A Day in the Life of a Student Ambassador – Gema Lu Cai
Meet Gema Lu Cai, a first-year Masters student at the Royal Northern College of Music (RNCM), where she is pursuing a degree in Piano Performance and Music Education. Piano is Gema’s primary instrument, and her days are a busy blend of study, practice, teaching, and performance.
A Typical Day
Gema’s day usually starts at 9 a.m., kicking off with lectures and practice sessions. The mornings are devoted to learning and honing her skills, while the early afternoons are reserved for tackling assignments. By the evening, she switches gears to teaching, sharing her passion for music with students.
On average, Gema spends 8 hours daily on music-related activities, from practice to teaching and performing. She describes her routine as a carefully balanced cycle of learning, performing, and educating, all wrapped into one busy day.
Studies and Musical Work Beyond the Classroom
Outside of her studies, Gema is actively engaged in teaching and performing. She teachers both primarily private lessons in Manchester as well working as a piano tutor at Yorkshire Young Musicians in Leeds, and often performs in inspiring spaces such as concert halls, churches, and events. Her teaching and performing schedule is demanding, but it allows her to stay connected with the wider musical community.
One of Gema’s performance highlights was playing at Manchester Cathedral alongside a dancer who choreographed a unique piece specifically to her piano music—a collaboration that exemplifies her love for creating meaningful, artistic experiences. Gema also enjoys creating piano related content on social media – @gema.piano.
Championing Piano Education as an EPTA UK Student Ambassador
As a relatively new EPTA UK Student Ambassador, Gema dedicates 1–2 hours per week to promoting EPTA events and initiatives, supporting student engagement, creating content, and representing student voices. Through this role, she has developed crucial skills in communication, leadership, event organization, and networking.
Gema notes that her ambassador work is more than just a responsibility—it’s a part of her growth as a musician. “It ties in with my goals to become an educated piano pedagogue and allows me to engage in meaningful conversations surrounding teaching and music education,” she explains.
Balancing Multiple Roles
Of course, balancing studies, teaching, performing, and ambassador duties comes with challenges. Gema candidly shares, “Studying a Masters alongside teaching 20+ students a week is definitely the hardest thing to balance.” She hopes for more guidance and support in her ambassador role, particularly around creating engaging content for her peers, such as relatable social media posts and reels.
Reflection
When asked to sum up her experiences, Gema describes her life as a music student as “grateful to get to do this”, and her experience as a student ambassador as “honoured to represent EPTA”. Her words reflect the dedication, passion, and enthusiasm she brings to every facet of her musical journey.
Through her studies, performances, teaching, and ambassador work, Gema Lu Cai exemplifies the dynamic life of a modern musician: busy, challenging, yet immensely rewarding.
(Written by Gema Lu Cai and Anna McWatters)
