The transformation I experienced through my long practice and the help of the medicine ceremonies had many aspects, some which happened almost instantly. One thing that changed in this way was my experience of performance and performance anxiety. In the space of a few minutes, I shifted irrevocably from approaching performance with a mixture of joy and terror to an approach where both these were completely absent. It became so crystal clear that judgments, whether my own, or others', were irrelevant to the music. It was as if hearing the music for what it was - our purest audible expression of who we actually are - meant that further determinations about style, timing or relevance were absolutely unnecessary.

I had known of this intellectually for 30 years, but that is not enough. The heart and body and creativity must also become convinced of this, and no words can accomplish that, only actions and experience.

There is a great relief in no longer having this emotional charge associated with playing - it allows one's full self to be focused on the music, and after performing there is no hunger for compliments or reassurance. And to be clear, it does not mean that one plays without emotion, rather, the mixed feelings of joy and fear associated with approval and disapproval become replaced by full, all-encompassing waves of gratitude that power the music.

Lui Fang followed a path of traditional classical training from an early age, with two Chinese instruments, the Pipa and the guzheng. The cultural heritage she grew up with means that she had access to compositions from as far back as the 7th century.

Liu has played on major stages around the world, bringing the passion and exacting discipline of her training to ears that have never heard such sounds.

Have a listen to the pieces recorded on video here - incredible! Watch particularly how she finishes the piece in terms of what I mentioned above...