Ho Quynh Huong is haunted by the words of People's Artist Ha Thuy

In celebration of Vietnamese Teachers' Day, singer Ho Quynh Huong shared heartfelt thoughts about her beloved teacher, Colonel and People's Artist Ha Thuy.

- A musical evening by the teacher - Colonel, People's Artist Ha Thuy What does November 9th mean to you?

For a long time, I've wished for a concert dedicated to Ms. Ha Thuy, featuring myself and other fellow alumni.

There, the audience will feel and understand the profession of a vocal music teacher, the ups and downs, difficulties, joys, and especially her excellent teaching abilities. Ms. Thuy has helped many students become confident on their artistic paths over the years.

November is also the month of Vietnamese Teachers' Day, so the program also carries the meaning of gratitude from us students to our teachers.

Luckily, I have a dedicated team in Hanoi – including older and younger generations who have supported me and understood my aspirations – who helped me connect with Ms. Ha Thuy and her students to create what I believe will be a very meaningful musical evening.

- I heard you're the number one favorite student of People's Artist Ha Thuy?

Ms. Thuy is very fair; I never thought she would consider me her number one favorite student!

The teacher doted on all the diligent and obedient students, while I was sometimes not very studious and didn't listen to her as much as the others. She probably just considered me the most stubborn student of all. (laugh)

But for me, Ms. Ha Thuy is the number one teacher! She is very important to my singing career, the one who inspired me and generations of students.

Whenever I felt down or faced difficulties on my artistic journey, she was always the one who called to encourage and support me.

- What was the thing that you and your teacher were most "obsessed" with each other about?

For me, her most haunting quote was: "Son/Son." Smell "If she had high blood pressure, she'd be dead a hundred times over." I was terrified of that, afraid that if she did get high blood pressure, I'd be terribly guilty! (laugh)

She'll probably be obsessed with knowing when I'm singing and when I'm taking a break. She's very caring; if she doesn't see her student singing for a while, she'll call to ask.

She didn't want me to quit singing, or she'd say she regretted losing my voice and wanted me to continue. This is also an important reason why I'm still singing today. She even said I was the most unpredictable of her students.

- For the concert on November 9th, how do you plan to perform in a way that satisfies your teacher in terms of professionalism and technique, without making the audience feel that you are being overly showy or that your performance is unpleasant to listen to?

Ms. Ha Thuy has a very sophisticated approach to music , keeping up with music trends quickly and regularly. She teaches technique but always emphasizes that her students should sing in a way that sounds natural, as if they're not using any technique at all – that's what makes a voice truly skilled in using technique.

Ho Quynh Huong and her teacher - People's Artist Ha Thuy. Photo: Provided by the interviewee.

Therefore, most of her students have followed and succeeded in the light music genre. In the upcoming concert, the audience will experience some technical skill, but nothing heavy or stressful. Her students will still sing songs that suit their strengths.

- Many times People's Artist Ha Thuy has come to your show, but she insists on standing below the stage, even when you and she have to sing a duet. Why is that?

I am very proud of my teacher. Wherever she is, I want to invite her onto the stage. However, she always refuses, preferring to sit below, observe, and listen to her students.

Perhaps she always wanted me to be better, so she chose to stand below me – a position where she could give students the most accurate feedback. That's a wonderful thing about her as a teacher.

- Which quote from Ms. Ha Thuy has stayed with you to this day?

Perhaps she still regrets that I didn't pursue classical music. From my early days as a student, she saw that I was very well-suited to it, saying that if I had followed classical music, I would have excelled.

However, as everyone can see, I ultimately didn't follow her advice and chose to move south to pursue my career, which made her regret it. Luckily, my career singing pop music was quite successful, so she was happy for me and didn't scold me anymore.

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