[2011.07.04] JANICE MAN TRAINS TO PLAY GRADE 8 PIANO

Janice Man Wing Shan for the Roy Chow Hin Yeung directed DAI JUI BO (BIG CHASE) spent three months to train with a piano instructor to jump from grade zero to play grade eight music. Although Janice played until her wrists were sore and her nails broke, like Nick Cheung Ka Fai who lost weight for this film she was in a hellish training.

Two Best Actors Cheung Ka Fai, Simon Yam Tat Wa along with popular idol Janice Man, Kay Tse On Kay, Michael Wong Man Tak, Ken Hung Cheuk Lap, and Yumiko Cheng Hei Yi starred suspense thriller DAI JUI BO will start work in mid July. In it Janice would play a depressed young woman whose father expertly trained her to play the piano. She was tangled in a relationship with Cheung Ka Fai. To play the character more convincingly, director Chow Hin Yeung arranged for her for a Royal Academy graduate piano instructor and piano prince Chan Jun Hin to teach her piano techniques and performance formats. Janice after practicing night and day at home and at the studio had nothing but sheet music, fingering and Chopin music in her mind. She joked, "Originally in Grade Zero, I have been trained to be full of the musical gene!"

Piano prince Chan Jun Hin was surprised at her energy and talent because the song that the director asked Janice to practice was exceedingly difficult, only performance grade pianist would choose to play it. Even a Grade 8 piano player might not be able to play it. Although the training was difficult, Janice enjoyed it. Janice said that when she was little her mother also asked her to learn the piano. In secondary school she played the violin in the school orchestra so she had interest in music. When the director asked her to play this character she found it very attractive. In particular she had to play Chopin music that only a Grade 8 piano player could perform, which was very exciting.

During the special training, Janice had to trim her nails as soon as they grew so her fingers could be closer to the piano keys. The team even bought her a electronic keyboard so she could practice at home after class.