A famous Chinese love story tells the tale of two lovers separated by their families. Liang Shang Bao and Zhu Ying Tai, known as the Chinese Romeo and Juliet, are united in death as butterflies. I can’t think of a better way to sum up the craziness that is Music China than the moment when our interpreter suddenly cocked her ear as she recognised strains from the Chinese Opera of the same name amidst the cacophony of honking horns, tinkling pianos and a thousand other sounds that make up a typical day at China’s biggest music expo.

It happened to me too. From the occasional burst of Fly Me to the Moon or Air on a G String to the auto-piano playing Hotel California ten times an hour, I found myself picking out recognisable melodies from the vast wall of sound that is 10,000 people trying out instruments over four days at the Shanghai New International Exhibition Centre (SNIEC). Imagine Charles Ives’ Central Park in the Dark looped at full volume from 9.30am to 5pm and you’ll have some idea of how full-on, surreal and just plain ear-splitting Music China is.

As Zone’s news editor, my brief (on top of manning the Zone stand) was to find a way to bring this phenomenon to life for our readers. And so, armed with my trusty notepad and camera, I set off on the afternoon of the last day to see some of the stands, meet the exhibitors and find out what Music China 2009 is all about.

First off, Jie Chang from the China Musical Instrument Association (CMIA) which represents manufacturers, retailers, technicians and builders of musical instruments.

Jie Chang of the China Musical Instrument Association

A friendly man, he was keen to stress links with other countries:

“I have interviewed exhibitors from 22 overseas countries and regions represented at Music China and have been impressed by their insights and remarks on the Chinese music market and industry as well as their courage to promote their own culture and business in China.”

The CMIA is a China-wide association which covers every kind of instrument. Run by key people across the country, it has 11 sub-committees and is one of the organisers of Music China. Jie Chang pointed me in the direction of the man in charge of the CMIA’s string sub-committee, Mr Li Shu, President of the Jiangsu Fengling Musical Instruments Group.

Mr Li Shu at the Fengling stand

With the help of our interpreter, I asked Mr. Li for his impressions of Music China and he replied that he was satisfied with the exhibition in the following ways:

• The arrangement, standard and form conform to his requirements
• The number of exhibitors and audiences are satisfactory
• Many old and new customers have come to admire his stand and enquire about products
• The style and taste of the exhibition are higher than last year and the service is better
• Sales are good and many journalists have reported on his high-profile, good-quality stand on television and in newspapers
• The exhibition is good for the development of his business and factory and has attracted many foreigners’ attention
• Music China has developed fast in the last few years and will exceed the American market in a few years

Exhibitors and visitors play traditional Chinese instruments

From the Fengling stand, I made my way to the traditional Chinese music area and spent a happy hour snapping photos of people playing the di-zi, er-hu, xiao-la-ba, pi-pa, gu-zheng and hulusi. As a foreign visitor and a lover of world music, this was definitely the best part of the afternoon for me. The beautifully decorated stands and colourful costumes of the exhibitors introduced me to a different China – an ancient country where traditional ways of living have remained unchanged for centuries. Clearly, this age-old music is still loved and respected by Chinese people today as demonstrated by the man in a business suit I saw trying out the hong-di (flute).

 
Students from Shanghai Conservatory of Music playing at the Netherlands Music Centre stand, a group demonstrating Jinyin stringed instruments and the Xijie Saxophone Team

After a quick detour to the children’s music section, I headed – via a couple of live shows – to the international part of the exhibition for a chat with some of the overseas exhibitors.

Trinity Guildhall's stand

Trinity Guildhall, the UK-based examinations board and mezasia sponsor, is keen to establish a foothold in China. Although the company has been running music exams in Hong Kong for 70 years – with India its No. 2 market – it currently only facilitates a few hundred exams a year in Shanghai and Beijing. According to Head of Sales, David Bobby, China has lots of local examinations but no formal accreditation and no way of assessing particular levels. Trinity Guildhall is working with Taiwanese company, MY Music and Hong Kong-based Parsons Music to address this but recognises that the only way forward is regionally.

Another international company working with local businesses is American publisher, Mel Bay Music which has a joint partnership with Hao Hao Music Sales. Again, China is a relatively new outlet for Mel Bay and Vice President of Sales, Jeff Ponte, was “pleasantly surprised and really excited at the level of interest from individuals who really like what Mel Bay is offering”. For him, Music China has been “a very, very good show in all aspects from the business that’s been generated to the interest from the local community”.

Jeff Ponte demonstrating one of Mel Bay and Hao Hao Music's best-selling publications

Jeff took me to meet Ian Morgan, Director of UK-based Music Sales Group, who posed for a quick photo at their stand with Bret Cheng from Hao Hao. Although I wanted to stay and chat to these two, a quick glance at my watch told me it was getting close to the end of the day – and the exhibition – and time for me to head back to the Zone stand.

Ian Morgan and Bret Cheng at the Music Sales Group stand and a drummer at the Hao Hao Music Sales stand

As we packed away and workmen moved in with surprising alacrity to take away tables and break down partition walls, the music quietened – a little – and I reflected on the different impressions of Music China I’d gleaned over the afternoon and, indeed, the last four days. This enormous, vibrant music machine is as much about the people who make it happen as the instruments and services it promotes. With as many kinds of people as music represented, the exhibition is an example of the power of music in bringing people together. And so, whether you are a Chinese Opera fan or a jazz buff, a concert pianist or a di-zi player, whether you sell organ music or guitar cases, books of scales, saxophones or African percussion, there's something for you at Music China.

See you next year!