Freshman Chendi Liu plays at competition. Liu said she began competing when she was five years old.

How long have you been playing the piano?

I’ve been playing piano for 9 years.

Why did you start playing?

I started playing piano at 5 and I thought it was a cool instrument. I had friends who played and all the songs sounded beautiful. It was the innocent type of fascination with such a huge instrument.

Like any other kid, I wanted to quit after a while. My parents obviously didn’t let me. Then when I was 12, one day my mom just goes “you can quit if you want to.” Actually considering the possibility made me realize how much I actually liked playing the piano and, truthfully, I also didn’t quit because that would’ve meant I had wasted so much of my time already, practicing on a daily basis. Soon, I came to love playing piano.

When did you start competing?

I started competing when I was 6 years old.

Can you talk a little about how you compete?

I do many competitions, most of which are annual, and I do some of the same every year. I practice piano every day. Music is generally my focus. I do piano and then singing and musical theatre stuff.

How do you practice and prepare for competition?

I usually focus on two or three pieces at a time and work to perfect the articulation, technique, style, and interpretation