Thank You with a Thanksgiving Heart

Guiding Teacher - Director / Chia-Yu Lin

When one is the leading conductor of children orchestra, one has to transform the intangible music philosophy into tangible geometric figures for students. In addition, one has to discipline the members with nagging, which makes it impossible to share one's music path with the children orchestra members. In fact, inside my deepest heart, I deeply love every dear member of the children orchestra who has walked through or will walk through my life memory.  They are the ones who nourish my music life and develop my inner sensation for music to the peak. On being a fanatic music educator, I am deeply influenced by many of my teachers.

When I first went to California for my master's degree in music, I struggled for my English and even my music skills due to my two years of teaching and lack of practice. But my German piano professor was so considerate of my difficulties and pressure that even though I didn't pass my piano test for the first semester, he still regularly gave me piano lessons for one semester without charge. He was the first one who made me felt "bathed in the breeze" and he was the one who taught me how to implement "the comprehensiveness of education". The experience had a great impact on me when I went back teaching in Taiwan, which helped me learn to accompany my kids with patience and love. How fortunate a person could be if he/she could meet some good teachers in life? I, working on my way, wish myself to be a teacher who serves the purpose.

The most helpless moment in leading the children orchestra is when kids withdraw from the children orchestra due to their study. It seems that the ad "Kids should not lose at the starting line" has fermented in elementary school education. In fact, through cooperation to play music, the kids could foster their persistence and interpersonal relationship, which are irreplaceable in life. I wish that while students are enjoying the beauty of music, they could also make themselves better. Tests seem to be the ending factor for students' music life. But if we consider Ludwig van Beethoven, who started composing nine symphonies even after he was deaf at 28, we could see that he viewed his whole life as the creation process, continuing refining every note and score to perfection. Playing music and learning knowledge are both lifelong jobs. Do not stop at temporary life values. I truly hope that every band member could nourish their spirit with music, grow their life with knowledge and endeavor in creating their life with no regrets. Perhaps you could not understand when you are reading the book now, but you can keep the book as your chicken soup of soul and read it in the future. Maybe someday, you will understand the hard work countless children orchestra members had paid.