Miss Chi-yen Huang

Interviewee: Miss Chi-yen Huang

Q1:How many years have you been teaching ?

A1:I have been teaching for six years so far.

Q2:What kind of musical instruments are you skilled in?

A2:The piano and the violin.

Q3:What kind of music do you prefer?

A3:I like jazz and blues. I listen to different music in different mood. I like the music which is overflowing with enthusiasm when I feel pleasant,but I listen to the piano songs when I’m sad.

Q4:How do you instruct and train the rhythm band ?

A4:We are a band. Everyone must be able to play his instrument to a certain degree before the ensemble.
We practice part by part. After that, the whole band will play together.

Q5:What kind of musical instruments is the easiest for you to teach ? What kind of musical instruments is the hardest for you to teach ? Why?

A5:(1)The melodica is the easiliest to teach .It’s very similar to the recorder. Students in the elementary school have learned it, so it’s easy to get on the right track. And, the way to give out the sound is pretty same as the recorder. Most lines of the melody of the melodica is just like the violins in the band. Generally speaking, the melodica is one of the easiest and important instruments in our band.
(2)The idiophone is the hardest, just like the bass drum, snare drum, triangle, or the castanets...,etc. They are like the machines. It’s fixed. If a person has to beat time steadily, not too fast and not tooslowly, it takes much effort. However, their sounds are the loudest in the band, so it has to be well controlled. They influence the speed and emotions of all the players. The xylophone and the metallophone is just the same. Basically, if the members can play the idiophone well, the rhythm band will be more excellent.

Q6:How do you encourage the members ? Have you ever punished them?

A6:(1)We have rules. I ask them to record the practicing time. I give the prizes depending on the length of time.
(2)The punishment is to ask the ones who do something wrong to stay in the classroom and leave the place after cleaning.

Q7:Is there any difficulties in the band ? Do you need parents’help ?

A7:(1)There isn’t any difficulty in the music part so far.
(2)We need some parents to handle the funds.Besides,we need much manpower to carry the instruments when we go for a contest.

Q8:What’s the merits and demerits of our rhythm band ?

A8:The merit is that the all the members love music. The demerit is that they are too relaxed. Sometimes, they play wrongly just because they are too relaxed.

Q9:What characteristic do you think the members of the band should have ?

A9:(1)They need to be punctual.
(2)They must have the ability to read the note.The one who reads the note sooner so as to play the melody sooner.
(3)One has to be diligent. The process of practicing is quite hard. One must be patient.

Q10:(1)What do you have in mind about the championship which our rhythm band has won this time ?

A10: It’s very incredible ! The success is concomitant with diligence. How we score the best is by no means incidentally!