing, and any potential love of music.
The way the video was edited at the end, with the very child's own playing, really did bring home the point that she is, indeed, a beautiful violinist. Go Annabelle!
I thought Benjamin Zander was amazing in a Ted talk he did and he has amazed me in every thing I watched of his since. What a positive, beautiful and passionate man who brings the best out in all with his positive reinforcement!
I didn't grow up with too much Asian accomplishment culture in my home, but I am a quarter Asian (my grandfather was Singaporean Chinese). As a result, I got a bit of understanding of where these cultural querks come from. It seems that at one time, saying anything that one does was good, or showing confidence at all was considered rude and taboo. Furthermore, giving compliments could also be considered rude and improper. In complement to this, the way one was supposed to talk about themselves, their accomplishments and their family was in a self-deprecating manner. I suggest watching some of the opening scenes from "The Good Earth" to hear some this type of exchange (even though it is pretty cringy with caucasian actors made up in "yellow face"). When I was a teenager I started taking Chinese water color painting lessons from my grandfather, I'd never been under his tutelage for anything before, so I thought we'd spend time like we always do; usually pretty fun and easy. Boy was I wrong, when I brought back my assignments a week later after my first lesson, he told me how pathetic they looked, that I wasn't working hard enough and that I needed to increase the amount I produced by about 70 fold (complete the exercises that I did in one week 10 times each day). After a few weeks of this, and his consistent criticism, I eventually caught on to something, and when I brought in my assigned exercises one week I introduced them as "what I have this week is pretty bad and pathetic. I think I'm getting worse in fact.". When he looked at them this time, he was smiling and gave me positive feedback. I didn't continue with lessons, simply because having tension between myself and my Grandfather didn't feel good, although, it became a trend from there on that if I always approached my accomplishments with an air of "I've done horribly", something well beyond normal humility, the response was positive. The thing is that it requires understanding a sort of superstitious undertone that comes over as hyper-critical and abusive to the uninitiated. A Chinese mother saying her child is beautiful means that she is going to "jinx" it. The nicest thing she could say is that her Father thinks so, because she obviously can't say it or else it might not be true. Even though the supernatural, superstitious impetus has been lost, the tradition remains. It has good results, I've rarely met a person of full Asiatic descent who isn't an over-achiever. However, I think Zander pointed out the right thing here, a little girl that can't smile and enjoy the violin is going to have a desperate time sticking to it and developing as a musician. What I worry about is what the aftermath for that little girl must have been. I could see her mother going off on her about not smiling, and how she embarrassed her. I don't know if it was wise for Zander to make his point publicly. That Mom probably gave her daughter hell for what happened there.
I have tears streaming down my eye. The little girl plays the violin beautifully and is then admonished by her mother for thinking she is not good at playing. I was shocked, really shocked. Instead she should be singing her praises, encouraging her, making her enjoy life and smile, smile smile. And to top it all, give her love and support which is so important from a parent.
Salute to the master teaching life lessons! It’s been seven years. Wonder if the girl who played beautifully in the video has got enough support and encouragement from people dear to her and continued taking her violin lessons.
Thank you Maestro Zander for teaching us all a very important lesson in parenthood in addition to the inspiration in music interpretation. Bravo! Bravo! Bravo!
Anthony Couvillion I see her pain as well. I know she still has a lot to learn but the way she plays it makes it feel like she doesn’t enjoy it and like if it’s something that’s been forced on her.
Unfortunately you need a licence to own a dog. A child, however, you can just have and beat them worse than any animal without even touching them. There's nothing motherly or nurturing about that horrible insecure woman. So glad Benjamin stepped in with his positivity and support for that beautiful and talented little girl,
Mr.Benjamin Zander is send from heaven, I wish he could be her father, I do not think the mother is a bad mother but she follows a part of culture that is already forgotten by most asian people and that is also the reason that asian people are that great in western music!
Oh my god, another time your words bring me to tears. I am an Asian mom and i teach my kids the cello, violin and the piano. I have never said any near what this mom said but I do see shadows of myself on her. And I thank you Mr Benjamin to give me the opportunity to reflect. BTW, this is not to shame the mom or anything like that at all! I often say "I am a tiger mom and I am proud of it!". You should be too because we are raising wonderful children. But remember to smile because they are beautiful!
This is a common thing that happens in those cultures. I've had too many friends with parents like that. Awful. Flash forward 10 years, they either become cut throat, overly ambitious and materialistic, or they become meek, and utterly helpless. I hope neither happens to her.
That girl plays extremely in tune! It's unusual to be so much in tune! Mr. Zander? At first i was thinking he was touching her too much and making her nervous. But in the end I saw what it was all about, and he made a brilliant observation about her mother, and asked the right questions etc. But all the negative comments here below about the mother, are unnecesary and bad taste. Mr Zander did that job already!
I am a tiny classical guitar teacher but I could learn and get many many things to teach from him gran maestro Benjamin Zander just enjoying and love that!s all!
Just saying. The girl at least feels safe enough NOT to smile. To be true to her feelings. Many many many many many many girls who worry a great deal smile on the outside while they're screaming inside. Actually just like the mother smiles.
Look at Mr. Zanders face at 3:03. You see the pain there, he was so upset. Music is magical. It shows the inner workings of a human being so well. I think that is what we have to take from his Masterclasses, that Music isn't something simple, that it is a way to express yourself.
I played the violin from the age of 4 to 15, practising for over an hour a day, but like Annabel, I rarely enjoyed it, but often cried over it. My mother said I could only get away with it if I smashed my violin, but I knew I would be beaten if I did, so I kept quiet. When I finally got to high school, I didn't have time to play because I lived at school, and 10 years have passed since then and I've never opened my violin case. It was actually ridiculous, my mother just wanted me to have an "elegant" hobby and to develop my mind, and our family could barely afford my lessons. It was a lose-lose situation for us. (I have to say this is very normal for Asian family, every friend I met had a similar experience to mine, even the now very famous pianist Lang Lang
geezz.. she reminds me to my father compared me to my sister when I was a child and it gave me like maestro Zander said, I grew up with worryness. And made me work hard to improve that I am better than my sissy . I didnt want but the scar shaped my mind. So, Mom please really follow your husband and love your kids more. Dont compare them to some one's child you know
Dear Annabelle, You are a wonderful violinist. Your playing is so beautiful it touched my heart. Congratulations to the mom as well, because you are doing such a wonderful job raising her and guiding her. Master Zander told us about what his father did when he was practicing his cello as a child in one of the classes (check it out!) so he understands everything. Be free and have a wonderful life!
Thank you, thank you for admonishing the pianist about covering the soloist! So many times I have wanted to stand up in the middle of a student performance and yell "The piano is too loud!"
Exactly my father. My parents never praised me when I was a child, not even once. Thank god I found my inner peace. I forgive them. I don’t want to be carrying so much sorrow and hatred to my deathbed. Parents, be nice to your children!
I have seen mothers who send their little kids to boarding schools and treat them like objects. This kid is beautiful and plays wonderful. Anybody will be proud to have such a beautiful kid. I hope someday this beautiful child will be able to smile with happiness.
14:44 is the most heartbroken moment, at the very left corner, the mom pointed her finger to the little girl’s forehead aggressively to show her upset other than being transformed.
How can Mum NOT think her child is beautiful - and does not play the violin well???? OK she isn't Nicola Benedetti yet but she's only young and has a way to go to get to that............................. Cut the beautiful little girl some slack MOM!
It's good that she said that though... because it means that her dad might be giving her the love and nurturing that her mom is too crappy to give her.
Anabelle plays very nicely and is a beautiful girl. Mom puts too much pressure on her child. Not good enough, not beautiful enough. Result: child plays without confidence. Please mom, she's talented! Lighten up! Zander was wonderful!
Her mother should flip off 😞 my mom was happy that my sister and I played twinkle twinkle little stars together a few years ago and that gave me motivation to keep playing 😅
Yeah! I am in tear watching this video 😭... I cannot stand the mother! Even me, a teenager, can know that it is wrong! I am sad knowing there are people out there treating their kids like that! I am lucky to have such nice and supportive parents, that is what makes me keep going in my piano...
Zander is just great giving that mother a lesson at the end. She's horrible, look how she laughs how Zander educates her on how to raise a child. She just doesn't take it seriously.
Even though the girl's playing wasn't very good, I mean for her age and considering she has a 3/4 size (or something like that) crappy instrument she played amazingly, I was impressed but the playing itself was not good. If any of you can understand what I'm trying to say. There was this hidden beauty and emotion I could tell the little girl was trying to show everyone while she was playing
She should get a better mom. Such a sweet girl. This women doesn’t deserve the Titel „mother“. Btw I love her playing and I would be so proud and happy. Makes me so sad to see her like this
I genuinely hope the mother took Zander's words into heart because she is doing a disservice by raising her daughter like that. I understand the culture she was brought up in but that vicious cycle needs to be broken.
Asian parents don't see that kind of criticism as harsh. They see it as helpful. Preparing their child for life, which can be harsh and competitive. These parents love their children and sacrifice so much for them to succeed. They can't afford to let the kids get complacent. It's always practice, be better, work harder, never accept mediocrity. Whether it's music or science or whatever it is, the parents push and push to be better and better, and I know many Asian professionals who are grateful for their parents and give them all the credit for their success. It's hard to explain when you don't come from an Asian family.
I cannot believe that. That poor little girl is growing up with those words in her head. It is terrible. Zander is amazing and really really patient. And the only thing the mother is doing is seeing Zander as if he was a crazy man saying stupid things. She doesn´t even listen to him
This is Chinese culture. All of them think like this. I lived in China for 10 years and worked with kids and met hundreds of parents. Never happy with the work of their children. Always expecting for more, for the best.
