Thompson Lee strings together Western and Chinese music

As junior Symphonic Orchestra violinist Thompson Lee picks up his erhu, he prepares to play his favorite piece, “Horse Racing,” a flashy and fun piece filled with unique animal-like sounds.

The erhu is a two-stringed fiddle played with a wooden bow. Growing up in an environment surrounded by Chinese music, Lee’s passion began when he was 9-years-old. Lee’s entire family plays traditional Chinese instruments ranging from the guzheng, a chinese harp to dizi, a bamboo flute. 

“My aunt founded Melody of China [in San Francisco and it is] a non-profit Chinese chamber ensemble, and it includes my family but also many good Chinese musicians that play a lot of other Chinese instruments like Sheng, Yueqin and Pipa,” Lee said.

In February, Lee was given the unique opportunity of playing erhu for one of Symphonic Orchestra’s pieces at their most recent movie concert on Feb. 13.

“It was a coincidence that our orchestra did Kung-Fu Panda, [as I had] just started playing it more because my dad wanted to teach me. I asked Ms. Takahashi if I could play the [erhu part],” Lee said.

Being in his aunt’s chamber ensemble, Lee has gained several performance opportunities through the organization. He has been able to play at different venues such as at schools, libraries, restaurants and his most notable, the San Diego Zoo.

“Last August, San Diego Zoo welcomed the pandas back, so we got invited to play Chinese folk music at the ceremony. It was a really fun experience,” Lee said.

Before picking up the erhu, Lee had played violin for around two years. Although there are many differences in playing such as the different uses of the right hand, the two instruments are similar in terms of utilizing right hand muscles to play.

“The left hand is similar since the finger placement for both instruments correspond to the same notes and the vibrato—at least for me—[feels] similar,” Lee said. “[However, I have noticed] western playstyles do not really incorporate slides because they play with a classical mindset where sliding [is not] used much.”

Lee has had multiple rests from playing erhu, but he believes that taking breaks is useful in avoiding burnout.

“I noticed when I took some breaks [and then] came back to [erhu], it felt a little weird, but you kind of reset your ear so you can notice more [things],” Lee said.

Lee faced challenges such as the desire to practice. He believes that motivation varies with age. When Lee was younger, he believed that the motivation to practice was from the expectation from music teachers and parents. 

“For many musicians, it was their parents [who] made them play the instrument, and if it’s someone else that wants you to play. Now as I get older I have more [playing] experience…it’s getting more fun and I would like to practice more,” Lee said. 

As Lee has grown older, Lee has to face the challenge of balancing schoolwork and practice times.

“It wasn’t very fun for me [during eighth grade] because my control over the instrument wasn’t to the point where it felt natural and enjoyable to play,” Lee said. “[However I now] enjoy playing it.”

Lee practices four to five times a week, with his practice sessions varying from thirty minutes to an hour. When practicing, he trains to build right arm muscles, as the right hand is the hand that plays the bow.

“The right arm is very difficult to get relaxed and flexible even with my experience in violin,” Lee said.

After practicing hand movement exercises, Lee usually practices Chinese pieces. Lee advises aspiring musicians to not be discouraged by the discomfort of playing, and that as long as good habits are formed, playing the instrument will feel more natural. 

“It is similar to how you can not do the splits in a day if you don’t stretch,” Lee said. “I [noticed] that discomfort greatly demotivates people from practicing, even though it’s a completely normal part of learning.”

Despite not planning on pursuing erhu as a future career, Lee believes that playing the there is less stress when playing erhu as it is not his main instrument and that erhu is a captivating instrument.

“I think [erhu] is a very unique and fascinating instrument. For me the sound is very recognizable and nostalgic because I grew up surrounded by Chinese and classical music,” Lee said. “I [can] go a month without picking it up. However, it’s pretty enjoyable when I do play it, there is less stress playing it [due to erhu not being my] main instrument.”