“We had a simple idea that singing could make us happy, and spread that happiness to other people.”

    — Zhao Xuan

    musician

    Li Hao

    HE was a migrant worker from Sichuan who was once the lead singer of a popular band which gave free performances to more than 1 million other workers in Shenzhen.

    Ten years later, he is still pursuing his dream.

    He runs a recording studio that produces original music.

    He has even trained a band composed of disabled people.

    He is Zhao Xuan, who has never stopped challenging himself.

    Singing for happiness

    Zhao graduated from a technical school in Sichuan in 2001 and came to Shenzhen, working in a factory in Bao’an District.

    However, the monotony of factory life caused him to reminisce about his childhood hobby — singing.

    Zhao met four other young men who were from different walks of life, but shared his love of music, at a piano store, some of whom used to do music at school but gave it up due to the pressure of adult life.

    Living on a modest income, the five young men became good friends in the process of exchanging thoughts on music and life.

    “On a whim, we quit our jobs in March 2005 and formed a band named Kylin, a flying beast in Chinese myth,” Zhao recalled.

    “We had a simple idea that singing could make us happy, and spread that happiness to other people,” Zhao said.

    The five band members made it a tenet to sing only for migrant workers in the hope that their music could help relieve the frustrations of a factory worker’s life.

    The band started giving free performances in the industrial parks in Bao’an and Longgang districts two to three times a week, receiving all kinds of praise.

    “We were even more popular than the migrant dancers in Bao’an, who have become nationally famous for their performance on CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala in January,” Zhao said.

    “In our heyday, our performances used to attract almost 20,000 migrant workers,” Zhao said.

    To buy the necessary instruments, the five singers used up their savings and the cost of giving free performances forced them to feed on instant noodles every day. Zhao even spent the 7,000 yuan (US$1,067) he saved for getting married.

    Even on hot summer days, they had to rehearse in their rented apartment with all windows closed to avoid neighbors’ complaints about the noise.

    However, two years later, the band split up because of various types of living pressure.

    The days after disbanding were hard for Zhao, who had to reconcile himself to a life without making music.

    At this time, a local musician gave him some inspiring advice.

    “He encouraged me not to give up without giving it one last shot,” Zhao said.

    The musician introduced Zhao to a music teacher in Beijing, who offered to teach him.

    From scratch, Zhao received a professional musical education in Beijing.

    Back to Shenzhen in 2007, Zhao opened a music studio and spent most of his time there.

    “It takes only one person to make a band nowadays,” Zhao smiled.

    He uses a computer to make music, functioning as the lead singer, drummer and bass guitar player of his one-man band.

    Zhao has gradually turned from a singer to a producer.

    In the two years after he set up the studio, Zhao has created eight original songs.

    Zhao’s studio has gained increasing popularity and many enterprises have asked him to produce music.

    “I was starved of music and I need music to have a carefree life,” Zhao said.

    “I still persist on my path, although sometimes I have to pander to the tastes of clients to make a living,” he said.

    Leading role

    Besides being a producer, Zhao has another role — a music teacher for a band composed of seven disabled people.

    In 2007, the director of the professional rehabilitation center in Guangming New Zone invited Zhao to teach basic musical knowledge to seven disabled people, who were all aged above 35 and could not write anything but their names.

    Four of the seven people have serious limb disabilities and the other two suffer from intermittent epilepsy.

    Treating them as kindergarten children, Zhao used the simplest explanation to teach them how to read the score. Most of the time, he had to repeat himself more than 10 times on any given thing.

    However, it was much more difficult to make handicapped people cooperate to play as a band.

    After years of hard work, the band members have made big progress in playing music and working together.

    The band can now play several works on their own.

    Never give up

    After the highs and lows of a 10-year pursuit of his dream, Zhao has reinforced the belief that he should never stop seeking progress and transcending himself.

    “As long as you have a dream, your life will never be empty ... ride the winds and chase the rainbows, because nothing can take away what’s in your heart,” Zhao wrote in the song “Our Generation.”

    Li Hao

    HE was a migrant worker from Sichuan who was once the lead singer of a popular band which gave free performances to more than 1 million other workers in Shenzhen.

    Ten years later, he is still pursuing his dream.

    He runs a recording studio that produces original music.

    He has even trained a band composed of disabled people.

    He is Zhao Xuan, who has never stopped challenging himself.

    Singing for happiness

    Zhao graduated from a technical school in Sichuan in 2001 and came to Shenzhen, working in a factory in Bao’an District.

    However, the monotony of factory life caused him to reminisce about his childhood hobby — singing.

    Zhao met four other young men who were from different walks of life, but shared his love of music, at a piano store, some of whom used to do music at school but gave it up due to the pressure of adult life.

    Living on a modest income, the five young men became good friends in the process of exchanging thoughts on music and life.

    “On a whim, we quit our jobs in March 2005 and formed a band named Kylin, a flying beast in Chinese myth,” Zhao recalled.

    “We had a simple idea that singing could make us happy, and spread that happiness to other people,” Zhao said.

    The five band members made it a tenet to sing only for migrant workers in the hope that their music could help relieve the frustrations of a factory worker’s life.

    The band started giving free performances in the industrial parks in Bao’an and Longgang districts two to three times a week, receiving all kinds of praise.

    “We were even more popular than the migrant dancers in Bao’an, who have become nationally famous for their performance on CCTV’s Spring Festival Gala in January,” Zhao said.

    “In our heyday, our performances used to attract almost 20,000 migrant workers,” Zhao said.

    To buy the necessary instruments, the five singers used up their savings and the cost of giving free performances forced them to feed on instant noodles every day. Zhao even spent the 7,000 yuan (US$1,067) he saved for getting married.

    Even on hot summer days, they had to rehearse in their rented apartment with all windows closed to avoid neighbors’ complaints about the noise.

    However, two years later, the band split up because of various types of living pressure.

    The days after disbanding were hard for Zhao, who had to reconcile himself to a life without making music.

    At this time, a local musician gave him some inspiring advice.

    “He encouraged me not to give up without giving it one last shot,” Zhao said.

    The musician introduced Zhao to a music teacher in Beijing, who offered to teach him.

    From scratch, Zhao received a professional musical education in Beijing.

    Back to Shenzhen in 2007, Zhao opened a music studio and spent most of his time there.

    “It takes only one person to make a band nowadays,” Zhao smiled.

    He uses a computer to make music, functioning as the lead singer, drummer and bass guitar player of his one-man band.

    Zhao has gradually turned from a singer to a producer.

    In the two years after he set up the studio, Zhao has created eight original songs.

    Zhao’s studio has gained increasing popularity and many enterprises have asked him to produce music.

    “I was starved of music and I need music to have a carefree life,” Zhao said.

    “I still persist on my path, although sometimes I have to pander to the tastes of clients to make a living,” he said.

    Leading role

    Besides being a producer, Zhao has another role — a music teacher for a band composed of seven disabled people.

    In 2007, the director of the professional rehabilitation center in Guangming New Zone invited Zhao to teach basic musical knowledge to seven disabled people, who were all aged above 35 and could not write anything but their names.

    Four of the seven people have serious limb disabilities and the other two suffer from intermittent epilepsy.

    Treating them as kindergarten children, Zhao used the simplest explanation to teach them how to read the score. Most of the time, he had to repeat himself more than 10 times on any given thing.

    However, it was much more difficult to make handicapped people cooperate to play as a band.

    After years of hard work, the band members have made big progress in playing music and working together.

    The band can now play several works on their own.

    Never give up

    After the highs and lows of a 10-year pursuit of his dream, Zhao has reinforced the belief that he should never stop seeking progress and transcending himself.

    “As long as you have a dream, your life will never be empty ... ride the winds and chase the rainbows, because nothing can take away what’s in your heart,” Zhao wrote in the song “Our Generation.”