Agencies prepare art hopefuls

Updated: 2015-01-26 07:21

By ZHAO XINYING(China Daily)

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Agencies prepare art hopefuls

A high school student plays piano during a session designed to provide performance experience. Students take part in concerts arranged by an overseas study consultancy that specializes in the arts.[Photo/CHINA DAILY]

Experts help students who seek learning opportunities abroad to fulfill their wishes

Company orchestrates singer's dream

After receiving professional training at the suggestion of an arts overseas study consulting agency, Jin Sihan has every reason to feel confident his applications to arts schools in the United States will succeed.

The 20-year-old from Dalian, Liaoning province, started learning bel canto singing at high school, and he hopes to study in the US as an undergraduate student majoring in vocal music.

The wish seemed far beyond the reach of Jin, but everything changed in August 2014, when he turned to a consulting agency in Beijing. The agency helps Chinese students who apply to study at arts academies overseas.

"Consultants at the agency analyzed everything I needed in the application-my portfolio, which usually consists of a video of at least three singing works, personal statement, English language proficiency report, transcripts, recommendation letters-to help me understand my strengths and weaknesses," Jin recalled. "Then they carried out a detailed plan on every aspect I needed to improve."

For the portfolio, which is treated as the most significant part of an arts student's application, and concerned Jin the most, the agency arranged for two teachers, both graduates of domestic or overseas conservatories, to train him every day. One covered his basic music knowledge and theory, the other concentrated on his performance technique.

"I can feel the great progress I've made under the professional guidance and frequent exposure to music," Jin said.

The agency even has a team to help him shoot the video needed for his portfolio, and also creates music-related events or experiences that can be added to an applicant's personal statement.

What impressed and benefited Jin the most were the small concerts organized by his agency. Jin gained considerable performing experience at these monthly concerts, which are open to the public.

"In the past, I often felt nervous standing on stage and singing to an audience. Now that feeling seldom comes to me, which is good news for my coming auditions," he said.

Jin has applied to 10 arts schools or academies and received three audition notices so far.

"The dream is no longer far away," he said.

Jin Sihan knew he would definitely receive audition notices from arts academies or arts schools at universities in the United States, but what he didn't expect was that they would arrive so soon.

The 20-year-old, who flies to the US for three auditions on Feb 3, attributed his success to the help of an arts overseas study consulting agency in Beijing.

Jin, from Dalian, Liaoning province, had been receiving training in Beijing to prepare for his applications since August 2014, when he made up his mind to study vocal music in the US.

He started learning bel canto in high school, but only took lessons and practiced after school, treating it like an extracurricular activity.

"It seems that there's little hope for amateurish me to stand out among a bunch of peers who have been following a professional route and studying at conservatories since they were young kids," Jin said.

However, with at least three audition chances at hand, he strongly believes the final success of being admitted to one or more arts academies is not far away.

Jin's story was familiar to Zhang Weichao, deputy director of the US department of Chivast Education International, an overseas study consulting agency in Beijing.

"It may sound incredible in China that a student who doesn't have much of a grounding in arts can be admitted to a good arts academy or become an arts major at a university," Zhang said. "But it happens in the US, and we've successfully handled several such cases."

He went on to explain that Chinese arts schools or academies attach great importance to an applicant's basic arts skills, such as whether they can draw a lifelike work or whether they can sing a song without a false note.

Arts schools overseas, in contrast, pay more attention to the creativity and expressive force of a student. What US arts schools really care about is whether a student can express his or her own thinking or feelings through works of art, whether it is a picture or a song.

Zhang's viewpoint was echoed by Que Dengfeng, president of Juesheng, an educational recommendation engine based in Beijing that brings consumers and international education providers together and operates an overseas study consulting agency specializing in the arts.

"Our mission is to let our clients realize the qualities that are favored by admission officers in US arts schools, and help them to cultivate their talent and develop such qualities," Que said.

Jin is just such a case.

Que said whenever a client asks them for help, the consultants first make an overall assessment of the student's professional performance, English ability and artistic accomplishment to see what his or her strengths and weaknesses are.

"Based on the assessment, we then help the student set goals and make a personalized improvement plan. After that, a team of our teachers and professionals, many from top arts academies at home and abroad, guide him or her to meet the admission standards of the arts academies they applied for," he said.

Que suggested students approach the agency two or three years before they start making applications. The agency's charges range from 30,000 to 300,000 yuan ($4,820 to $48,200), depending on the nature of the services students need.

Zhang from Chivast said he first received consulting requests from Chinese students who wanted to study the arts overseas in 2006.

"Numbers have increased since then, reaching around 100 a year," he said. Arts students account for 10 percent of his business-the other 90 percent involves students who want to study the liberal arts, science and engineering overseas.

Chivast outsources its arts professional guidance business to arts workshops set up by professionals or graduates from top arts academies in China and other countries.

"Chivast is mainly responsible for general consulting and guidance, including contact with the target school, preparing application materials and so on," Zhang said.

Juesheng's business is relatively concentrated. With a focus on arts applicants, Que said the business began to take off in 2012 as the number of such clients rose dramatically.

To meet the increasingly diversified demands of growing numbers of clients, he said they are expanding their service field.

"Now we have covered almost all the art-related majors, from music to fine arts and filmmaking," he said.