By accident, at age 4, Angelin Chang discovered her love for music. While running around a family friend's house, she stumbled upon a music room. The mother of the household happened to be a composer and Chang's life was changed. From that point on, Chang knew she wanted to play piano.
Today, Chang is a Grammy winning pianist, and she will be performing at 7:30 p.m. in Emens Auditorium. Tickets range from $16 to $23, but tickets for Ball State University alumni will be half-price. There will also be a reception following the performance. Chang's CDs will be for sale, and she will be available to sign autographs and answer questions. And don't forget to sign her guestbook.
Below is an interview the Daily News had with Chang leading up to tonight's on-campus performance.
Daily News: Can you talk a little bit more about your musical experience at Ball State? Angelin Chang: I was a piano performance major. Even though my history with Ball State starts even before officially matriculating as a university student, because I went to Burris, so I had a lot of great music professors and teachers who were part of the teacher's college.
I also had a French degree. So I also studied in France at the Paris Conservatory. I was able to go to Europe through an exchange program. And my piano teacher at the time, Pia Sebastiani, was like, 'Ah, it's really good, the Paris Conservatory,' and he was sort of egging me on almost because it's the most elite and prestigious place for music. Just to give you an example, there were over 300 pianists that would audition from all over the world and finally there were 12 that were accepted. The good thing about it was because this was such an elite school that people who are accepted don't actually have tuition costs. It's a scholarship school [provided by the French government]. But that also means that they made it where if you don't finish by your fifth year, then you're out of there.
I was very fortunate in the fact that not only did I get in unanimously, but I also was the first American to be awarded first prizes in piano and chamber music in the same year.
DN: What people or events in your life have played a significant role in your life as a musician?
AC: Well certainly my teachers, that's for sure. Even in my elementary school days. What I mean by teachers, yeah, they're piano teachers, violin teachers, viola teachers, but even the people that I've been fortunate to work with in the sense that ... all those things: working with the conductors, musicians [in the Muncie Symphony Orchestra], always learning, and always being influenced. All the experiences that you get attribute to your education and success.
DN: How does it feel to win a Grammy and how does it change the way that you play music? AC: I'm not sure if it really has on the global sense, how I make music, because for me, it wasn't like I was making music in order to win a Grammy, or do something that represents this or that. It was more of the attitude of doing your best and I just happened to be recognized for it. But it's interesting to note all the things that they do in that organization that one doesn't see. A lot of times it seems like there's a lot of glamour, and there certainly is, but you don't see a lot of the other things. For example, they do a lot of things for charitable causes, to raise funds and awareness for musicians in need.
DN: Do you have bigger plans for your future concerning your music?
AC: I think I've been accomplishing, pretty much, the things I've been wanting to. ... It just goes with interest. I actually just finished a law degree too as sort of an aside. But that's not something I really planned for when I was a kid here in Muncie. In that sense, I've been able to help a lot of musicians and artists, as well as some health-related medical type of field, and I also help musicians who see performance-related ailments - help them be able to play again. A lot of times they can't really play as well as they really wanted to because of things such as carpel tunnel or what's known as repetitive motion injuries. And a lot of times it involves technical retraining. So that's one of the things I have researched and am trained to do. A lot of times, doctors can't really pinpoint because we as musicians do work with a lot with things doctors aren't familiar with.
DN: How has playing piano as a profession really worked to shape your life and the way that you live?
AC: I guess one thing for me is that music is about life. The richer your life is, the more your music can reflect that. And in that sense, for me, that means that life can't all be about music. For me, piano, in a sense, it's a tool that I happen to use to be able to express things that words cannot. It can life your mood just like that. Whereas sometimes other forms of art...that takes a little more interpretation. It doesn't just hit you. And I think that's what's really magical about music.
DN: Is it big for you to be coming back to Ball State to perform? AC: I'm really excited about it. It's very special to me. Of course, this is a very special place to me. I have a lot to be thankful for here.
Event informationWho: Angelin Chang, pianistWhere: Emens AuditoriumWhen: 7:30 p.m.Cost: $16 to $23, but tickets for Ball State alumni will be half-price
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