Attending a training session on the use and teaching methods of recorder flute in schools for primary school teachers organized by the Hanoi Department of Education and Training at Le Quy Don Primary School (Long Bien, Hanoi), I noticed positive signs in music education in primary schools.
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| Flute artist Minh Hoa in a class teaching elementary school teachers. (Photo: NVCC) |
Over the phone, the talented lecturer and flute artist of the Vietnam National Opera and Ballet, Bui Minh Hoa, said in a slow, warm voice: "Hoa is currently quite busy with a training program for music teachers in Long Bien district before the new school year. If you have time, please come and join everyone for fun." Having some talent and love for music, I accepted and arranged to go right away.
Sowing the seeds of music
As part of the Training program to improve the capacity of music teachers using recorders and keyboards in teaching music at primary school level of the Hanoi Departmentof Education and Training, Le Quy Don Primary School was chosen as the training location for nearly 200 music lecturers/teachers of the City. Stepping into the spacious campus, spacious classrooms, and modern equipment, one can see that this is not only an ideal location for the training plan but also a truly wonderful place for students to practice.
I recognized Minh Hoa as soon as we met in the stairwell because of her small figure, gentle face and the recorder she wore right on her chest. Introducing the mission she is carrying out here, lecturer - artist Bui Minh Hoa said: “According to the 2018 General Education Program, starting the 2023-2024 school year, primary school students will have access to melodic musical instruments. This is a very outstanding new point because when exposed to musical instruments, their musical abilities/talents are nurtured and developed, creating interest in learning and playing music”.
She said that introducing melodic instruments into primary school teaching poses a challenge for music teachers. However, music teachers are completely proactive in choosing recorders or keyboards to suit the facilities and abilities of teachers and students.
At the beginning of the training session, instructor Minh Hoa raised her fist, and the teachers and students immediately quieted down. She guided the students to practice pressing the notes on the flute, playing the exercises, and interspersed between the contents were small games to help students not feel pressured but still achieve good results in practicing playing the recorder.
She gestured with her hand: “When I point at myself, you listen, when I gesture to come in, it’s your turn to play. 1,2,3 me... 1,2,3 come in...”. Suddenly, “toe...”, a flute sound went out of tune; Minh Hoa smiled gently: “I gesture to invite you to play, then you can play, you have to be a little proud, if you don’t invite me, I won’t play.” When the students played well, with nice sounds, she did not forget to praise and encourage them... The lesson lasted several hours. Her small figure walked back and forth to guide and correct the students. The flute sound was sometimes cheerful and clear, sometimes calm and gentle.
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| Flute artist Bui Minh Hoa. (Photo: NVCC) |
Inspire passion
After a long class with continuous work intensity, I still do not understand where the hidden strength of this small flute artist comes from, but the smile is always on her lips. Minh Hoa shared: “I have two passions, which are teaching music and children. When I had the opportunity to participate in the training project for primary school teachers, I was really excited, like a fish returning to water.”
Although she is an artist, Minh Hoa is very lucky in the field of music education. In addition to many years of experience performing in a symphony orchestra, Minh Hoa is also an author of middle school music textbooks and a musical instrument teacher. She shared that she feels truly lucky and happy to stand on the podium.
Perhaps thanks to that passion, leading a class of nearly 200 students becomes much easier. “Only when you have the passion can you pass it on to others. When you love your job, are well prepared professionally, with the spirit of always sharing, always listening and respecting, always putting students at the center, all difficult problems can be handled. When both teachers and students find learning fun - fun to learn, the lesson will be most effective.”
Sharing with me, teacher Bui Thi Bich Ngoc (teacher at Tran Quoc Toan Primary School, Hoan Kiem) said: “It is very pleasant to interact with teacher Minh Hoa. She is not only a performing artist but also has a lot of experience in teaching students. We learn from her both in terms of demeanor, positive energy and also in the methods of imparting knowledge and approaching students to achieve maximum effectiveness in teaching melodic instruments”.
The path of roses is strewn with thorns
Few people believe that such a small and gentle flute teacher had a difficult path to music. Minh Hoa confided, “My childhood memories of stepping into the “musical path” will never fade. That is the strong reason why I want to become a music teacher.”
People often say that people tend to treat others the way they are treated. However, for Minh Hoa, it is the opposite. She does not want the young musical buds - today's primary school students - to approach music in the "violent" way that she experienced. Those were the first years of contact with the violin, when they did not stomp their feet in time, the teacher would "step" on their four little toes, leaving only their thumbs to stomp along with the music. Or the days of practicing the violin at home, being hit in the head by her brother because she played it wrong. Then in the evenings, when her friends were excited to go out or go to the neighbor's to watch the show Little Flowers, Minh Hoa would "hunch her back" and hug the violin, pulling and releasing the strings - a sound that to her at that time was extremely boring...
Then, one fine day, my father decided to let his daughter switch to flute lessons. After more than a year of “saw-sawing”, I switched to embracing a tiny metal flute - called a piccolo (the smallest flute). My first flute teacher and also the person who guided me through the university flute graduation program was Mr. Le Bich. During my 14 years at the Conservatory, I was trained by teachers such as Nguyen Hong Nhung, Nguyen Trung Thanh and Vu Huy Dat…
Always remembering her early musical journey, Minh Hoa cherishes the dream of becoming a music teacher to always cherish, love and find the best solutions for her beloved students.
After the emotional sharing, artist Minh Hoa gently lifted up the flute and played a melodious tune: “My village is green with bamboo shade/ Each evening bell ring/ The church bell rings/ Life is joyful in the beloved countryside/ Areca shade with a boat, a river…”. The melody of the song unconsciously followed me all the way back to Hanoi from De Vang. Far away outside the car window, the Red River still flows peacefully in the purple sunset…
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