Another year has flown by. Last year’s 10th Anniversary Concert was built around the theme of teachers and students. We shared the children’s hard-earned progress, formed different ensemble groups to highlight “walking the journey together,” and even specially invited our centre tutors to perform alongside the students. Originally, we planned to hold a concert only every five (or even ten) years—because, honestly, the preparation is exhausting. But after last year’s experience, it felt like everyone got a little addicted… so this year we’re doing it again.

When we thought about this year’s theme, we realized that on the musical road, beyond a teacher’s guidance, what students truly need is the support of parents—their time, their resources, and their encouragement. So this year, we chose family as our theme, and invited parents to perform together with their children. (Yes, I know it sounds a bit crazy.) But thanks to the incredible support and cooperation of our administrative team and all the parents, we actually made it happen—again.

I once had a student who took “Music Fun” with me for five to six years. Our lessons were always highly improvised: sometimes we played piano, sometimes drums, sometimes we explored chords; we listened to everything from Joe Hisaishi to Taylor Swift. Over the years, I was deeply grateful that her parents never pressured us with questions about exactly what we were “covering.” That freedom helped preserve her love for music. Then one day, she decided to learn the violin—one of the instruments I often say is among the hardest to learn. She started fairly late, around Primary 3 or 4, yet she continued to do wonderfully. What moved me even more was that her father chose to start from zero and learn alongside her. They would even practice and “spar” at home. It really shows how much a parent’s space and support can matter in a child’s learning.

Learning music (and art in general) requires space. Space to think about music; space to feel the meaning of a rest; space to slow down. This is true for learning—and it’s true for performance. Especially before going on stage, we need space to quiet ourselves down so we can focus, and so we have room to appreciate our own playing and that of others. Performance isn’t only about how advanced your technique is or how beautiful your sound is. Missing notes, stage fright, last-minute cramming—these are all part of growing up. This year, we’re especially thankful to the parents who supported their children not just in words, but in action. Watching you step onto the stage together—maybe not perfectly prepared, maybe not flawless—still, we hope this becomes a precious family memory. I believe your children will remember and appreciate your courage. Through this performance, we also hope you can truly share what your child feels: the nerves before stepping on stage, and then afterwards being able to say together, “It’s okay not to be perfect—we had fun on stage.”

After the concert comes the next chapter of planning. Ten years ago, our focus was on building students’ musical skills and artistry. From time to time, we arranged exchanges and performances, and sought opportunities for our students to attend concerts. In the coming years, we hope to broaden our students’ horizons even further—perhaps, given time, joining overseas competitions. Winning or losing is secondary; what matters is that before they graduate, they have a chance to see how big the world really is.

At the same time, as many of our students are now reaching a strong level, we’re also planning to purchase a five-octave marimba for the centre. We hope you’ll see it here in the near future—and we want you to know that we will continue to grow, and improve, together with all of you.

Finally, from the bottom of our hearts: thank you to every parent and student for your trust; thank you to every teacher for walking this path with us; and thank you to our administrative colleagues for your unwavering support. Without you, we are nothing.

Thank you for letting us meet—on the same 440 Hz frequency.