Spokane teenagers make history in national music competition

In a house high above U.S. Highway 195, Janet Phang is playing piano. The light filters in through the large bay windows, contrasting sharply against the clean black of the grand piano. Janet’s fingers fly across the keys and her body moves rhythmically with the song. She is smiling as she plays George Gershwin’s “Embraceable You” transcribed by Earl Wild.

“I was told I started playing on the piano without being taught,” Janet said. “I have a good ear, so I was able to understand anything I would play.”

Her ear, combined with the time she’s invested, paid off in a big way this April at the Music Teachers National Association annual competition. Janet, 14, and duet partner Justin Cai, 15, won first place in the senior duet category. Janet also won third place in the junior solo category. A performer has never placed in both the duet and solo categories in the history of the competition.

“It’s virtually impossible. It really is,” said Peter Mack, Janet’s and Justin’s piano teacher. “It’s kind of like appearing on stage to do Hamlet one night and the next night you appear on stage and do a musical.”

Janet said she would spend about two hours a day playing with Justin and then another hour playing on her own.

Janet said she and Justin became duet partners because they are equally skilled and started practicing together in September. Justin is an accomplished pianist himself and has won first place at the state level and has performed in Paris and at Carnegie Hall.

Justin said the two of them didn’t know each other well and initially felt awkward together.

“For a while, we were sitting on the opposite ends of the bench together and we wouldn’t talk too much,” he said.

That changed as they spent more time together. Now, Justin said, sometimes they won’t stop talking, to the consternation of his mother.

“When we got to nationals, we basically practiced every single day for seven days a week,” Justin said.

Janet has been playing the piano for about eight years, said her father, Kevin Phang. About four years ago, they started traveling to Seattle once a month for piano lessons with Mack.

“We try to enjoy the whole trip as a package,” he said, adding that the drive over has helped the family bond.

Mack said once Justin and Janet made it to nationals, he started to fly to Spokane for lessons.

To make it to the national competition, performers have to win first place at the state and division levels. Performers play four pieces for about 25 minutes. Janet and Justin received $2,000 for their first-place finish.

A key part of the duet competition is the teamwork and coordination, Justin said. Playing alongside someone forces both pianists to listen and respond to each other.

“As a solo pianist, we get to act more independently,” Justin said. “But, when we’re in a team, we have to listen to each other. So we spent so much time trying to be able to relate to each other.”

Now that the competition is over, Janet and Justin will focus more on their schoolwork. Janet attends the Libby Center Odyssey Program and Justin goes to the Oaks Classical Christian Academy. Despite the intensity of practice, Janet said, she still loves playing the piano.

“I really don’t know for sure if piano will be relevant to my future,” she said. “At this point, I really wouldn’t want to stop.”