Voices
1. How much time do you spend listening to music each day?
I only listen to music when I have spare time and when I feel like hearing certain songs. Since I work next to my computer, it’s convenient to pull up music while I’m working on things. Sometimes I listen as I go about my tasks, but when I need to concentrate fully, I don’t listen to music at all. It really depends on my mood, whether I’m free, and what my focus is at that moment.
Lately, I’ve been organizing all the photos and videos I’ve taken over my lifetime—that takes a lot of effort and attention. Some of the files need to be processed and edited, so this has been my main focus recently. Once I finish this project, I’ll go back to selecting songs I’ve been interested in lately.
For example, not long ago I started paying attention to Shanghainese opera (沪剧). A few of my classmates sang a piece of Shanghainese opera that was so beautiful, I became obsessed with it. I’ve been listening to it on repeat. Right now I don’t listen to much music because I’m busy, but once I finish organizing my files, I’ll start again. There are also some songs I like but don’t know well yet, so I’ll need to listen repeatedly to get familiar with them.
2. What kind of music do you listen to most? (For example, revolutionary songs, pop, opera, folk, etc.)
I actually have pretty broad interests. For many years, I mainly focused on songs. But after 1968, when I joined the Heilongjiang Production and Construction Corps, I worked in a propaganda troupe, and we rehearsed a modern Peking opera called “Taking Tiger Mountain by Strategy (智取威虎山)”. I played the role of a young scout, so I became quite familiar with the operatic singing styles from that production.
Recently, besides singing regular songs, I also sing Peking opera. There’s also Shanghainese opera (沪剧), like we mentioned, and classic scenes like “Zhi Dou” (智斗), which is really popular and well-known.
So, I’d say I enjoy singing operas of different kinds: Peking opera, Shanghainese opera, and of course, songs that I personally like. I focus more on the pieces I find particularly beautiful or meaningful.
3. How has music influenced your life?
It’s brought me so much happiness. Singing makes people happy. When you’re in a bad mood, it’s almost impossible to sing. So for me, singing is something really positive. It lifts your mood—it brings out energy and optimism.
Some people like sad, gloomy songs, but I don’t. I don’t enjoy songs that are too heavy, pessimistic, or depressing. I prefer songs that are uplifting, spirited, and energetic—like “Our Motherland’s Fields Are in Bloom (我们的祖国歌田花香啊)”, “Let’s Meet Again in 20 Years (再过20年再相会)”, and “A Toast to the Motherland (为祖国干杯)”. These songs have strong rhythms, they’re beautiful, and they inspire people to move forward.
4. What do you think is the impact of music on society? For example, red songs (revolutionary songs), folk songs, or opera—especially since fewer people are listening to traditional operas like Shanghainese opera or Yue opera now.
For our generation, red songs (革命歌曲) had a huge impact. In the Shanghai University Choir, when we sing red songs, the sound is deafening and everyone knows the pieces by heart.
But when we do choral performances today, sometimes we’re required to sing certain songs softly, more gently, and that creates a very different atmosphere.
Still, for our generation, the influence of red songs runs deep. Many of them are truly beautiful—classics that will never be forgotten.
5. When did you first start loving music and singing?
Back in middle school, during the Cultural Revolution. I was part of a small performance team—back then, you had to sing, dance, and perform in a band. After I graduated from middle school, I joined the Heilongjiang Construction Corps, and then about two months later, I entered a propaganda troupe.
Eventually, I was recruited into Shanghai University, and even there, we held singing competitions and had school bands. So really, music has been a lifelong companion for me, even though it’s always been more of an amateur hobby. But there was a time—when I was in Heilongjiang—that I actually got paid to sing.
6. How is listening to music now different from when you were a child?
I’ve loved singing since I was very young. Back then, conditions were simple—especially in the summer when it was hot. After sunset, we’d carry a small table outside. Sometimes I’d recite school lessons, sometimes I’d just sing revolutionary songs.
I remember in fifth grade, at Huangpu District Second Central Primary School in Shanghai, I performed at a Children’s Day event at the Pudong Cultural Center. One of my performances was a solo song called “I Am a Black Child (我是一个黑孩子)”. That was the first song I ever performed on stage. So from a young age, I really loved singing. I also remember singing songs like “Mao Zedong Ah (毛主席啊)” back then..