Passion makes band of special needs shine

Chen Shayin said she was surprised and happy to find that her concert band — composed of students with moderate to severe hearing impairments and autism — could play so smoothly and in perfect harmony on the stage.

The performance, which was well-received by audiences, allows every child to be able to touch the beauty of life, said Chen, headmaster of the Xiamen Special Education School in East China's Fujian province.

Chen said her band's programs have received support from Xiamen's Cultural and Tourism Special Fund.

"In addition to the previous performance, held in Xiamen's Cocopark Mall on May 30, we will hold several public welfare performances before the end of the year," Chen told China Daily.

Chen said she believes the significance of the establishment of the concert band lies in education's return to the essence of life, enabling every child to be seen and believed in.

Passion is actually the greatest driving force, she said.

Chen's school is a 15-year integrated special education school, covering primary, junior high, and vocational high school stages.

It enrolls three types of students with disadvantages from all over Xiamen city, including those with hearing impairments, intellectual disabilities and autism.

"To be honest, I had no idea at all about establishing a concert band back then," Chen said.

When the Xiamen Dunshan Symphonic Wind Orchestra visited the school for a charity performance in 2017, some hearing-impaired students were so curious that they reached out to touch the gleaming golden instruments, Chen said.

The eager anticipation in the children's eyes deeply touched her.

"How do you like them? Do you want to try?" Chen then asked the students, who had a close bond with her. The students replied in sign language that they did.

Right then, Chen said to the orchestra director, "What should we do when the kids like the instruments and want to have a try?"

The director had no hesitation in giving the children a fresh opportunity. Soon after, a concert band named Star Dream belonging to the children themselves was established. Ten members of the Xiamen Dunshan Symphonic Wind Orchestra serve as instructors for free, with the school's teachers assisting in communication and interpretation, said Chen.

The band encountered many difficulties in the beginning.

Even just making a sound from the instruments was quite a challenge for the children, but the teachers found their own way to help, Chen said.

For hearing-impaired students, even the most basic breath training for wind music is a major challenge, she said, adding that it usually takes a great deal of time.

To help train the students, some teachers would stick a piece of paper on the wall and have them blow at it to keep it from falling.

Some made use of mineral water bottles and straws, asking students to blow into the bottle through the straw to make the bubbles inside rise steadily.

Simple teaching tools such as balloons were also used, with the children blowing air to keep the balloons floating in midair, neither too high nor too low.

Sometimes, the teachers would ask the children to touch their bellies or throats while blowing on the instruments, and they would tap the rhythm on their backs.

Skills that ordinary children can master in one class may take them 10 or 20 classes, or even longer to learn, said Chen.

Generally, children with autism are slightly easier to teach than those with hearing impairments.

For instance, Li Fei can master what takes other children two to three classes with just one class, as he has an exceptional sensitivity to sound — sometimes he can hear sounds that we cannot, according to Chen.

The band only practices in their spare time — at noon after lunch — two days a week.

"The children can feel the teachers' efforts, and this positive emotion influences each other," said Chen.

Six years after the band's establishment, Chen was both shocked and surprised when a teacher told her the band could put together a performance of over an hour in October 2023.

"We had no specific plan to conduct a public performance at the beginning," Chen said.

"I truly feel that passion is crucial in the educational process," she said.

The process is a case of mutual learning and growth between teachers and students, and what touched Chen deeply was that not a single child wanted to give up, even when the country was hit by the Covid-19 pandemic from 2020 to 2023.

During the three-year period, teachers recorded videos for online lessons. The band lent instruments to the children, who took them home to practice every week, and their parents helped them shoot videos to submit as homework.

With one month's preparation, the band held its first special concert in November 2023, said Chen.

She said the band has now grown to 27 instrumental performers.

Meanwhile, the band was invited to visit Hong Kong to perform in June, which attracted audiences, including local deputies of the National People's Congress.

The Hong Kong trip, which also covered Victoria Peak and other landmarks, has helped broaden the children's horizons and open up more social opportunities.

"For children with autism, social impairment is a core characteristic. However, the impairment does not stem from a lack of interest in socializing; rather, it is because they do not understand or dare not engage, failing to grasp typical social patterns. The Hong Kong visit has created numerous social opportunities for them," she said.

Chen said her school has sister relations with several special education schools in Hong Kong.

Gao Liting, a grade 9 student with the school's hearing-impaired department, said she was really happy to be able to publicly perform on a big stage.

"The band allows me to enjoy the beauty of music just like ordinary students," the saxophonist said.

Yuan Lu, a flautist, said she was really thrilled to have the chance to perform in Hong Kong and she would thank her teachers for their help.

"I will keep practicing the flute diligently and offer better performance on stage in the months to come," she added.

Contact the writers at zhengcaixiong@chinadaily.com.cn