Showing their brass

The Beidou Village Farmer Orchestra rehearses with the China National Symphony Orchestra at the Beijing Concert Hall.

In 2011, the China National Symphony Orchestra visited Beidou village as part of a program to take culture to rural areas. The orchestra decided to help set up a local wind band: It donated the instruments needed and provided regular classes for farmers in the village.

At first, many people applied to learn but quit quickly due to the difficulties of playing the instruments. There were only seven farmer players who never gave up from the original group, says Yang Xiaogang, head of Beidou village, a mountainous place one-hour drive from Chongqing.

"All the villagers are farmers. Most of them know nothing about music, let alone the Western instruments," the village head says.

Before Zhou started to learn to play her French horn, her only knowledge of music was folk songs she heard on TV. The only thing related to music she did besides her farm work was dancing with a group of people in public places, an exercise popular across China.

Zhou has to do the housework and cook for her family of five. During the growing season, she has to help with farm chores. Like her neighbors, she spent her spare time playing cards or mahjong with other villagers.

"I thought that was all my life. But playing the French horn opened another door for me. I suddenly found my interest and my passion for life," Zhou says.

Yang Xiaorong, captain of the orchestra, says there were moments when everyone wanted to give up.

Many villagers complained about the noise the musicians made when they practiced together, says Yang. Some said the band's music sounded like cows mooing.