Lifelong music lover is passing on his passion to his students

How did you first get into music?

My father was one of the first scholars to go abroad after the Cultural Revolution. He went to Australia in 1982 and brought back a bunch of music. There was this one mix tape that another professor had given him with the Beatles, Rod Stewart and stuff like that. At the time, there was so little music available beyond revolutionary marches and some folk music. My dad had to go to Hong Kong to get a cassette player so we could play the tape. When I told my mum I wanted to play guitar, she bought me one - for 30 yuan.

You played music throughout your schooling?

In high school, a friend and I played guitars and sang - we won three straight school-wide competitions. In university, me and four other guys - who all played guitar - played a whole bunch of covers: One-Way Ticket, Sailing, that kind of stuff. When we played, people went crazy! We'd say 'Do you want to hear more?' They'd scream 'Yes!', so we kept playing.

So you were constantly involved in music?

After university I got a job translating Hollywood film scripts and promotional materials for the China Cinema Cultural Exchange Centre. In order to get their films shown in China, people had to send us their materials. I saw and read the scripts of all of the biggest movies. I still have tons of videos.

So how did you go from film back to music?