During the masterclass, Ma’s unconventional style of teaching puzzled both the performing students and the audience. His techniques ranged from asking cellists to only play with their thumb, to asking them to stick their head inside of the piano — all attempts to get them to harmonize with, feel and become a part of the music.

The students took the stage in pairs — one pianist and one cellist. As the first duo began to play, Ma listened from the hallway. Upon returning, he began to challenge the performers.

As a member of the audience, jazz studies freshman Sean Vandril said he got a lesson on more than just music during the masterclass.

“His outlook on life, holistically, was really inspiring,” Vandril said. “This was a music seminar, but we all got a lesson on life and how music relates to life.”

“I don’t think about art for art’s sake,” Ma said. “I think about art for life’s sake.”

Jazz studies freshman Eric Smith, who was in the audience during the masterclass, said Ma’s approach to teaching has transformed the way he thinks about music.

“His approach to music shocked me,” Smith said. “I’ve been trying to listen to as much music as I possibly could, but his philosophy is the more you do outside of music (is what) forms the way you play. I thought that was really important.”

The three pairs of students each played music from Slavic composers such as Dmitri Shostakovich, Antonin Dvorak and Sergei Prokofiev.

Cello professor Suren Bagratuni selected the six students who performed based on skill and how close the students were to graduation. Bagratuni explained to the audience that the masterclass was more than just a class: it was a composition.

Ma didn’t play any full songs, but he helped students by playing certain parts of the songs they performed to show them how to play specific notes correctly and how to put emotion and feeling into music.

Music performance doctoral student Hong Hong, who played with pianist Genadi Zagor during the masterclass, said they selected the ballad by Prokofiev for its emotion, depth and beauty.

“I love the composer; his music is very interesting and romantic,” Hong said. “There are a lot of things within his music that help you to open up. … The feeling his music gives you is very special to me.”

After performing Hong said he learned that performing goes far beyond just playing music.

“I now know it’s about the relationship between the performer and the audience,” Hong said. “You should always think about what you want to show the audience. They should be able to feel how you feel and know what you think and what you want.”

Hong said Ma taught him how to build that connection with the audience. However, he said the most exciting connection he made Tuesday was with Ma.

“I feel so great to have connected with him personally; it has really helped me musically,” Hong said.

Through the masterclass, Ma did more than just help the ?students evolve in their music composition and playing. Ma taught the entire audience the nature of classical music, which he said is an important part to sustaining the culture of art, life and music.

“I think passion is the engine that gets us to feel and have real energy,” Ma said. “The job of performing is to love it so much that you wish it to become alive.”