Life lessons
Sarah Chang
The US violinist reflects on the lessons learnt from her unique upbringing
‘Technically, my first teacher was my dad. But as any child taught by their parents will know, it can result in World War III! So when I was six, we began travelling to New York from Philadelphia twice a week for lessons with Dorothy DeLay at Juilliard. If you think of the most encouraging yet strict teacher, that was Miss DeLay. She had the perfect combination of sweetness while demanding excellence and instilling an amazing work ethic. It was only later that I appreciated how tailored her approach was to each student. I remember when I was about 13 and she could no longer travel with me owing to illness, she began telling me: ‘Learn how to listen to yourself, because you’re going to be on the road for the rest of your life.’ At the time I thought I was too young to hear that, but it turned out to be invaluable advice.