What touches me is that there are many choices here, such as starting a business or having our own lifestyle. I rent an apartment for RMB2,000 a month. How much does it cost to rent an apartment in Hong Kong? An apartment with a monthly rent of HKD10,000 to 20,000 won’t be good. Our company has many more opportunities for trial and error. It turns out that starting a business is not as difficult as imagined. I never thought that I could choose to live such a life here

[Gip Chen / Founder of Coray Percussion]

Hello everyone, I am Gip Chen, the first Chinese champion of the Italian Percussion Competition. I was born and raised in Hong Kong. Many of the more than 30 classmates who studied with me at that time have changed careers. It may not be so easy for us to persist in this industry. But I think music is a part of my life. I wouldn’t forgo it.

I returned to the Chinese mainland to perform in 2018 at the Yo-Yo Ma Art Festival held in Guangzhou. What I felt when I came back for the first time was that Yo-Yo Ma’s concert was not the only one with a full audience. Even when Yo-Yo Ma is away, the students' performances could still be filled with audiences, and tickets had to be bought to enter.

However, in Hong Kong, it’s not that easy for us to reach a full house even if we give out free tickets. Maybe it’s because Hong Kong audiences have too many choices. It turns out the market is different. You do the exact same thing, but the overall effect and results may be different. I hope to be a pioneer myself, bringing Hong Kong’s good things to explore new markets.

In addition to being a musical instrument brand, we are also a Hong Kong youth professional performing arts group. In the past two years, thanks to the Hong Kong Youth Development Commission’s entrepreneurial grant, Coray Percussion was very happy to be one of the musical teams with funding. The funding we received in Hong Kong can also be matched with the funding in Nansha. I can feel that the Country supports us, the youth from Hong Kong and Macao, while other young people cannot enjoy it. So, I think the Country welcomes us to come to the mainland and try to develop our own career or business here.

I also wanted to see the Chinese mainland with my own eyes. I thought, why not study for another master’s degree at the Xinghai Conservatory of Music? I decided to study arts management here. At the same time, I would have plenty of time to explore the mainland's beautiful scenery in different places.

Our company has now settled in Innovation Bay, an international youth community in Nansha. We learned about many favorable policies of the Chinese mainland and discovered that many different Hong Kong organizations also have their presence here. This can help our living here. We feel relieved because we know that some seniors or consultants have already done it here.

I’m glad that the music we play in Hong Kong has also been heard here in the Greater Bay Area. I was invited to perform at Guangdong TV Station. This was my first time recording a Spring Festival Gala performance which broadcasts in Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan.

What I studied does not fall into the category of pop music. I learned each piece of music by studying and reading sheet music. Pop musicians are often more spontaneous, creating music that originally had no sheet. After understanding their music, I create my own music based on that. We are satisfied with the current results, and I can feel their respect. There are four or five people in the band. I'm happy they let me join in and place me in the center.

Anything that vibrates and makes a sound when struck is called percussion music. What is the hardest thing about percussion? The most difficult piano is the grand piano, which is also very large. But percussion has more than 100 or 200 instruments. There are only four types of ABRSM examinations. Placing different pianos and timpani is all a matter of space. In Hong Kong, every square foot costs tens of thousands of Hong Kong dollars.

By saving space, the cost can also be very low. This has helped many primary and secondary schools in Hong Kong set up a percussion band and their educational courses.

It turns out that it takes HKD300,000 to 400,000 to build all the equipment. Now we may only need RMB100,000 to do that. Many teachers in Hong Kong can give private lessons because the entire instrument can be completely placed vertically.

Starting from education and performance, we managed to build a brand and retail business. If I were to use keywords to describe our experiences, I think it would be the word ‘innovation.’ Without innovation, we would continue to inherit the deeds of the past, and then we can't move forward. Because of the support from the Country, Hong Kong has been able to achieve so many accomplishments. We must give full play to the power of youth and support the Country through Hong Kong to help the entire community. Therefore, we should inherit experience from the past. We young people are exposed to the most innovative lifeblood of the times—be it technology, creativity, or knowledge. That’s why we can successfully innovate. This is my explanation of ‘innovation.’