Lang Lang: Playing with Flying Keys

Anything that Lang Lang plays is beyond exciting. He is a fabulous pianist and it has been a pleasure getting to know his works and enjoying them all.

Lang Lang was born in China in 1982: at three he began to learn piano; today he's one of the world's best pianists. His story of his rise from poverty to fame provides young adults in middle school grade levels with a moving biography, is co-written between Lang Lang and his adapter Michael French, and makes for a dynamic, moving story, highly recommended for any middle to high school collection strong in contemporary biography and autobiography or the arts.

The name Lang Lang should be a household word by now. Performing in the Bird's Nest for the Opening Ceremony at the Beijing 2008 Olympics, over 34.9 million viewers in the U.S. alone tuned in to watch. For many, this was their first introduction to the musical phenomena from China. At only 26 years of age, Lang Lang has accomplished more than many twice his age. Starting at a young age, when most of us aren't even out of diapers yet, Lang Lang showed an affinity for the piano. Not being able to reach the pedals, and needing pillows under him to reach the keys, Lang Lang was a prodigy. Coming from a humble background from the city of Shenyang, located northeast of Beijing, the only chance of any future in classical piano for Lang Lang would come if he could gain acceptance to the conservatory in Beijing. But he would have to place in the top eight to win one of the precious scholarships. Lang Lang's family could ill afford for him to attend without the scholarship. His family had sacrificed everything for him to get this far. His father left his job in Shenyang to travel to Beijing to be with Lang Lang. Lang Lang's mother remained in Shenyang to be the breadwinner of the family and support both Lang Lang and his father. Spurred by his father's demand to be the best and Number 1, Lang Lang enters piano competitions, aspiring to be the best in China, then Europe, and ultimately the world. After winning the prestigious Tchaikovsky prize in Japan, he is admitted to the prestigious Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. While there, he continues his training, awaiting his lucky break into the world of classical piano. LANG LANG: PLAYING WITH FLYING KEYS is a truly inspiring story. It tells of one young man's struggles to overcome poverty and his country's disdain to become one of the world's most renowned classical pianists. Through trials and triumphs, Lang Lang always retains his love for the piano. He shares his love of music with the reader. The writing style flows easily for younger readers to enjoy. The story is truly inspirational and one that celebrates the spirit of music. Reviewed by: Jaglvr

Lang Lang's story is one of struggle, sacrifice, conflict, and determination. In this autobiography, Lang Lang recounts his life the way he remembered it. I loved reading this story because there was always something interesting on every page. Whether it was another conflict with his father or an upcoming competition, I could never find good place for me to stop reading. Therefore, I read the whole book in one sitting, and it was all worthwhile. I loved how he explained everything he felt at any given moment - I felt as though I am in Lang Lang's mind. His relationship with his father is an interesting one, but they always reconcile at the end. In my opinion, this book was not as emotional and moving as it could have been. There were many themes and motifs in the story that the author could have take more advantage of. For example, Lang Lang received a stuffed dog as a consolation price in an early competition (he finished 7th). Although he briefly mentioned it as his lucky symbol, I believe the message could have been a lot stronger had he mentioned it at the end of the book. Also, his father's standard pat on the back before every competition could have been used to a larger degree. Lang Lang spent a lot of time describing his childhood years, but not as much on his adult career (less than 20 pages). I would love to hear more about what he's doing as a professional pianist. But overall, I think Lang Lang did an excellent job sharing his story about the journey he took to become one of the best pianists in the world. This book is appropriate for readers of all ages - children and adults, and it will inspire all those who read it. I learned a very important lesson from this book, and it is that you can't succeed without hard work (in Lang Lang's case, hard work means six to eight hours of per day). If I were his father, I would be very, very proud.

In his extremely reader friendly format, internationally celebrated Chinese pianist, Lang Lang with the help of well-known author Michael French candidly discusses his young life and his gruelling voyage to success on the global stage. Written for young readers ages 9 and up, Lang Lang: Playing with Flying Keys is more than a simple memoir, but rather a vivid and emotional portrait of a child prodigy who believes that making music is like breathing and who cannot fathom life without music. As we discover, Lang Lang began his musical career at the age of three and today at twenty-six he has performed with some of the most renowned orchestras in the world. As Lang Lang explains, "maybe it all started with Monkey King and my belief in this supernatural gifts, or my father's pat on the back before I marched onstage, or the 0Chinese belief that certain colors, such as red, or the Chinese numbers, such as 8888, brought power and good fortune. I was an artist who knew that talent alone would never help me realize my dreams. Luck, timing, and connections were up to the gods." Lang Lang always wanted to be number one and for the most part he had been successful in winning many prestigious piano competitions in China and elsewhere. However, he certainly did not live a normal child's life as he was compelled to practice several hours a day and obey a father who was a very stern and unyielding disciplinarian. As for his mother, she unfortunately was obliged to live in a different city than Lang Lang and her husband in order to support her family and to enable her son to receive the best possible musical training. Lang Lang's first huge break when one day he had received a letter from Gary Graffman, the famous concert pianist who had been a child prodigy. Graffman had also been a student of Vladimir Horowitz and was serving as president of the esteemed Curtis Institute in Philadelphia. Lang Lang was invited to submit an application to the school and if accepted he would receive a full scholarship along with free room and board. Lang Lang was triumphant and he and his father spent the next few years in Philadelphia. According to a press release I received, Lang Lang's natural talent and harrowing story has already captivated young fans all over the world. As he mentions in the final few pages of his memoir, my goal is to "make classical music known to all young children around the world, to make classical music cool!" Today, as his way of giving something back to society, Lang Lang has established The Lang Lang International Music Foundation with the objective of supporting education for musical training providing scholarships for young people from all over the globe. Among the many triumphs of this memoir, none surpasses its attestation to how sacrifice, passion, hard work and discipline can go a long way in achieving one's goals. Norm Goldman, Publisher & Editor Bookpleasures