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Violin students show off skills in recital
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Posted on Jun 07 2004
By CASSIE DLG FEJERAN
SPECIAL TO THE SAIPAN TRIBUNE
An extraordinary performance took place at the Hyatt Regency’s SandCastle early Saturday morning, when 25 students of the Do Re Mi School of Music took the stage with their violins for the 16th Annual Summer Violin Recital.
The 25 performers ranged from children as young as five to adults, all from several different ethnic backgrounds, yet united in one purpose: to play music on the violin and to play it beautifully.
At 5, Mulan Ta is the youngest of the group. Mulan, along with her sister Keena Ta, has been with the school for about a year. Mulan said that she likes playing the violin; Keena on the other hand plays the violin and piano.
At the other end of the age spectrum is Dr. François Classens, who was the oldest of the group that performed that day. Though Dr. Classens spends most of his time in the hospital, he finds time to pull out the violin and play a few notes.
The students of the Do Re Mi School of Music, however, played more than just a few notes on Saturday, with the recital running the gamut from simple melodies such as Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star to such classical music staples as concertos and sonatas by the masters: Mozart, Bach, Seitz, and Beethoven, among others.
The school’s founder and president, Ao Zhang, was on hand throughout the program, anxiously watching his protégées from the sidelines.
In an interview with the emcee, Connie Nakamura, she described Zhang as a terrific instructor. Nakamura, who is also a student of the Do Re Mi School of Music, lauded Zhang and his efforts to make Saturday’s event possible.
Zhang graduated from Tian Jin Conservatory of Music and was accepted to play with the Tian Jin Symphony Orchestra. When he moved to Saipan, Zhang decided to open the Do Re Mi School of Music to share his expertise with the violin.
As the president of the school, Zhang works with instructor Wang Yi in teaching the students how to play the violin.
Nakamura stressed the importance of learning to play the violin. She acknowledges the fact that playing the violin becomes a part of a person and not just something that one does. “Every violin has a soul,” said Nakaura.
