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Tuesday, November 29, 2016

"Using Music as a Tool of Learning" by Joseph C


Like many, since when I was young I’ve developed a love for music, I would sing
and dance to it, for it brings to me joy and happiness. And for years I was the only person in the
family who knew how to play the piano, so I would always be the one responsible for
entertaining my family, but I absolutely loved it. One day I realised that my grandmother, who
was unable to read Chinese at the time, was singing to the song I was playing, I was amazed
because she had a really difficult life when she was young so she never had the privilege to go to
school and learn Chinese, but she was always determined to teach herself how to read that she
would spend hours and hours glued to a book trying to remember a couple of new words.
However, music allowed her to remember words much faster and easier. So in order to
help her to learn how to read, I would practice her favorite songs for hours each day just so she
could sing along with it at her own pace while learning Chinese at the same time. And even
though it was difficult at first to balance school and music, I was determined that I would make
my grandmother’s dream come true.

Now after 10 plus years, my grandmother is now able to read and even write Chinese,
and though she still struggle with the more difficult words, she is able to accomplish daily tasks
that involves reading and/or writing with a breeze. Through this experience, I love music even
more and I’ve developed a passion for it not only to entertain people but to also help others. To
me, music is no longer simply just a form of entertainment, but a new undiscovered tool for
learning. 謝謝奶奶

19 comments:

  1. I found your piece inspirational, it basically shows that if you set your mind to things you're able to do greater things. I also think it's pretty awesome that you enjoy what you like doing. Great job!

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  2. This is just a sweet story! Like you I love music and often times music is overlooked as a tool for learning and seen more as entertainment. However, this story is a perfect example of how music can be used and why it should. Awesome job!

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  3. I was surprised by how much you were able to convey in such a short space, because this story was truly beautiful. You showed your love for music and your history that goes along with it, but more than that, you showed how you were able to use your passion to educate your grandma; to read Chinese nonetheless, while balancing school as well. Even more so were those final four characters that really capitalized on what you conveyed. Those few characters have so much meaning to them and it hit me so much after I translated it to see what it meant. Every time I analyze this story I always find something new to analyze and that's amazing. Great story

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  4. This was a truly touching story, I really like how you were able portray such an inspiring story in just two paragraphs. You've made me think more about spending more quality time with my grandparents. I think it is so sweet that you loved helping your grandmother out and that you made such a huge impact on her.

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  5. I loved how you used music to connect wih your grandmother. I can relate to this because i use to play the violin and piano to my grandparents as a a means to build a bond with them. It was a way to make them happy and so i cherished those times. This piece really highlighted how music is a universal language and how it connects other human beings from different walks of life together.

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  6. This was such a great story! You made a greta personal connection to your grandmother, which really helped tie in your whole purpose of this piece. You really highlighted the importance of music, and how that related to everyones daily tasks. Overall this was really well written and I truly enjoyed it.

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  7. I think is was very kind of you to sacrifice your time to help your grandmother. This has definitely made me want to do something meaningful for my grandparents and show my appreciation for them. Never lose this side of yourself.

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  8. its amazing that you put so much emotion into two paragraphs, i am very happy for you and your grandmother, and i looked it up and it is very sweet how you tied in the Chinese at the end. I totally agree that music is an incredible learning tool and this was a really neat example

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  9. The way you described your determination to teach your grandmother highlighted your strong connection with her, and brought emotion to me while reading this. Throughout your piece, I felt a positive feeling reading how you not only taught your grandmother a whole different language, but you did it in such a unique and meaningful way. This was truly an inspirational story and great example of how music can be used as a way to learn a new language!

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  10. This was such a feel-good piece that I, as a reader, was left with a pleasant sensation. Your determination to help your grandmother achieve her life-long goals, despite her unprivileged background and obstacles she has come across, motivates me to support my own loved ones and their aspirations rather than focusing on only my own. Your selflessness and loving nature was well described in this story. Good job!

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  11. This piece really warmed my heart. You know, some of us are barely connected with our grandparents as we choose to spend more time on technology instead. But you, seeing that your grandmother was attempting to reach her goal of learning to read and speak Chinese, chose to take the time out of your busy schedule to help her. You connected with her, and the way you word this story truly shows how important of an experience that this was for you. Great choice of words, and thank you for providing me with such an enjoyable story!

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  12. I thought that this peace was extremely heart-warming. Showing a great example of how there are many ways to help people and satisfy your passion at the same time. You were able to show how you were able to bond with your grandma through piano and you were able to teach us that no matter how old you are, perseverance, patience, and a little bit of support will bring you to the accomplishment you want.

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  13. Wow. I seriously loved this piece. It was so inspiring and just leaves the reader with a warm, fuzzy feeling and a huge grin on their face. It is great that you care so much in aiding your grandmother learn Chinese. I thought it was really considerate and sweet of you to take time out of your busy day to balance helping your gandma and your school work. The way you write is quick, to the point, and easy to follow. All-in-all a very fun read. Thank you for sharing your love for music.

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  14. This piece is so personal and sweet. Thank you for sharing this beautiful story. It really is inspiring and shows that no matter your age, it is never too late to start leaning. I've wanted to learn to play guitar for a while now and I kept telling myself that it was too late and I was too old but this piece showed me that age has nothing to do with learning and so long as I truly want to learn and stick with it, it is possible. I also find it amazing that you were there to help your grandmother accomplish her goal and I think that shows great strength.

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  15. This piece was very inspirational because the reader can truly tell how much this story means to you, it's interesting to know that you were able to use music in such a way to help and for the benefit of someone else. Your real life story and essential details allows the reader to imagine your grandmother and her struggle and then see you help her through music. Great job!

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  16. Uriel MarquezDecember 13, 2016 at 5:52 AM
    I'm a "musician" of sorts as well and it never occurred to me that you could use music that way. It makes me feel like garbage for not learning a second language and for not helping people out. Massive respect man

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  17. What a beautiful piece Joseph! I relate to you in the sense that I am musician like you, but I am glad that you were able to use your talents to benefit others! Even if it's only one person, that time you spent to teach your grandmother meant the world to her. It was truly an inspirational thing you did and I am happy that you shared this moment with the rest of us. Wow Joseph, great moves! Keep it up. Proud of you.

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  18. Truely an inspiration in using music as a way of helping other. I can relate to this because music for me is a getaway, I usually listen to music or practice music when I'm stressed out or working on anything difficult. I could imagine the difficulty your grandmother was going through and you being a great person helping her in her time of needs.

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  19. I beleive all musicians can relate to the joy they get in producing music. You found a way to use your music not only to entertain, but to inspire and teach. This personal story can give any non musician the reason to start a journey that will most likely help you and also others.

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