A total of 2,019 students from the Baihua campus of Liyuan Primary School performed in a melodica ensemble to celebrate the New Year on December 31. The students performed “Happy New Year” in three voice parts, with those from the first grade harmoniously accompanying with percussion. Liyuan Primary School has been exploring the reform of its music education. As part of the reform, melodica is taught in its music lessons. The school’s teachers have compiled a textbook for melodica playing, which adopts both stave and numbered musical notation, and allows the students to learn both fixed do and movable do solfeggio. Physical movements are also combined with music training to create more fun in class. While the school was locked down last year amid the COVID-19 outbreak, the students continued their training through online lessons. The musical celebration was an expression of gratitude to the nation, the people, the frontline workers fighting against the pandemic, the teachers, the parents as well as different departments of the school. (Lin Lin) |