Student Spotlight-Jasmine's Music Learning Journey-Jasmine

At Dulwich College Suzhou, we have so many talented students. All of them are specialized in some specific areas. We will dig out such students and share their stories with you. 

This week, we present you Jasmine Q, Year 7. We have interviewed her mother, Ms Ying Wang, and she shares some behind-the-scene stories and experiences. Let's take a look!

Why does Jasmine want to learn music?

Jasmine started to learn violin at the age of 7. At first, I just wanted her to have a better understanding of music knowledge and develop her musicianship. But now she has passion and wants to keep learning.

Do you see any difference in Jasmine before and after she learns music?

Yes, definitely. In fact, she has become more confident and calmer. Usually, people must be calm when they perform on stage. So, calmness is an important element for the stage. 

What’s more, she has perseverance, and I found out that she has grit, too. For example, one time she signed up for a 800m running event. I was so surprised because that’s not common for her. But afterward, she told me that although she was the last person to reach the finish line, her friends and teachers all cheered for her. At that time, I knew that she was different. She has grown up and become more mature.

As we know, music learning is a lonely journey. How do you cultivate Jasmine in terms of her music and personality? How do you balance music and academic learning?

Jasmine will go to practice the violin right after the class and also during the weekend. She never goes to after school classes for academics. What she has done is that she concentrates during the class. If she has any questions, she asks teachers and resolves them as soon as possible. The homework must be done on time and she does not procrastinate. 

By doing so, Jasmine develops good time management skills and efficiency since she needs to manage the time to do schoolwork and practice music. I think schoolwork and music learning are complementary to each other. Music propels her to develop more soft skills which help her to excel at schoolwork. Both can be controlled by Jasmine, and she does it pretty well.

Could you share with us your philosophy for educating children?

As far as I am concerned, keeping children company is pivotal and that’s the secret recipe. In fact, when Jasmine is in violin class, I am also there, and I take notes and record the class. Afterward, we will check and see if there is anything that needs to be improved. 

After all, a child is a child. They’re just too young and they may get distracted easily. That’s the time parents should be involved. Besides, I will remind her if there is anything she can improve with the song she is playing. For example, when she’s learning Mozart, I will keep listening to Mozart’s songs, so I know if she plays it correctly or not. In this way, both of us are growing and learning together.  

What is your expectation for Jasmine?

In fact, whatever Jasmine decides to do is all good. I will just stand behind her. She doesn’t have to be a musician in the future. I will not force her. She just has to be an honest, hardworking and decent person, and has good relationships with her friends. I will stand by her no matter what!

Here is a quote from Jasmine about how music enriches her life:

To do anything that relates to music has always been an extremely exciting and enjoyable experience for me, not only when it had to do with the violin, but also during school music classes which includes  creating music online. Preforming in concerts, listening and making recordings, practicing quartets with my friends, going to music classes, participating in violin competitions; these activities are only mere fractions of the joy I get from music.

My music teacher once told me, “Remember, this is not a job or a chore. You only have one chance to go on that stage, and it should be done with no pressure or worries.”

Music always enriches my life with different colours and feelings; I hope everyone else can feel the same joy I get from music.

Here is quote from Ms Rebekah MULLINER, Head of music, Jasmine's music teacher:

Jasmine is a very gifted and talented violinist who I know is diligent about her practice and technique. You can tell that Music both instrumentally and academically is something she is passionate about, which allows her to challenge herself and aim high. Despite her rather quiet personality, she seems to light up when performing to others as seen in her recent confident performances on the stage at DCSZ. I feel that each music lesson Jasmine is engaged and excited to learn more. I look forward to her accomplishments both in and outside of the classroom.

If you want to know how music cultivates a child, please click the following video. It's part of Jasmine's music performance at different ages: