Our full day first & second grade students had the pleasure of hosting Mr. Yeh for two presentations during their music elective classes. In addition to being a professional musician, Mr. Yeh is also the grandfather of two students in our full day program — so we were especially excited to welcome him to our school! Through his interactive presentations, students learned about four different instruments used in classical Chinese music.
During the first presentation, students had the opportunity to learn about and hear demonstrations of zhu (bamboo) woodwind instruments. Mr. Yeh showed us the dizi, a bamboo flute, and the sheng, an instrument typically consisting of 17 bamboo pipes set in a round base. He then explained the principles guiding the different sounds that these instruments produce. Mr. Yeh also played Teresa Teng's song "The Moon Represents My Heart" on the sheng for us. The students had been learning this song for their Mid-Autumn Festival performance and were thrilled to hear it!
Mr. Yeh's second presentation focused on si (silk) stringed instruments. First, he showed us the guzheng (Chinese zither) and erhu (Chinese two-stringed fiddle). Each student had the chance to try plucking or strumming the strings! Then, Mr. Yeh gave our students a demonstration of each instrument. They were excited to hear the different melodies and harmonies that these instruments can produce.
We were very grateful to have Mr. Yeh visit our music class and look forward to more fun presentations!