Hi! fellow trad musicians! I know this is pretty long, but please read to the end!
(I am a new user here so can’t upload multiple pictures, if you want to check the pictures and video mentioned below, please check my facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1ByoPQxCY4/?mibextid=wwXIfr) Thanks so much!
I am just writing this piece to inform dear Traditional musicians here about this particular person and reveal his discriminatory words and deeds. His Chinese screen name on QQ(similar to WhatsApp) is “牛叔” also known as “Lyu Qing” on Facebook or “Tengye Dashu”(used name). see pic 1 for his profile.
1.Lyu Qing has long shown little respect for the different styles in Traditional music playing —and he’s been especially harsh toward uilleann pipes and Irish flute playing. Over time, he’s made repeated discriminatory comments about me and my musician friends, often joined by his followers. To be specific, he uses the term “风箱派” (literally “bellows school”or “ragbag school”) to mock the traditional fluting style—especially one with frequent pulsing breath, common in Northern Ireland-influenced playing. It’s meant as an insult in the Chinese context, similar in tone to calling someone a “Chxxk”. The term is first used it to target my friend Alex Zeng and his playing, then kept repeating it across different group chats—not just about Alex, but about anyone he labels as part of Alex’s “gang,” even when it is completely unfounded. (he sounded as if we had an “Alex Cult” lol)
2.Personally, I do not care a scrap about his vicious words in chats, as they have no impact on me and my practice of traditional music. However, I do find his behavior harmful in different aspects within the Chinese Irish music community. I am also writing here to kindly hear from dear musicians to reflect together: Is his lack of respect toward different musical performance styles appropriate? Should we allow such discriminatory language and remarks to persist, grow, and be frequently attacked and humiliated?
3.To those reading this far, in order to explain the entire incident more clearly, I will now break down what happened in each image(which includes partially what he did that makes me uncomfortable but not all) and provide a timeline-based account (from my perspective).
(1)In picture 2 is where the term “风箱派“ first appeared in Jaylin’s Irish music group chat, in a pretty sarcastic tone, attacking Alex Zeng’s playing video in the groupchat. This then turned into an online verbal battle and parted on bad terms. Right off the bat, Lyu Qing PMed me and accused Alex’s whistle (I believe released 2023) brand of copying Rui Gomes’ whistles(I believe video released 2025).(pic 3) Even after I clarified that I’m just an enthusiast and player of music itself (no relation to any whistle brands) he still threatened me, saying, “Don’t get involved with them.” Following the continuous posting of malicious comments about the playing of other group members (pic 4), I had no choice but to call him and spend about 30 minutes trying to dissuade him from starting another dispute.
(2)Another inexplicable provocation came from a WeChat session event group chat. A member named sunrise (whom I’ve never met in person but know frequently participates in music events with Lyu Qing) posted a flute playing video. When I tried to identify who the person in the video was by simply asking, he deliberately insisted that I must be in India, North Africa or South America and that my information was so outdated, underdeveloped and isolated that I wouldn’t recognize his face. This struck me as highly peculiar. (Pic 5)
(3)Finally, and most recently, I shared my daily practice audio in Lyu Qing’s whistle group (he names his whistle brand Finnegan in Chinese translation), and he once again responded with veiled insinuations. Not only did he repeat the discriminatory term “风箱派” but he also sarcastically used the word “大师” (master) to mock my playing style. (pic 6)This time, I refuse to endure it any longer because this particular audio of mine doesn’t fit his definition at all—in fact, it’s quite different. (video 1) After this happened, I also asked my other Chinese session friends if they had experienced similar comments from him, and many of them responded yes, meaning it’s not an isolated case or something that only applies to me. Personally, as someone who simply seeks solace and joy in playing music, I could disregard others’ slander and avoid pointless arguments. But I deeply dislike this persistent, fact-ignoring malice spreading within our community—it’s not what I want to see as a member of the music community.
Personal Position Statement: First, I am not biased toward any commercial brand, as I have no formal business partnership with any of the whistles(flutes, pipes) mentioned in this article. At most, I have tried them out based on personal playing preferences. Similarly, I harbor no prejudice whatsoever toward any style of Traditional music playing and hold them with full admiration and respect. Also, everything I write today (including the pictures) strives to respect and protect the privacy of any unrelated individuals appearing in the images. I am simply deeply dissatisfied with this persistent harassment. If normal Traditional music hobbyists engaging in playing, exchanging ideas, sharing experiences, or even forming friendships with each other can become grounds for attack, and if this community cannot rid itself of such practices, then I see no reason to remain part of it (sigh). This is also my personal test to the environment, I suppose. Ultimately, I want to hear the perspectives of fellow musicians. If such behavior is truly tolerated, then perhaps I might just be talking nonsense here.
I used Google Translate for all the images in case readers can more easily understand. As well as I kept the original pic so readers can check..