Kajeng Wong, Music Prodigy, Says Hong Kong Is a Goldmine for Classical Artists
The 25-year-old first hit the limelight in the documentary “KJ: Music and Life” when he was just 11. He’s now the artistic director of performance organizer Music Lab. Photos by Kirk Kenny / studiozag.com
My dad is a doctor, but he also plays the piano and loves music. Before I started learning to play the piano, I was already interested in music because of him. I didn’t start learning [the piano] very early, only when I was 7 years old. But I caught on very quickly, maybe because I wanted to play it well for my dad. I went to Diocesan Boys’ School. It’s a school full of music and so I developed musically. It’s simple, there’s no magic.
I’m not a genius—I practise a lot. There are people way smarter than me. But I can’t control what others say about me. If you call me a genius, it’s OK. I focus on my own craft, so I don’t care about what others call me.
“KJ: Music and Life” happened by chance. No one knew it would become [a success]. Not even the director knew. I watched it once on mute, because I didn’t like to listen to my own voice. What do I think of it? Not much. It’s just something that happened and I don’t have much memory of it. I don’t go out and think “I’m the star of a documentary.”
I’m thankful it gave me certain exposure, but after shooting was done I just kept living, day by day. I rarely talk about my past. People see me in person, in concerts, in scores, in my studio. I’d say I’m much more real there, as a person, than how I seemed on screen. As for the fame, I just take it as it comes. People know me, but it doesn’t change who I am.
There are so many people studying music in Hong Kong, but not so many pursue a career in music. The problem is, so many people study music: But do they actually enjoy music? Many are just too short-sighted and goal-oriented—they all just want to get a certificate. It’s good to have goals, but if the goals become the purpose of everything, then it’s stupid. Of course, this is the problem with Hong Kong’s education system in almost every subject: being goal-oriented, but forgetting the essence of it. It’s quite sad.
It’s a three-part problem. The education system affects trends in society, trends affect the parents’ thoughts, and the parents’ thoughts control the teaching style. I can’t change the system, so what should I do? I think I should show people the essence and value of music, by playing concerts.