Andrew Chong UIUC Shares The Significance of Musical Education

Chicago Heights IL

02 September, 2020

8:04 AM

Description

Andrew Chong UIUC has always been a music lover. When he moved to Shanghai with his family, he picked up the cello as an instrument that interested him. Playing the cello often helps him forget about his tedious schedule and enjoy the various benefits that this art has to offer. As a humanitarian worker, Andrew Chong UIUC spread his love of music to other special children when he was working at AMASE (Academy of Arts and Music for Special Education). He was already involved in many projects, volunteered at many places, and lend a helping hand at any chance he got, but none offered the satisfaction of teaching what he loves for the betterment of these children. Andrew Chong UIUC learned a lot during his time at AMASE. He saw the change that was brought in these children’s lives. While the significance of music in his life played an important role in shaping his personality, he never could have imagined how music helped these special kids. What otherwise would not have been possible for these children, happened through music. Music and musical instruments developed discipline and creative thinking. These kids often come across problems that are hard for us to understand. By teaching music, they are disciplined in their approach to problem-solving and think out of the box. They taught Andrew Chong UIUC that there is always more than one right answer or one right path to take. At AMASE, there is a special focus on enhancing a student’s environment. While many instructions and hard to learn words can be difficult, the rhythm of the music was always their friend. It helped them to highlight key words and get in synch with various activities. Furthermore, the meanings of various songs were the key lessons for these students. With the amount of time they put on each song or routine, they were highly focused on what these meant and really practiced it. Andrew Chong UIUC student learned that there is more than one way to learn a new skill or practice your learnings. Last but not the least, Andrew Chong UIUC saw the sense of achievement his students felt when they could play that one song right. While learning a new instrument can be quite challenging under normal circumstances, for these children it would be over the top. With the right motivation from educators and guardians, students playing an instrument develop pride and certainty which helps them undergo various other challenges that life has to offer. Andrew Chong UIUC reflected upon these takeaways from his time at AMASE and took various decisions that turned out to be the best for him. Through various competitions, he won many scholarships — one being the Missy Belton scholarship from the King’s Academy. Andrew Chong UIUC was motivated to continue his community services and enrolled in the King’s Academy. They held yearly service tours to Tecate, Mexico, in an attempt to help the local community to the best of their abilities. Since AMASE, Andrew Chong UIUC has been very proactive in his approach in the community services. His initial reaction to his students learning music has stuck by him and helped him take the best decisions for himself and others.