Focus

'Touching songs are good for the soul'

(China Daily)
Updated: 2010-11-26 07:58

Editor's note: Wang Liwei, 43, is honorary deputy mayor of Guanxian county, Shandong province, and publisher of The Charitarian magazine. In 1999, he started a choir with underprivileged young people.

When I formed the choir, I was chief Beijing representative for a company based in the United States. My job involved some corporate social responsibility projects, which allowed me the chance to connect with people in remote areas.

I like singing and it's always helped me through the lonely and hard days since I graduated college. When words don't work, I find songs often do.

So, it occurred to me: why not start a choir with needy young people?

I selected 22 talented singers, all 16 to 25 years old, from rural communities I'd visited in Henan and Anhui provinces and Chongqing municipality and asked them to join the group.

Once a month we'd gather for rehearsals in either Nanjing, capital of Jiangsu province, or Henan's provincial capital, Zhengzhou. Our lessons lasted for three days, and I would invite professional vocal teachers from Beijing to teach hymns and popular songs.

We got sponsorship from the company I worked for and an overseas-based charity organization, which covered the cost of train tickets, food and accommodation during our rehearsals.

Some of the singers had beautiful voices and were extremely talented. All they needed was expert help to hone their skills. They enjoyed singing and the group made amazing progress.

In 2005, we held a performance on the seaside in Yantai, Shandong province. The choir was really excited because they had the opportunity not only to sing on the stage and win applause but also see the city's beautiful landscape.

Some people see charity as donating buildings but what I prefer is 'spiritual charity'. The touching and inspiring songs we sang were good for the soul. They infused the youngsters with love and confidence, which eventually changed their destinies.

One of the singers who stood out most was a 20-year-old man called Liu.

He came from Pingdingshan in Henan province, where 10 years ago people from the villages were less educated and narrow-minded. Like many others, Liu became a coal miner after he graduated junior middle school.

But after he joined the choir and eventually started singing on stage, he began to look and act differently. His temperament and mentality changed completely.

Later, we invited musicians to teach him how to play the flute. He excelled at it and was soon giving performances. He's now a big name in his home village.

At that time, Liu's local government was looking to recruit someone with artistic skills and he got the job. Now he leads a decent life. He got married two years ago and is now a father.

Sadly, I had to wrap up the choir in 2006 due to economic reasons. I plan to start a similar project in the future only better. Maybe something like a charity music training school.

Wang Liwei was talking to Zhou Wenting.