Bringing Vi and Giam folk songs to the Alpha generation

Vi and Giam folk singing classes for children are held every Tuesday and Thursday.

Visiting her maternal hometown (Ha Tinh city), Nguyen Duong Phuong Uyen (11 years old, 6th grade student, Hanoi ) did not expect that this year's vacation would bring her such an unforgettable experience. Every Tuesday and Thursday evening, Phuong Uyen's family takes her to a free Vi and Giam folk singing class organized by Ha Tinh Provincial Youth Union. Here, for the first time, she learned and performed her hometown's melodies through singing, dancing, and acting.

“At first, I thought learning folk songs would be difficult and boring, but after singing, dancing and acting out emotions like in a play, I found it very interesting. When I return to Hanoi, I want to perform these folk songs for my classmates to listen to,” Phuong Uyen excitedly shared.

Children not only learn to sing but also practice standard pronunciation, intonation, expression and basic skills such as greeting, behavior, confidence and team spirit.

The classroom space is designed to be open, without blackboards, chalk, or pressure of grades or exams. Instead, there are the sounds of clappers and folk melodies resounding in harmony with the voices of nearly 50 children. Each lesson is an opportunity for the children to have deeper contact with the intangible cultural values that have been recognized by UNESCO as a representative heritage of humanity.

Not only attracting students from the city, the Vi and Giam folk singing classes have also spread to neighboring rural areas. Many parents are willing to travel dozens of kilometers to bring their children to participate in activities at the club.

“My family loves Vi and Giam folk songs, but in the past, we rarely had the opportunity to attend formal classes. When I heard about the free folk song club, I immediately registered my child to attend. Through the classes, I saw that not only the children but also the parents had new experiences and a deeper understanding of the beauty of their homeland's melodies,” said Ms. Tran Thi Binh (Cam Due commune, Cam Xuyen district).

With creative learning methods, folk song classes have attracted many children to participate.

Although the classes are completely free, the atmosphere in the class is very serious. The children not only learn to sing but also practice standard pronunciation, intonation, expression and basic skills such as greeting, behavior, confidence and team spirit. To achieve that, the teaching staff are artists and folk artisans who have devoted all their heart to each lesson.

Ms. Le Thuong - Vice President of the Ha Tinh Young Folk Song and Giam Club said: “As artists, we highly appreciate the direction of General Secretary To Lam on promoting the role of artists and singers in teaching and inspiring the young generation. From there, we are more aware that artists not only perform on stage but also have the responsibility to contribute to nurturing the talents, cultivating the thinking and soul of children - the future owners of the country.”

Many artists and lecturers actively participate in supporting and accompanying to further the love of folk songs for children.

To maintain regular classes, in addition to the artists and lecturers, there is also the active support of the youth union members who are the core members of the Ha Tinh Young Vi and Giam Folk Song Club. In addition to their professional work, the young people have proactively arranged their time to support the organization of classes, accompany the children, and foster their love for folk songs through each specific activity.

Mr. Nguyen Viet Hai Dang - Deputy Secretary of Ha Tinh Provincial Youth Union emphasized: “We hope not only to create a healthy and useful playground for children during the summer, but also from these classes to sow the seeds of love for national culture in each child. This is a concrete way to preserve and promote the value of Vi and Giam folk songs, not through slogans, but through real actions. In the coming time, the Provincial Youth Union will continue to direct and orient the Ha Tinh Young Vi and Giam Folk Song Club to develop more and more, spreading more strongly to the community.”

In the digital age, when children are increasingly less exposed to traditional culture, a model like the Ha Tinh Young Folk Song Club is a bright spot. From a small classroom in the heart of the city, folk songs are crossing geographical and generational boundaries to become an emotional bridge - connecting today's Alpha generation with the cultural source left by their ancestors for thousands of years.