Chinese Program

Music Fostering Students’ Inquiry and Motivation

Andy Lin demonstrates the erhu for CAIS students
Andy Lin demonstrates the erhu for CAIS students

We hosted musicians from New Asia Chamber Music Society (including professional erhuist Andy Lin, who was our guest artist at Mass Greeting this year). Over two days, the four musicians worked with CAIS students and gave special performances, including what Jeff Bissell described as an “amazing mash up of western chamber music, Taiwanese folk songs, and contemporary Taiwanese composition.” One especially fun anecdote from their visit: A fifth grade student was particularly interested in the music sheets that showed how the Erhu could mimic the sound of a horse galloping. The student came to the front of the class to look over the musician’s shoulder to see the sheets—curious to know if it could be recreated on the piano which he plays—and then the whole class followed him!