Mindfulness and Wellbeing in Chinese Music: Songs of Tzu Huang

welcomes musician-educators Dr Wong and Gigi Chiying Lam for an exploration of mindfulness and wellbeing in Chinese music through the songs of Tzu Huang.

In this hybrid of a lecture & recital, they will explore the relationship between poetry and music, with a focus on composer Tsz Huang's - one of the most influential composers and music educators in the history of contemporary Chinese music. He dedicated his life to his compositions and teaching, and his life reflected the great culture and spirit of music composition and education. They will share a selection of his songs that inspire harmony and encompass all expressions.

Dr. Paulina Wong graduated from The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts majoring in vocal performance and choral conducting. She further obtained her Master in Music and Doctor of Philosophy in Music degrees from The University of Sheffield, United Kingdom. Dr. Wong had been music tutor in The Hong Kong Academy for Performing Arts, Music Panel in schools, Committee Member of the Education Bureau Curriculum Development Council Committee on Arts Education, founding Director of The Hong Kong Treble Choirs’ Association and Commissioner of the International Society for Music Education (ISME) Commission for Music in Schools and Teacher Education, President of the Hong Kong Association for Music Educators, Associate Director of School Partnership and Field Experience in The Education University of Hong Kong (EdUHK) and Artistic Director of the EdUHK Chorus. Dr. Wong currently is the Assistant Professor of Teaching of Cultural and Creative Arts Department at EdUHK.

Her public services include being the Examiner of the Hong Kong Arts Development Council, Convener of “Sing for Peace” Project for UNESCO Hong Kong Association Glocal Peace Centre, Adjudicator of Hong Kong Schools Music Festival, Artistic Director of the Hong Kong Educators’ Singers, Resident Conductor and Director of Hong Kong Chinese Oratorio Society. She has been leading the choirs with regular concerts and overseas performances in Hong Kong, China, Japan, Taiwan, Europe and North America. In 2016 EdUHK Chorus was invited to perform at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall at the 32th ISME World Conference in Scotland UK. Recently, she is the Artistic and Music Director of “Poetic Music Integrates-Chinese Culture and Heritage Project” to promote and celebrate the beauty of Chinese poetry and music through artistic integration.

She was the chief author of the Huang Tzu Literature Collection published by Longman Hong Kong Education in 2004. Dr. Wong was funded by the University Grants Committee to develop an interactive CD-ROM “The Application of Interactive Kinesthetic Movement and Gestures for Choral Teaching and Learning” for promoting innovation in choral training. Two academic book chapters were published with “Sun Tzu the Art of War for Choral Leadership” and “Creative Musicking: an approach to collaborative choral composition” as the titles, sharing inventive ideas with local and international scholar. Dr. Wong also worked as the project and music director of the New Choral Setting of Tang Poems Project and “New Choral Setting of Tang Poems” CD, published by Hugo in 2016. Dr. Wong was the chief director and conductor of the “Huang Tzu’s Song Collection-Searching for Plum Blossoms in the Snow” CD, published by Hugo in 2011, it was awarded “The Best Choir Recording Award” by Guangzhou City Radio.

Chiying Lam is a musician-educator whose professional portfolio includes performance, composition, teaching, organizational development at youth centres and charities, event management and research. Graduated with a Bachelor of Education and Master of Arts in Music Education at The Education University of Hong Kong, Chiying is an active member of the Huang Tzu and Chinese Art Songs project team, whom involves in organizing the Huang Tzu’s Song Collection-Searching for Plum Blossoms in the Snow” CD recording project.

Chiying was an arts administrator and primary school teacher before starting her doctoral study at Royal College of Music, London supervised by Dr Dave Camlin and Dr Mary Stakelum. Her primary research interest is in musicians’ pedagogical practice and the transferability of the practice to other professional domains.

Her current practice looks at the post-colonial discourses of power & identity within the teachers’ community. She is the co-founder of Little Bean Theatre, a bilingual family and early years theatre promoting important of heritage language. She has been appointed as the convenor of the Social Justice SIG of the British Educational Research Association (BERA). Currently Chiying work as a lecturer in music education and social justice at the University of Southampton.

Founded in 1948, Westminster Music Library holds one of the largest public collections of sheet music and music books in the UK. We are part of the Westminster and Kensington & Chelsea BiBorough Library Service, and our materials are free to use and borrow.

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This event is part of a collection of talks, recitals, and workshops at the library, designed to encourage exploration of music in new ways.

Whether you are an absolute beginner with no musical background, or a professional musician wishing to learn more, all are warmly welcomed for these sessions.

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