This was my junior high 8th grade class. I had very little memories of those years perhaps because I intentionally tried to block out the memory during this time because all I could remember was endless studying day and night, very strict teachers and being punished for everything. I definitely felt very dumb and never good enough. It could be because I was in an exceptional class. I honestly had no idea how I got into that class, it was probably a mistake on their part because I was not smart academically nor musically inclined. I was a mediocre kid with no skills, but somehow I got into the top "Choir Class" back then. As luck would have it, we had the 30 year old Teacher Hong as our music teacher. I can vaguely remember the endless practicing of our parts, the tapping of the baton on the music stand to do it again, and we went places for competitions in different outfits. This was all on top of our regular classes and academic requirements. Teacher Hong was a slender, no-nonsense teacher who required the best of us. I remembered she picked some very interesting and beautiful songs. There were moments when our singing felt like a piece of heaven. How could these boring rehearsals of singing our parts become such amazing sounds? It was beyond my young mind. I thought it was magical. Under her instructions, our school choir became first place in Jr High choir competition in Taiwan for many years. Then another high school hired Teacher Hong to direct their school choir, and she taught at that high school most of her life.
I kept in touch with one of the classmates who lives in Taipei. We all lead such busy lives so arranging a time to meet was difficult. When I heard that my friend was coming to Kaohsiung, I was overjoyed. Finally, after almost 2.5 years here, she is finally coming to visit me and stay at my apartment. It was through her that I learned the reason of her coming was that Teacher Hong had passed away about a year ago and they put together a memorial concert for this extraordinary music teacher. She was here to attend that concert. A handful of my old classmates were also coming. I felt a bit embarrassed that I don't remember most of those classmates. Their faces looked somewhat familiar, but there is no way I could remember their names. But I decided to attend anyway since my good friend was going, I could just smile and tag along.
Wow. The concert was a moving experience. There were many talented students of all ages who performed. There was one violinist who is a world-class musician. But what was most touching was the stories that was told about Teaching Hong. She never married, so she treated her students as her own kids. In those stories I was inspired to be a better human being. Gosh, one person can touch so many lives and one person can make a huge difference. I learned some important things from her.
Generosity
One of the first things people said about Teacher Hong was though she lived a simple life herself, she was extremely generous towards a worthy cause or a true need. She was passionate about all things relating to music/art/culture and whenever she could, she would start a worthy cause to preserve or further the influence of art and music. There was a struggling cultural magazine that received huge annual donations from her. There was a student who talked about the teacher's anonymous financial support during his struggling years. There were many others who benefited from her generosity. In this day and age, because of all the scams, I've learned to be super careful in protecting my money. But at the same time, Teacher Hong helps me to remember that our God is a generous God and He wants us to be cheerful givers who give generously. A person's influence multiplies much more by his/her generosity.
Invest in Friendship
Teacher Hong kept in touch with her students many years after they left her class, many students were in regular contact with her until the day she died. I found that surprising. Usually when students graduate from the class, that was the end of the teacher/student relationship. Life moves on and teacher gets a new class and life gets busy. But not Teaching Hong. She called the old students and asked what they were up to. A student who moved to Taipei to attend college still remembered receiving Teacher's call to attend certain art exhibits or concerts in the are and write a report. It was funny that she requested a report even after the student was no longer in her class. And Yes, the student did turn in the the report for she didn't want to disappoint the teacher. They had some good discussion about the subject of art and music. There were many cases, she used her influence to pull strings for the students. She wanted to see them succeed in life, and if there were something she could do about it, she would help them. There was an older student who recalled the time when she failed to get into music major and was planning to go another path. At this crucial time, Teacher Hong called and encouraged her to not give up and keep trying because she believed in her musical gifts. This changed that student's life and she went on to be a successful music professional. Teacher Hong's influence extended far after the students left. She made efforts to keep in touch and help them succeed. Friendships are so important and is worth the investment. Many times I would think of a person, or get a urge to contact someone, but most of the time I do not follow through because I may be busy with something at hand and later forgot. It takes time to keep in touch. Everyone is busy, but ultimately friendships matter because friends are the family you choose. Teacher Hong may not have any biological children but she had so many friends because she invested in them.
Insist on what is good and right
Teacher Hong not only required her students to be good musicians, she also wanted them to be cultured and well rounded. So even though she was a music teacher, she required her students to visit museums, cultural events and write reports about them. It was something she believed to be good for her students, but many parents and students opposed her. She had to face lots of disapproval, but she fought for what she knew was good for her students. She was a strict teacher, that I remembered. She had high standards and asked for a lot, perhaps she saw more potential than most people were able to see in the students. She would not compromise for something just average or mediocre, she demanded the best. She never was mean about it, but she didn't back down. It's weird that most of the memorable best teachers in my life were very strict and required a lot from us. Somehow in working so hard to meet that high expectation, I surprised myself in what I was capable of. We are capable of a lot more when someone had unwavering belief in our ability. When you know without a doubt something is good and right, then go for it despite any hardship or opposition. It's going to worth the fight. Looking at the success of Teacher Hong's students, her persistence bore much fruits in their lives. Thank God there are teachers like her who fought for what's good and right!
I realized that the seeds sown during those early years had blossom in my life as well as other classmates. Most of my classmates were musicians, even though they may have a day job. One of them is a college professor who still finds time to play piano an hour per day and recently learned a new instrument. Many are retired music teachers. They all shared a love for music. I maybe entered the class by mistake, but as a result of this class, I also became a lover of music. I still don't know why I faithfully attend the choir practice for different groups at Yang-Cheng Church when I could do so many other things. Yet, as much as I can, I always attended the choir practice rain or shine. Now I know why. It's the seeds of music sown by Teacher Hong and others. I am who I am because of their influence and example. Somehow the sounds of human voices blended together as one is just as magical to me as 42 years ago. Thank you, Teacher Hong for your legacy and influence.
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