Aiden Zhou: Future Musician at Berklee
From the Dulwich International High School Suzhou Class of 2018, Aiden Zhou is now a junior student at Berklee College of Music in Boston, USA, double majoring in Contemporary Writing and Production and Music Composition.
Dulwich Life
During his time at Dulwich, Aiden showed his love for the arts. “I like art the most, though I also like music. Initially, I studied art as I believed that artistic training would help me with the study of music. After taking the lessons, I found that art was an exciting course. Unlike appreciating music, works of art are interpreted visually.” Under the guidance of the art teacher, he learned to feel and appreciate artworks from multiple perspectives, and at the same time, he also learned how to make his own works better.
For the CCAs, Aiden participated in the school basketball team, the student ambassador club, and the ISCMS music festival. His favourite was the ISCMS Music Festival, which he attended every year for four years. In his first year, he didn't know ISCMS yet. His friend knew that he liked jazz, and that there would be a jazz performance at the festival, so he recommended this event to him. This recommendation helped open the door to a new world of music. In addition to performances, the festival also had a music composition competition, and the winning work would be played at the concert. Aiden participated in the competition when he was in year 13. Although he didn't win the grand prize, he felt grateful for the opportunities to meet great music students from other Dulwich schools.
Challenges at University
Aiden’s first university was the University at Buffalo, SUNY, and he left it for Berklee College of Music after the first year. With a passion for jazz music, he joined the Jazz Band at Buffalo and was the only Asian student in the band. Given his introverted personality and amateur music skills, it was a great challenge for him to attend the weekly rehearsals and gatherings. Later, he met a musician who was learning Chinese, and they both played the piano in the band. “Talking to him helped build my confidence and make more friends in the band. Gradually, I became more relaxed and played better in the band. It was a wonderful experience, and I still miss it even now,” said Aiden.
When Aiden first came to Berklee, he found so many excellent students in this selective music school. He told us, “Sometimes I practice the piano in the piano room, and I feel tremendous pressure when I hear people playing next door because they play so well. While this pressure motivates me to study harder, it sometimes overwhelms me. Whenever I get tired of schoolwork, I go back to Buffalo with friends for a weekend, resting and refreshing, and then go back to the city to continue studying hard.”
Useful Skills
Studying at university, Aiden believes that resilience and ability to maintain a balanced life are the most useful skills.
“I relieve the pressure by staying focused on my current life and enjoying moments that cheer me up, which my friends and I call ‘Memory Zero’. For example, when I come home from a busy day, I make myself a bowl of instant noodles. While waiting, I would look out of the window in a daze and clear my mind, which was very stress-relieving. Another way is maintaining a ‘second interest’ that helps balance study and life. Besides music, I also like driving. When I am too tired from studying, I will drive to the countryside with my friends to relax.”
“Things I wish I could have known before going to university…”
Aiden told us that if he had known in high school that the living cost in big cities was so expensive, he would have planned better. As a music student, besides tuition and living expenses, he also needs to purchase equipment and production software, which are very costly. “Although my parents are very generous and willing to provide full financial support, I often find it stressful, spending too much of their money.”
Also, Aiden missed his home. When he was in high school, he never thought that he would miss home so much when he got to college. “If I knew, then I might have chosen to study in a place closer to China, so that it would be more convenient to go home during school holidays.”
Future Plan
The general direction of Aiden’s career is to make soundtracks for movies, TV, games, or commercials. Currently, he is considering whether to continue to graduate school and where to study. He still has plenty of time to think about it as he won’t finish his undergraduate studies for two more years.
Aiden’s Advice
"First of all, if you also love music or have a less popular major, I will recommend you stay focused and keep working hard. Don’t give up your dreams quickly if you don’t get directly into your favourite major or university. Your hard work will pay off eventually.
Secondly, before choosing your matriculation university, please do a thorough search of the university, learning about the campus environment, course content and people you will be studying with, to ensure that it is the best fit school for you."
