My Sharing
As a Christian who is a professional singer, I would like to share how my singing experiences impact my beliefs.
I have been a pianist since I was little, but being a singer is very different from being an instrumentalist. I truly believe it is a blessing from God that I can have good health inorder to sing. Without a
healthy body, it is impossible to be a good singer.
As a singer, I strive to make my own instrument sound better and better through years of training. Money can buy a musical instrument, but not a good voice. As is often said of singers, “your body
is your instrument”.
Singers have many vulnerabilities. This doesn’t mean singers are weak, but impactful events can happen at anytime, especially in crucial moments, such as just before performances.Singing is
deceptively physical, and I think there are many similarities between athletes and singers. My vocal cords are inside my body. When a singer catches a very bad flu, cold or even a minor allergy, the
entire body and the voice are affected. All of your studied technique is of little use if your vocal cords are compromised.
If I can’t even talk, it is impossible to sing. Being a good singer, we need to learn a great deal of discipline, good nutrition, and proper rest, because it takes a lot of energy to sing and perform, just like
being a professional athlete. And like an athlete, I have made mistakes, and I have failed, but that’s part of my learning process, and it shows I am just a human being.
I have learned to appreciate what God gave me as a package and try to make the most of it. For a long time I wanted to become a soprano, but that’s not whatI got from God. I learned to like my voice as
a mezzo and aspects I may feel critical of I am, because that’s what God gave me. I can’t change who I am, and I cannot expect another type of voice than the one inside me. (Moreappreciation and less
complaining is a lesson that will take me a life time to learn. As we can learn to appreciate more, we become happier persons.)
We cannot control our future, but we can only try our best and let God take care the rest. I am able to do what I love the most as my profession. It is not because I am better than anyone, but because
of God’s grace.
A friend of mine was a wonderful singer that I admired a lot but died from cancer at the age of 28. I have seen her work very hard to reach where she was as a professional singer, but herillness
really took away her voice and health.
This, of course, can happen to any of us; I remind myself all the time to live with a thankful heart. I have worked my hardest to be a profession singer, but I also want to give thanks to God that I can live
with a healthy body. As long as I am healthy, I have freedom. I feel very thankful that everyday is a new day, and I can feel the air and hear the sound around me, It is such a blessing that we can enjoy so
many God’s treats ( enjoy food, friends, and being able to see the world. )
Let’s all strive not take things for granted, and live with a thankful heart – and use our own instruments in the best way we can.
Teaching
I love to teach piano and voice, and I especially love working with kids. I believe piano lesson is not just about how to play the piano, but through the instrument, I am
also educating my studends to learn about discipline, respect, apprecitation (especially to their parents) and manners. Sadly our school system in US doesn't teach that
anymore. For the past years, I have developed many special relationships with my students.
My biggest reward of teaching is watching my students grow up with a good sense of value about themselves, and they become a stronger person with better confidence.
All my students know my logo "Never give up until you have tried your best".
Being a teacher, I am also learning a lot through teaching. Each student is an individual, and they don't reaponse the same in lessons. That's the challenge part of teaching.
From my experiences, I am also learning a lot how to become a better teacher by my students. We both can learn from each other.