Play Kuaiban, Learn Chinese - My Story

Book excerpt: You are learning Chinese and wondering how you could improve your language skills in a fun way while boosting your Chinese to a sky-high level? Or you are interested in what is one of the most popular Chinese indigenous instruments? This book can help you not only to improve your Chinese language skills in a playful way via the Chinese bamboo clappers Kuaiban. It can also teach you how to play the instrument and can give you valuable information about the art scene from an industry insider. Living and working in Beijing, China for more than ten years Rene Bernard is a performer of Chinese Kuaiban: In this popular Chinese oral story-telling art form a rhythm is created by bamboo clappers. On that rhythm the performer tells the story in rhymes. Based on his story as the thread, Rene's book gives an introduction of the instrument, its playing technique and the show business industry in China. Another focus is the related Chinese-foreign exchange via Kuaiban as well as its advantages for learning Chinese. In this context the work is a mixture of a monograph, a textbook and a non-fiction book. As his target groups are foreigners and Chinese alike, the book is written in English and Chinese, includes a lot of pictures and graphics with a total of 330 A5 pages. After his first contact with Kuaiban in 2007 and after graduating with a major in Chinese Studies Rene has lived in China since 2011 and constantly developed his Kuaiban performing skills. He regularly plays Kuaiban on stage in different theaters all over China and on TV including state television CCTV. Aside from being featured in numerous articles (for instance in the renowned "Quyi magazine" and "China Contact" magazine), he is an honourary member of the China Quyi Artists Association.