Just to make a living for themselves — a remote mountain elementary school band holds ticketed concerts, but sells less than 10% of tickets

▲ Fuan Elementary School performance at Aowanda. (Video via Youtube, please excuse if removed.)

Report by You T-Ru / Taipei-Nantou joint dispatch

Taiwan’s heavenly sounds are right here — we hope more people can hear them. A tiny elementary school deep in Nantou’s mountains is holding its first ever ticketed concert for the children’s musical dreams, buttwo weeks after going on sale, fewer than 10% have been sold. The teacher posted online asking for help, hoping more people can hear the children’s voices:“The children from the mountains are trying hard to share their music with everyone.”


▲ The children look so happy while learning. (Photo via Chen S-Chai’s submission /strong>

Fuan Elementary School is located in the Aowanda mountain area of Ren’ai Township, Nantou County. The entire school has 58 students, all of whom are Indigenous — half are Atayal, and half are Seediq. In 2008, the children happened to hear their teacher playing the violin on campus, which kicked off their musical journey. “At first, many people said it was impossible for kids here to learn music.” It started with just four violins, and that’s how Fuan Elementary’s music learning began.

Resources are scarce in remote areas — not only is there no money for instruments, but there are also teacher shortages. Chen S-Chai began helping the children by using her own salary to teach them music, and “at the beginning, the parents were very supportive.” The class gradually gained attention, and when the children from these remote areas came on stage, the audience was moved to tears. “They played with so much emotion, and people were deeply touched.” The children didn’t want to let down the community’s support.

%The children from these remote areas came on stage, and the audience was moved to tears. (Image via Chen S-Chai’s submission /strong>


But music offers more than just the act of learning itself. When the earliest students who started learning instruments graduated and moved on to junior high and high school, Chen S-Chai noticed a problem. “If those children go to school in the city, they might easily become discouraged or feel disconnected from their families. But if they stay here without music, they’ll lose their motivation.” To keep the children who love music from changing, Chen S-Chai began personally teaching them music and developing a professional music curriculum.

But music classes come with higher tuition, and volunteer teachers tend to have high turnover. In 2014, Chen S-Chai first tried a crowdfunding approach, successfully raising funds for the children’s music education. She invited children who had been learning music for a long time to hold their first ticketed concert, and also sold CDs, hoping the children could one day make a living through music.

So far, the tickets have been on sale for two weeks, with six performances in total, but only about 10% have been sold. Worried that the children will find out about the sales situation, Chen S-Chai hasn’t told them yet. She hopes people from other schools will come to watch their performances and encourage them. “Let the children know that loving music can also lead to their own path. ‘The children say they just hope their music can touch people and be heard by more people.’”

%“The children say they just hope their music can touch people and be heard by more people.” (Image via Chen S-Chai’s submission /strong>


Chen S-Chai reflects on her years teaching the children
I am Chen S-Chai, a teacher at Fuan Elementary School. I came to Fuan Elementary in 2007. It’s a tiny Indigenous elementary school deep in the mountains of Nantou. It takes two hours to drive up from Nantou City. In 2008, a child said they wanted to learn the violin, and since then, Fuan and the violin have been inseparably linked.
It’s very difficult for mountain children to learn instruments. First, there are no instruments; second, there are no teachers; third, there is no money.
Over the years, we’ve worked hard to overcome all kinds of challenges — finding instruments, finding teachers, finding tuition money.
Taiwan is a place full of human warmth. When people learned about the children’s difficulties, they all reached out to help. Because of this, the children have grown well. The oldest is now in the second year of high school, and the children study very seriously. They stay at school practicing the violin until 9 p.m. every day after school, spend an hour and a half traveling down the mountain every Friday to take lessons, and return early Monday morning. They practice on weekends too. It’s tough, but the children enjoy it, and they don’t want to let everyone down.

There are about 60 students learning instruments now, and the number will only grow. With so many children wanting to learn, the costs are very high. Relying solely on sponsorships won’t allow the children to become self-sufficient in the future. So we’re slowly transforming, trying to work hard with our own hands for the future. This year, we held our first ticketed concert, using ticket sales to cover the children’s tuition fees. But because we lack experience and haven’t done enough promotion, not many people know about it, and ticket sales aren’t good.
The children have been preparing seriously for this concert, hoping to present their best music to everyone. The night before, the children were still discussing with us how to move everyone with their music.
We’re asking you to please share this letter so more people know that the children from the mountains are trying hard to share their music with everyone.