What happens in ten years?

A new born baby grows to be a grade school student 130 centimeters tall. A seedling grows to be a tree.

2018 marks the ten-year anniversary of the founding of Shanghai Singing Hearts Children’s Choir. I want to talk about the initial idea that created Singing Hearts ten years ago, the persistence of the past ten years, and vision for next ten years.

In 2008 I invited friends that were versed in literature and the arts to write for my blog to talk about what they deemed beautiful in life. These friends lived in different corners of the world, but they shared the same understanding of beauty, that is, “Life is a study of beauty”. Saying hello toelders is like music; a get-well card to a sick friend is like literature; opening a door or giving one’s seat to a handicapped person is like a dance. The study of beauty is not limited to concert halls and art galleries. This was what I wanted to do to immerse our lives in beauty.

As a result, when I decided to form a children’s choir. Through my discussion with friends, a spark of inspiration led to the name of Singing Hearts. The Chinese word “Yi” (idea) is the combination of “Heart” and “Sound”, forming the “sound from the heart”. We wanted to listen to the ideas from our heart, sing graceful melodies with all our hearts, and express gratitude to the people in our lives.

Looking back, the formation of the children’s choir was really about bringing to reality the content of the blog: love for life, care for humanities, life long learning, and bridge the friendship.

Singing Hearts began producing musicals in 2012. I find that beautiful melodies are everywhere in life. A breeze going through a pine forest is like the murmuring of a cello; the thundering rumble of a train passing resembles percussion. Singing Hearts wants to spread the influence of music via musicals, while enhancing everyone’s heart with more diversity, richness, and inclusiveness.

Throughout the last ten years, what we are most proud of is that our faith in music is a way of cultivating good conduct and good values in our Singing Hearts members. I believe that the pursuit of our dreams is like sailing down a river. We stay within the confinement of the river bank so that we don’t sail off course. This is a freedom with discipline, carefree or delicate, quiet streams or powerful crushing waves, our music remains colorful and vivid within its structure.

“When tides recede, they leave behind substance on the beach, while superficial things are washed away.” Through ten years of diligent work, Singing Hearts has established its own special quality. We’ve taught our children independence, character, sincere and positive outlook on life, and to always choose respect, courtesy, and smiles.

Albert Einstein once said, “Try not to become a man of success but rather try to become a man of value.” I hope that every Singing Hearts member entering society and the big world will treat life with magnificent love and will influence their family and friends accordingly. This way, the world will have a beautiful heritage. 

2018-10-11