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Do Re Mi school wins big in Guam music festival
Sleepless, nervous, but triumphant—Do Re Mi Music School students won big at the Tumon Bay Music Festival in Guam last week.
For their solo performances, Judy Kim and Kevin Liang won gold medals, while Alan Yu, Alexander Chen, and Jane Torres took home silver.
Do Re Mi Music School violinists finished strong in last week’s Tumon Bay Music Festival competition. (DENNIS B. CHAN)
The students are all from Saipan Community School. The students, their parents, and Do Re Mi founder and teacher Ao Zhang told the Saipan Tribune that the kids practiced as much as half a year, sometimes eight hours in a day, leading up to the competition.
It was worth it, they said. Kim also won the “Judge’s choice” award and Liang got an honorable mention, despite the sleepless hours the student faced leading up to the event.
Because of problems with flight delays and cancellations, Zhang said it took them around 13 to 14 hours to get to Guam. Their original seats to Guam were delayed, and then cancelled, he said.
Because of that, they wemt to Guam via Korea, and arrived in Guam on the morning of the competition.
“Ridiculous,” Zhang said.
How did they manage to do it? “Drink Powerade,” said Liang.
Chen said it was hard to sleep, especially when there were things on your mind. Yu said he got some rest on the plane. Kim said it was nerve-wracking because the showcase felt like an audition. Players sat, and one by one got up to play for judges, she said.
“My legs were shaking,” she added. But Liang claimed he was not nervous, just excited.
“Probably in the beginning,” Chen said, when asked if he had some nerves. “But as you kept playing and you remember the notes and all your practice, you just get into the music and play for yourself and the audience.”
The students thanked Do Re Mi for teaching them and helping with their practice over the years. “I feel very fortunate [to Do Re Mi] for teaching me how to play such a beautiful instrument,” said Chen.
“Without our teachers we wouldn’t place,” added Yu.
