Journey of a Thousand Miles: My Story

Chinese classical pianist Lang Lang relates the story of his life in China and his musical training which eventually led him to the United States to study at the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. The most affecting parts of the story involve the sacrifices made by his family. He and his father moved from their hometown of Shenyang to Beijing when Lang Lang was eight years old so that he could gain entry to a music conservatory in Beijing. But his mother stayed behind in order to work and send them money. His father was a stern taskmaster and demanded that his son be number one in competitions. At one point in Beijing, when his piano teacher (dubbed Professor Angry by Lang Lang) had dropped him as a student because she felt he show more would never become a great pianist, Lang Lang's father gave him a bottle of pills and told him he should swallow the pills and kill himself, rather than continue to live in shame. Or if he wouldn't take the pills, then he should fling himself off their eleventh-floor balcony. For weeks afterward, Lang Lang refused to play the piano, and the rift with his father took many years to completely heal. I couldn't help but wonder as I read this part of the story, having recently watched the Olympics in Beijing, if Chinese athletes face the same sort of pressure to excel at all costs. Lang Lang faced some disappointments, but eventually triumphed as he was invited to perform with major orchestras around the world and gained recording contracts. show less

Interesting story of classical pianist Lang Lang from childhood to young adult years. The amount of practicing he did was amazing in addition to the drive and ambition of both himself and his extremely demanding father. The insights on life in China also added to the interest.

LANG LANG was born in 1982 in Shenyang, China. He has played with the leading orchestras in all the major concert halls throughout the world. In this book you will learn about Lang Lang's heart-wrenching journey from his early childhood as a prodigy in an industrial city in northern China to his difficult years in Beijing to his success today.
Journey to a Thousand Miles documents the extraordinary, dramatic story of a family who sacrificed almost everything - his parents' marriage, financial security, Lang Lang's childhood, and even his reputation in China's insular classical music world - for the total belief in a young boy's talent.
I was highly moved when I read about the devastating and intense relationship between a boy and his show more father, who was willing to go to any lengths to make his son a star. It's difficult reading with 'tears in your eyes' - but honestly, I found this an extremely emotional book to read.
Journey of a Thousand Miles is a truly inspiring story, that will give you an appreciation for the sacrifice and courage it can take to achieve greatness.
I highly recommend this book. show less

A interesting story, The story of Lang Lang a young Chinese boy who was discovered at a very young age to havea great musical talent. His family were prepared to sacarifice everything for him to become number one which is an all important concept for the chinese to be number one in their chosen field. As a young child it was practise practise practise with not much time for anything else. The goal was to enter every competition that you could and to win them for that was how they measured success. Lang Lang was lucky enough to win a scholarship to study in the West in America and this gradually changed his atitude for then he was advised by his teacher to stop entering the competitions and concentrate on the music not where the music show more would take him. This was very hard for his father to accept but in time he was able to let his son take control of his own life. This was helped partly by the fact that his son had the command of English that he did not have. And it was in America that Lang Lang was able to live a more normal life and discover the other things that the world has to offer such as art , literature, poetry and sport. Lang Lang hasnever forgotten the world of poverty that he has come from and while he himself travels the world playing with all the famous orchestras in all the famous concert halls, living in the lap of luxury he is concerned about what is happening in the rest of the world and has become a Goodwill Ambassador for UNICEF. Well worth a read.. show less

Very touching

Lang Lang was enamored with the piano from a little child. At age 5 he was separated from his mother to further his musical education under a tyrannical father who left his job to watch over Lang Lang’s musical training full time.

It was delightful to read about his youth, which fills most of this book.

On the one hand, Journey of a Thousand Miles does a good job of showing how Lang grew into a master of his instrument. Lang describes a disciplined childhood and a demanding father, a cycle of successes and setbacks, a struggle between the desire to excel and the desire to be normal.

On the other hand, Lang does occasionally come off as a braggart as he enumerates his many accomplishments. Perhaps this can’t be avoided when the subject of the autobiography is someone who has achieved so much in so short a time.

Read the rest of the review.