(Minghui.org) I'm a Falun Dafa practitioner and I play the flute in the European Tian Guo Marching Band.
Master requires that there should be at least 80 members in the band, and that each section have a certain number of instruments. We've made major improvements in our performance standard over the past 3 years. But, we still don't have the number of members that Master requires. In order to encourage more people to join the Tian Guo Marching Band, I would like to share my experience in improving my playing technique.
Although I'm one of the original members of the Tian Guo Marching Band, my playing technique only improved during these last 2 years. My improvement came about due to the new examination system that the band implemented. Three years ago, I wouldn't have qualified to participate in the band.
Only a handful of flute players did not pass the exams and I was one of the worst. As per the rules, I was not allowed to participate in the band's performances. No words can express my feelings of disappointment and dejection. I felt that it was just too difficult to pass the exams. I had no idea how to overcome this problem. Even though my situation seemed dire, I never thought about giving up and leaving the band. We must put our belief in Master and the Fa into action, and only then are we truly believing in Master and the Fa.
I knew that if I wanted to improve my playing technique I needed to find a good teacher. I'd already had 7 teachers since 2006. My first teacher was good. I was only able to take a few lessons with him before I had to move. None of the teachers that I took lessons with afterwards were able to help me improve my technique.
Nothing in our cultivation is coincidental. When I sincerely and desperately wanted to find a good teacher, under Master’s guidance, I managed to find a teacher who was able to help me.
After listening to me play, the teacher told me that I did not have the correct guidance when I first learned the flute.
To put it simply, everything that I learned before was all wrong. Under his guidance, I corrected all my incorrect technique, starting from the most fundamental breathing and posture. Step by step, I changed and improved.
I believe that my belief in Master and the Fa must be put into action. Whenever the teacher gives me homework, I complete all of it. I do not question the teacher or his methods. For example, one of his assignments was to practice a segment for 5 minutes every day for one week. So, I practiced that segment for 10 minutes every day for 2 weeks. Even during the holiday break when I traveled overseas, I brought my instrument so that I could practice every day.
I kept a sentence from Master firmly in my mind,
“All of them can be overcome as long as you elevate your mind. You should be able to pull through unless you are not determined to.” (The Fourth Talk, Reworking Your Karma, Zhuan Falun).
Sometimes, even the teacher thought the piece he gave me was too hard for me. However, he discovered that each time, I completed the assignment. I felt that since the teacher had given me this piece, I must have the ability to complete it.
Since improving the Tian Guo Marching Band’s performances is done to save people, the power of Dafa helps us. I quickly improved. After I took lessons with this teacher for six months, he told me that he wanted to teach me using the university music curriculum. He felt this would benefit me as I'm a fast learner and I'd already completed the music school’s curriculum. The university’s curriculum requires the student to keep practicing short exercises that are meant to perfect playing technique.
When my teacher began teaching me the university curriculum, I felt that the content was boring. One day, when I could no longer take it, I asked the teacher if he could give me some songs to play. He gave me an easy introductory piece called “Danny Boy.” When I looked at the score I was surprised. I'm only familiar with the Tian Guo Marching Band scores and nothing else. When I told him that I didn't know how to play it, he was surprised. He pointed to a note on the score and asked me what it was. I said that it was an F and he asked me to play it. Then, he pointed to the next note and asked me what it was. I said it seemed to be a G. He asked me to play it. In this way, he had me play the entire score, note by note.
When I was done he said that since I'd already played all the notes, now I would play the entire piece for him. I panicked as my speed of reading the notes and tempo is slow. I plucked up my courage and clumsily played the piece.
After listening to me play, my teacher completely lost his cool. He said that my level was way below all the students he'd ever taught. He said that he must have lost his mind for allowing me to study the university curriculum. He said, “How can you not even know such a simple thing?” I could only look at him in silence. Two weeks later when I went back for my lesson, this piece became my assignment.
I searched the Internet for instructional videos and slowly practiced the score. Every day, I practiced Danny Boy for at least 15 minutes. I continued practicing, trying all sorts of methods to improve my playing. The odd thing was that despite my feeling that I hadn't improved for a couple of days, afterwards, I seemed to improve tremendously. I knew that Master was helping me improve. He compensated for my deficits in other realms so my playing in this realm improved. Every day, I kept practicing. Although this piece was easy, it helped me experience the beauty of music. I was finally a music student!
Two weeks later, I played my assignment for the teacher as usual. He was sitting on the piano bench. I remember that he almost fell off the bench as he could not believe I was same person who played the piece so badly two weeks before. I hadn't made a single mistake!
That year was filled with similar examples of extreme disappointment, then extreme surprise and joy. The teacher later told me that I learned very fast. In fact, he said that in just one year, I'd learned what took him almost ten years to learn. I plan to continue improving my technique. I know that if every one of us can keep improving, it will be very beneficial for the Tian Guo Marching Band.
I managed to pass the Level Three Tian Guo Marching Band exams last year.
Thank you Master for watching over me even when I feel that there's no path ahead. Thank you for letting me complete the choices I made on my cultivation path. As long as I have the heart to improve and take the righteous path, Master will help me so that I can complete my mission.
Each time the teacher gives me a new assignment which seems too challenging, I realize that that's the level I need to achieve. Whenever my improvement surprises the music teacher, I know that the power of Dafa is helping me by supplementing my lack of capability. I can feel Master protecting and supporting me. When my cultivation state is better, I improve quickly.
I'd like to thank my music teacher for helping me so that I changed from someone who had no musical sense into a confident flute player. We all know that every life on earth came for the sake of Dafa. I think this might be his predestined relationship to help me so that I can save people through music.
Master said, “I also wanted to set an example for other projects, and have you see how Shen Yun does things...” (“Dafa Disciples Must Study the Fa - Fa Teaching Given at the 2011 Washington DC Metro Area Fa Conference,” Collected Fa Teachings, Vol. XI)
From my experience, I would like to tell everyone not to be discouraged and not to give up. Master is looking after all of us. If someone like me who had no musical sense at all can achieve it, everyone can improve, as they are much better than me.
Thank you everyone for your support and encouragement!
Thank you Master! Thank you fellow practitioners!