Bridging Cultures With Music

We are delighted and excited to report that Bridging Cultures Through Music was a big success this past spring semester. Five teachers and three volunteers taught the violin to English as a Second Language (ESL) students in Bowling Green High School every Tuesday and Thursday afternoon. This project has three main benefits:

1) Four WKU students gained hands-on teaching experience in an unconventional setting.

2) Twelve ESL students, many of them refugees living in the Bowling Green community, received two group lessons per week.

3) Three young musicians in our community currently studying the violin were given the opportunity to be student helpers.

This project is funded by the 2017 WKU Sisterhood Grant and will continue for at least two more years while funding lasts. It is our plan to expand and reach out to more ESL students this coming fall semester, 2018.

Malika Brower and Evan Patriatan, WKU Music Education Majors, wrote:

“We had the privilege of assisting Dr. Lin with this project. We learned that it is important to be clear and direct with our instructions, especially with students who are learning the English language. By observing Dr. Lin and assisting we learned that we have to try our best to get to students’ level of understanding. We must be intentional about every word we say when we explain a new concept. 

“Each week we could tell by the students’ excited faces that they were intrigued to be learning to play and they did not give up. We were impressed to witness what these students learned in such a short time. It was truly a joy to work with these students. We feel that this project gave us, prospective music teachers, valuable experience.”

Nick Kang, student at Bowling Green High School, told us:

“Volunteering in the Bridging Cultures Through Music Program was an excellent way to share my passion for music with fellow students and communicate with some that I never had contact with before. Although I was one of the student helpers, I also learned a lot from the ESL students that were taught. They taught me their cultures, their jokes, and the jubilation that comes from sharing music with others. With the wonderful WKU student helpers, fellow student helpers, teacher helpers, and Dr. Lin, I would say this was one of my best experiences ever.”

Marliese Belt, ESL teacher at the high school, was also enthusiastic:

“Thank you for inviting me to be part of this project! It has been a treat working with the students and seeing them grow in their confidence, proficiency, and musicality.”

For more information about how you can volunteer for or donate to this project, please contact Dr. Ching-Yi Lin at strings@wku.edu.

See this article in the WKU Pre-College Strings Program Newsletter: NOTES