Liu Wei (pianist)
Encyclopedia
Liu Wei is a Chinese
disabled pianist
from Beijing
who won the first series of China's Got Talent
at the age of 23 by playing the piano with his toe
s.
At the time, he dreamed of becoming a soccer player. He was encouraged by Liu Jingshen, vice-chairman of the Beijing Disabled Persons' Federation, to do daily chores with his feet and started swimming two years later. He won two gold medals and one silver at the National Swimming Championship for the Disabled in 2002. He learnt how to do other daily activities such as navigating online, eating, dressing and brushing his teeth. He considers himself more fortunate than those without enough to eat, debunking ideas of those who believe him unhappy.
at the final on October 10, accompanied by his singing. The jury panel of China's Got Talent, Shanghai stand-up comedian Zhou Libo, Taiwan singer-actress Annie Yi and mainland pop composer Gao Xiaosong, all praised Liu's performance.
As a prize for his achievement, Liu was invited by Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai
to be a guest act on her world tour, which would give him the chance to perform in Las Vegas for three months. In addition, he was likely to get a contract with Fremantle Media and Sony Music Entertainment, and his itinerary was to include Hong Kong
, Paris
, Vienna
and Taipei
.
In 2010, he won the Guinness World Record of typing the most letters alphabetically in 1 minute, using the feet: 251 letters.
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
disabled pianist
Pianist
A pianist is a musician who plays the piano. A professional pianist can perform solo pieces, play with an ensemble or orchestra, or accompany one or more singers, solo instrumentalists, or other performers.-Choice of genres:...
from Beijing
Beijing
Beijing , also known as Peking , is the capital of the People's Republic of China and one of the most populous cities in the world, with a population of 19,612,368 as of 2010. The city is the country's political, cultural, and educational center, and home to the headquarters for most of China's...
who won the first series of China's Got Talent
China's Got Talent (series 1)
The first series of China's Got Talent, also known as Head & Shoulders China's Got Talent for sponsor reasons, premiered on DragonTV on July 25, 2010. The premiere ratings drew 400 million viewers. Dongfang Daily reported that with an 8 percent audience share in Shanghai while in 26 other provinces...
at the age of 23 by playing the piano with his toe
Toe
Toes are the digits of the foot of a tetrapod. Animal species such as cats that walk on their toes are described as being digitigrade. Humans, and other animals that walk on the soles of their feet, are described as being plantigrade; unguligrade animals are those that walk on hooves at the tips of...
s.
The accident
Liu Wei lost his arms at the age of 10 after touching a high-voltage wire during a game of hide-and-seek. He regained consciousness after 45 days of critical condition. His parents told him he should learn how to eat by himself, otherwise no one could take care of him when they become old. His mother kept telling him that he is not different from the others. In the hospital, he met an armless painter, which inspired him to learn to use his feet to write, brush his teeth and eat.At the time, he dreamed of becoming a soccer player. He was encouraged by Liu Jingshen, vice-chairman of the Beijing Disabled Persons' Federation, to do daily chores with his feet and started swimming two years later. He won two gold medals and one silver at the National Swimming Championship for the Disabled in 2002. He learnt how to do other daily activities such as navigating online, eating, dressing and brushing his teeth. He considers himself more fortunate than those without enough to eat, debunking ideas of those who believe him unhappy.
Becoming a musician
He started playing the piano at age of 18 or 19 (sources vary) to pursue his childhood dream of being a musician. His first teacher quit as he considered it impossible for someone to play with their toes. However, Liu, who was studying music theory, persisted and taught himself in secret how to play, despite cramps and abrasion, often practicising seven hours a day. As he said, the melodies he can play are limited due to the length of his toes and he cannot play certain pieces he loves because he cannot reach across octaves. Nevertheless, he aims to become such a good pianist that people won't notice that his arms are missing.Appearence in the talent show
In his first appearance, Liu received a standing ovation from the audience, many of whom were moved to tears, for a performance of "Mariage D'amour" by Richard Clayderman on August 8, 2010. The semifinal took place on September 12, and he played "You're Beautiful" in Shanghai StadiumShanghai Stadium
The Shanghai Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Shanghai, China. It is currently used mostly for football matches.The stadium was built in 1997 when the 8th National Games of the People's Republic of China was held in Shanghai. It can hold about 80,000 people, so it is also called the "80,000...
at the final on October 10, accompanied by his singing. The jury panel of China's Got Talent, Shanghai stand-up comedian Zhou Libo, Taiwan singer-actress Annie Yi and mainland pop composer Gao Xiaosong, all praised Liu's performance.
As a prize for his achievement, Liu was invited by Taiwanese singer Jolin Tsai
Jolin Tsai
Jolin Tsai was born on 15 September 1980. She is a Taiwanese Golden Melody Award-winning Mandopop singer, dancer and actor. She is managed by Mars Entertainment Ltd .-Career:...
to be a guest act on her world tour, which would give him the chance to perform in Las Vegas for three months. In addition, he was likely to get a contract with Fremantle Media and Sony Music Entertainment, and his itinerary was to include Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and Taipei
Taipei
Taipei City is the capital of the Republic of China and the central city of the largest metropolitan area of Taiwan. Situated at the northern tip of the island, Taipei is located on the Tamsui River, and is about 25 km southwest of Keelung, its port on the Pacific Ocean...
.
In 2010, he won the Guinness World Record of typing the most letters alphabetically in 1 minute, using the feet: 251 letters.
Quotes
(Source)- "To me, there are three things can not be missed in life – air, water and music."
- "There are only two paths in my life for me – either to die as fast as possible, or to live as brilliant a life as I could."
- "I don't feel that I am that different from other people. Normally everyone is used to do everything with one's hands so your hands are more flexible. There is no rule saying that you can't do things with your feet."
- "A man should be responsible to his dreams. My dream is to become a great musician."
- "I know if I want to do it better than other people, I have to put in more efforts."
- On the note he wrote on the paper in this clip, it says: "Walk on, at least I have a pair of perfect legs."