Photo courtesy of Yang Yan/Interviewee
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Yang Yan: Famous tenor singer, vocal educator, professor of Xinghai Conservatory of Music and director of the Opera Center of the Vocal Opera Department, vice chairman of the International Opera Education Society, executive chairman of the China Vocal Artists Association, vice chairman of the Guangdong Musicians Association. Because dozens of students have won twelve Golden Bell Awards so far, he is also known in the industry as "the person who often rings the Golden Bell".
Yang Yan's first student, Fang Yi, produced an album for him in 2017, "Soft Talk", writing on the note behind the cover: "Making an album for a teacher is my wish for many years and my honor. Challenge, innovation and exquisiteness are the teaching and music performance concepts that Mr. Yang has been teaching and performing, and we have been teachers and students for 29 years! Forever 29 years old! ”
The rather textured album is in the hand, it is a thick friendship of many years of teachers and friends, and the Yang Yan in front of him from north to south, from the stage to the podium, from the soldier to the professor, from the singing music scene to the ringing of the Golden Bell, is still open-minded, brilliant, and makes people think of a sentence - "We know that the two of us will never change, forever young, forever tearful!"
The album "Soft Talk" / courtesy of the interviewee
"Do only one thing in your life"
Before going to university, Yang Yan worked as a literary and artistic soldier in the Liaoning Military Region, four years of military experience, excellent personal qualities, so that he could have directly gone to the Guangzhou Military Region Song and Dance Troupe as a tenor, but he decided to be admitted to the Shenyang Conservatory of Music for further study. This was the first time he had chosen a university.
"I went to college at the age of twenty-two, not too young, and in the study of the music professional system, I can say that I am a late soldier. But because of this, I cherish my time at school."
After graduation, top-notch professional achievements and rich performance experience made the major song and dance troupes open up favorable conditions for Yang Yan, but he chose the Xinghai Conservatory of Music, he said, he felt that he still needed the pure land of the school to enrich himself, cultivate himself, and enrich himself. This is the second time he has chosen college.
"At that time, the treatment conditions of university teachers could not be compared with now, the music environment in Guangzhou was not as prosperous as Beijing, and the people around me did not understand my choice, but I still hoped to get more systematic learning and promotion in the professional field, and I wanted to do a good job in vocal music."
Yang Yan's choice is both wind and rain, and he has never thought of turning around on the road of vocal music education. Since 1988, he has been struggling for thirty-four years, and has been doing only one thing - vocal teaching and singing. "For so many years, not counting the people who asked me for advice, a rough count brought out more than 1,800 students."
Even if Yang Yan was young because of his beautiful singing skills and handsome image, plus won many domestic and foreign awards, he was invited to participate in almost all the large-scale evening parties in Guangdong and even CCTV, but the main purpose of his performance was to accumulate acting experience for teaching.
At that time, there were also many temptations, Yang Yan gave examples of going to the sea to do business, many people piled up gold and jade, but he felt that education was not only meaningful, but also a very interesting thing, "You need more than ten years of energy to train students, comb a set of teaching systems suitable for yourself, ten years, like trees." A lifelong solution is like a tree man. ”
"Some people also say, Yang Yan, if you have a good image, you should become an actor, but I think that singing well is also a personal matter, and education can bring a group of talents for the stage for the country." Therefore, this work is a lifetime, with the pride brought by the professional dedication of teachers, but I personally have gained a lot, from singing level to teaching level, I am very grateful to the Platform of Xinghai Conservatory of Music, which has given me more than thirty years to grow and improve. I often joke that I have devoted my whole life to vocal education in China and to vocal education at Xinghai Conservatory of Music. ”
Talking about this topic, as if realizing it, Yang Yan looked up and thought carefully, adding: "Oh, I will retire in September this year." Then I really contributed my life to vocal education, and it is very gratifying to reply to the past. ”
When he said this, Yang Yan poured tea in his hand, smiled, and looked calm: "After that, I continue to teach, after all, the century-old shop is popular, I have also taught for more than 30 years, and the more I teach, the more interesting I feel, the more happy and confident I feel." I also want to devote more energy to cultivating teachers and actors to achieve a better future of vocal music teaching. ”
Today, when age anxiety is generally pressed in the hearts of everyone, Yang Yan does not have too many cumbersome and complicated thoughts, and the future will be as expected, everything will be as usual. Perhaps, this calmness is based on his spare strength, trust in his personal path choices, and his enthusiasm for his students.
Yang Yan took a photo with the students/ Courtesy of the interviewee
"The one who often rings the Golden Bell"
The industry has an elegant name for Yang Yan, "the person who often rings the golden bell". As the highest award in the field of vocal music in China, the "Golden Bell Award" is a national art award that is juxtaposed with the Drama Plum Blossom Award, the Television Golden Eagle Award, and the Film Golden Rooster Award. For many singers, it is a great honor to be able to participate, and it is even more difficult to win the award. However, in the past ten years, almost every winner has had Yang Yan's student figure.
"The Golden Bell Award is indeed a benchmark for domestic vocal singers, and it has a certain social orientation, both in teaching and stage practice. Of course, the competition is very large, compared with foreign countries have a high elimination rate, the players to stand out in the provincial and municipal selection, to obtain qualifications to enter the national selection competition, hundreds of thousands of people to participate, and finally only five people won the trophy. ”
The top competition is attractive and challenging for vocal music practitioners, but since Yang Yan paid attention to the third Golden Bell Awards in 2002, his students have continued to win this award. Now that the Golden Bell Awards have reached the thirteenth time, he has won nearly ten students in the past twenty years and won twelve medals, with remarkable results.
Compared with the brilliance, Yang Yan stressed to reporters that the efforts behind the players are not "hard" and "hard work" can be summarized in a few words, let alone rely on a passion, they need to go through several years or even more than ten years of tempering, and even after many Golden Bell Awards to achieve results.
"For example, Liu Tao, who won the thirteenth prize, he participated five times, and Liu Ying, who won the three Golden Bell Awards, she was not admitted to Xinghai at first, read a specialty for two years and became a teacher for several years, only to come back to be admitted to the undergraduate, and then to graduate school, the throat was also sick, and she needed medication to make a sound."
""Yimeng Mountain" male number one Wang Chuanliang, at that time also did not get admitted, I encouraged him to re-read, the second year or with the last place to enter the Xinghai, his road is also more bumpy, but after two years of study he won awards at home and abroad, starred in many operas, also won the Golden Bell Award, and then the domestic red opera male number one is many of him, "The Yellow River under the World", "Beacon Xian Xinghai", "Hero" and so on are also sung by him. It is very inspiring, and it can be said that everyone's struggle history is not easy. ”
There is no shortcut to vocal learning, and as a teacher, Yang Yan often drags his fist and sweats to accompany students throughout the competition. Usually according to the aptitude to teach themselves is not to say more, the competition also needs him to tailor, according to the student's voice conditions, characteristics and advantages to choose the repertoire, but also to comprehensively consider body language, image temperament, etc., "to present the most ideal effect, let everyone feel that you are the character you are singing."
Yang Yan student Wang Chuanliang won the award for "White Magnolia" / Courtesy of the interviewee
When he was young, Yang Yan almost won awards in the industry, and also served as a judge in international competitions such as the "Verdi International Vocal Competition" in Italy. These experiences were summed up by him as his own teaching experience, and poured out to the students.
"Strict self-discipline, full commitment, good at teaching, good at learning." Vocal music teachers are not omnipotent, the classroom can not solve most of the problems, I often participate in master classes and practical courses with students, learning from well-known singers, educators and conductors at home and abroad. Check and fill in the gaps, consolidate the foundation, and improve their teaching concepts and methods."
Despite Tao Li Yingmen, Yang Yan has always stressed that the award is a recognition for himself and his students, a stop on the road of vocal music, a higher starting point, and by no means the end.
"I hope my students understand that they should not let the highlight of their vocal path stop at the Golden Bell Award, nor should they carry this burden, and they should not think of using honor as a tool to gain fame and fortune." We must know how to use this platform to better create music and enjoy music. ”
"I also hope that after that, the Golden Bell Awards can organize a tour, participate in the rehearsal of Chinese original operas, play an exemplary role, make good use of these outstanding winners, and let them shoulder the responsibility of promoting the development and popularization of Chinese national opera and original opera."
Photo courtesy of Yang Yan from the 30th anniversary of teaching the "Admiralty Star" concert/interviewee
"Even encourages intimidating education"
For students, the grace of the master is too heaven and earth, and for Yang Yan, it is more important for students to be high and clean than to win the award, "I want to optimize the summary of the overall quality education of students, so that students can grow faster and stronger, and let the roots of education be deeper." ”
Yang Yan told reporters that in the 1950s or even earlier, Japan and South Korea had matured and systematically learned vocal knowledge from Europe and the United States, and at that time, only a few old gentlemen in China had contact with Zhou Xiaoyan. Nowadays, the gap has narrowed and gradually moved closer, and the overall level of Chinese vocal music has improved.
In the past half century, he has seen many changes from the perspective of students and teachers, and is a witness to the historical development of Chinese vocal music education, which can also be said to be his teacher and their generation to systematize and improve Chinese singing teaching.
"Vocal music education is actually difficult, why? People always say that vocal music is invisible and untouchable, that everyone is in a special situation, and that there is no absolute standard. Moreover, for vocal music learning, maxima is often there, bole is difficult to find, and the teacher must first be able to choose a good seedling. Unlike cultural achievements that can be put on the top later, singing depends on whether it is a natural piece of material, the voice should be beautiful, and the image should be good in all aspects. ”
"So, a lot of kids I've been paying attention since high school. Some are just starting out, recommended to let me see if there is potential for further study, some art exam interviews are outstanding, but the results of the cultural class are lagging behind, and I will encourage him to try again for another year. Fifteen or sixteen-year-old children are at an ignorant age, and a flash of time will pass, and it is important to have teachers to give them guidance, support, and planning, which will make them more confident."
Because vocal music teaching is not a large class teaching, taking the form of one-on-one, or even two-to-one, coupled with different voice parts, different repertoire, such as Yang Yan's metaphor, teaching is like a traditional Chinese medicine trumpet, looking to hear and ask the right medicine, it is not easy to train a student, from middle school to university to graduate student, send them to the stage and then walk on the podium, spending more than ten years of effort is the norm.
"Not to mention pay attention to their daily state, cultivate and shape self-study ability, many famous students are second-class voices, but know how to work hard, there are good seedlings slack and lost in the middle." Art education is quite special, to guide in all aspects, I even need to encourage and intimidate education, which can be described as unscrupulous."
Yang Yan poses with student, National Centre for the Performing Arts opera actor Zhang Wenqin/provided by the interviewee
When it comes to vocal education, Yang Yan is not satisfied with the position, he also unwinds the strings, being the first person to eat crabs, and withstanding pressure and doubts.
He changed the vocal music department of the school to the vocal opera department, saying that the apex of vocal art is to sing opera, to turn a single singing into a form of expression of stage opera, and to truly cultivate actors. "For students, a professional class is not as good as an opera, which brings about an instant improvement."
He also proposed a top strategy in 1995, selecting 5% of better students through assessment and focusing on training. "In fact, the frequent awards of students began with this strategy, when I went to the seminar to introduce the experience, everyone would question, how can it be done? I did it. ”
Nowadays, many music colleges and universities have adopted such a form, and Yang Yan has been leading for 20 years, "Some people say that this is unfair to education, but I think I did not affect the original teaching arrangement, just let these top people practice." This is done with a little bit of experience, the results are very good, but also let the teachers and students more motivated. In short, after years of teaching, I slowly realized it. ”
Yang Yan performed with the students/provided by the interviewee
"The original intention of the struggle must be loved"
Willing to sink down to take root in education stems from Yang Yan's responsibility and even more from his love. He brings the most students and the most full courses, but only laughs and says that he is a model worker, and even feels that it is lucky for him to shoulder the responsibility of teaching.
"In fact, I was lucky, although I went to school late, I can say that I was a teenager. After graduating 7 years later, I became the deputy director earlier when I was still ignorant, and I was shouldered with responsibility, which made me more and more demanding of myself and more invested in my work. Unlike when I was a lecturer, although I had a passion for blood, I could sing and act, and explore education, but I did not have a deep understanding of the sense of responsibility and the reverence for the industry. A deepening sense of responsibility will change your attitude towards many things. ”
"However, the original intention of the struggle is still love." Yang Yan finally put his love on the starting point, he loves music education, loves school students, this love makes him willing to pay, talk about the past years of teachers and students, talk about the friendship with each child's teachers and students, as if everything is in sight, there is joy and joy, there are feelings.
In 2010, Yang Yan suffered a major obstacle in his life - suffering from cancer and even entering the intensive care unit. However, when the graduation season came, in the face of the expectations of students, despite the persuasion of doctors and wives, he chose to go to the appointment after shaving his head in the hospital chemotherapy, and even contracted acute pneumonia. When evaluating this matter, Yang Yan smiled and said, "I really value feelings."
"Maybe you see that I'm old, but I'm still very young, not the kind of person who doesn't smile and doesn't hate, my class is also very fun, I'm optimistic, I love life, as long as it doesn't affect teaching, so it's good for students." After all, the teacher's personality is also very important. ”
Provided by Yan Yang/Interviewee
"Shi En is unforgettable, and the peach and plum people are thick and thick." Perhaps it is because Yang Yan has developed a deep friendship with his students that many of his students have chosen to embark on the same path as him. There are many children who make him unforgettable, but when wang Chuanliang and Liu Ying and others finally chose to serve as teachers in Xinghai, he looked even more proud when he mentioned to reporters.
"Wang Chuanliang, a child who is handsome in one meter and eighty-four, wants him after graduation, many orchestras and colleges want him, but he is determined to be in Xinghai, saying that he has been trained here and will not go anywhere." From teachers and students to colleagues, this feeling is wonderful. Some of my students are teachers at the Central Conservatory of Music, and the benign continuation of education makes me feel far-reaching."
"Now many young teachers in schools come to the door, I am especially willing to do my best to teach these real practitioners, students may change careers after graduation, but the teachers in the school are promoted, which will affect more people and will improve the current situation of vocal education in China."
When Yang Yan was a graduate student at the Central Conservatory of Music, his mentor once said, "Why would I prefer to teach you?" Because you are also a teacher, it will affect a lot of people. This plain sentence has always been in Yang Yan's heart, and now he thinks the same way, just as he originally mentioned the plan and vision...
Producer: Liu Lijun
Planner: Xie Jiangtao, Zuo Zhihong, Gao Chunming
Coordinator: Lin Shaojuan Liu Jie
Written by: Aoyi news reporter Liu Jie
Design: Zheng Baiqi
Editors: Liu Jie, Lin Shaojuan