There are two days left until April 2, 2024, "World Autism Awareness Day". On the afternoon of March 31, a special street performance was held at Wanda Plaza in Longquanyi District, Chengdu - a group of children with mental disabilities from Chengdu came on stage to perform band performances, solo performances, and band performances.
Among them, a band composed of nine children with mental disabilities has attracted attention. Some of these children have autism, some have developmental delays, and some have Down syndrome. As a teenager, he overcame physical limitations and sang with brightness and joy, attracting the attention of everyone in the square.
Many people may have seen these videos of children singing. Red Star News reporters learned that this band has participated in many performances since its establishment in August 2023. Although it is "familiar with the road", the parents and teachers who accompany the children in the audience are still moved to cover their faces and wipe tears every time. Today is no exception.
According to relevant statistics, there are approximately 12 million to 20 million people with mental disabilities in our country. How to make them live more freely? A hundred years after their parents' death, will they be able to integrate into society and live a good life? This is a wish that many family members dare not think about, and this band has given them confidence.
performed on stage:
html A band performance of 39 children with mental disabilities
31 At 1:30 pm on the 31st, half an hour before the performance started, 9 children with mental disabilities were rehearsing the chorus on the stage. In the audience, parents applauded and held up their mobile phones to record videos, as if the official performance had begun. After taking the video, the parents watched it over and over again and continued filming after watching it. Although the afternoon sun was very bright, they still stayed close to the stage because they were not willing to miss every detail of their children's self-expression.
▲A parent cheered for the children who performed on stage.
The band consists of Zhang Qipan, Zhang Boyuan, Zhang Biaoqiang, Chen Junjie, You Keying, Wen Xiangjin, Li Qiangcheng, Guan Yao, and Zhong Zhengsheng. Their average age is 17 years old, the youngest is 12 years old. There are a huge number of children with mental disabilities, but only a few percent can actually receive effective rehabilitation training. For years, parents have struggled to get their children to be among the few percent who achieve recovery—and music therapy has given them hope. The official performance of
started immediately, the square became quiet, the accompaniment of "Golden Childhood" sounded, and the singing of nine children followed. By any measure, they are not a first-class chorus: half a year ago, most of them had just learned about simplified musical notation, and some of their pronunciation was not yet standard.
But everyone loved their performance. When they heard the pure singing of these children for the first time, the audience and passersby were very moved. An audience member who had listened to the band's song video told reporters: "I feel that this is the sound of nature, which contains inspiring power."
▲ A child with a mental disability performs on stage
The beginning of its establishment:
section The special music healing journey
"Children with mental disabilities form a band" was initially considered to be a fantastic idea. Giving voice lessons to these children is a one-hour lesson, and half of the time the teacher is trying to calm their emotions. It is extremely difficult to succeed. Some parents told reporters that their expectations were not too high: first of all, they hoped they could sing accurately. Then when you get on stage, be a little braver.
After time, the children were finally able to sing the song "Half a Life of Snow" on stage. The audience gave them applause during their first performance. Since then, some people have begun to have a deeper understanding of this group of children. As teenagers, they can overcome physical limitations and show unexpected abilities in music. Their seemingly tortuous lives express clarity and harmony. Joy instead heals everyone who hears their songs.
▲Children with mental disabilities perform on stage with their parents
Last August, a performance was held for children with mental disabilities aged 10-18 in Chengdu, including those on the autism spectrum, those with mental retardation, and those with cerebral palsy and intellectual disabilities. Auditions for people with disabilities, Down syndrome, etc. were held in Longquan Street, Longquanyi District.Through activity screening and recommendations from the Disabled Persons Association, a band composed of nine children with mental disabilities was initially established.
Peng Limin, chairman of the Longquanyi District Intellectually Disabled Persons and Relatives and Friends Association and vice-chairman of the Longquanyi District Xinyi Social Work Service Center, told reporters that she realized many years ago that combining art and therapy would help when words are not enough to express. Yu can also be used as a language to help children with mental disabilities open their hearts.
In 2023, an opportunity appeared. This year, they accidentally learned of a financial support funding project, so Peng Limin wanted to implement music healing. She found the Bayin Art School. Because of the long-term cooperation before, both parties were familiar with each other. Soon the "Yicai Childhood" art therapy demonstration project for children with mental disabilities was launched, and the Yicai Childhood Chorus was established.
▲ Daily training for children with mental disabilities
In that audition, Peng Limin’s son also participated. Unfortunately, he lost the election, but it did not affect her persistence in working hard. She is full of confidence in the future. Since Peng Limin quit her career as a kindergarten teacher in 2019 to devote herself to the cause of people with disabilities, she has understood that she not only has to face her own children, but also countless other families with mental disabilities.
A gratifying change:
From resisting contact to actively striving to perform on stage
What leads children to the stage is not only talent and opportunity, but also day-to-day preparation and hard work. The starting point of
's exploration is in the community's rehearsal room. Starting from August last year, nine children started training twice a week starting from the most basic pronunciation and intonation. Although they have shown sensitivity to music since childhood, some of them have autism, some have developmental delays, and some have Down syndrome. In their world, autism is not a commonly used Internet word." I'm autistic." This is a real disease, one for which there is still no known cause and no cure.
At the beginning of class, some children can't concentrate. If they pick up a piece of paper, they want to tear it up, crush it and throw it away; some children just study for a while, and suddenly their emotions will be out of control. At this time, vocal teacher He Liu will stop teaching and spend a lot of time appeasing their emotions.
▲ Daily training for children with mental disabilities
From basic knowledge of music, to practicing vocalization, to learning the rhythm, melody and lyrics of songs. After learning these, the place of exploration came to several bars in Longquanyi District. "We communicated with the bar and hoped that they could lend the stage space to the children before opening, even if it is just for a little time." The social workers' request was responded to, and many businesses took the initiative to coordinate and help.
▲Volunteers hold umbrellas to protect children with mental disabilities from the sun
Now, they are standing on a real stage, finally starting to express themselves, and their self-confidence is slowly building up.
reporter learned that the band has been invited to participate in some performances, most of which were for charity. How can more people see them? The staff came up with a new method - recording songs, using professional equipment in the studio to record the songs and then uploading them online. At first, netizens were attracted by the singing voices. After getting to know them more deeply, they found that the singers behind them were even more "not simple." Gradually, more and more comments were forwarded, and the chorus gradually became known to the public.
A new starting point:
I hope the band will continue
Zhang Qipan’s mother, Fan Jie, who is currently retired, once lamented that she has obviously felt old in the past few years. Like many parents of children with mental disabilities in the band, they pay more and more attention to their bodies. When the weather is cold, they pay more attention to keeping warm, eat lighter and lighter, and count the time for physical examinations every year. When reporters contacted her a few days ago, Fan Jie had just completed a ten-kilometer morning run and was panting.
▲Zhang Qipan and his mother Fan Jie
Fan Jie had to do this. There is a saying among families with mental disabilities - a parent's greatest wish is to live one more day than their child.In order for Zhang Qipan to go on her life path longer, she must always pay attention to her physical health. Before
joined the band, Zhang Qipan often stayed at home alone and played ancient poems on his mobile phone. He also liked some ancient poems expressed in singing. As time went by, Fan Jie discovered that Zhang Qipan had a strong ability in learning ancient poetry. When he went out to play, he could often recite verses that fit the scene in front of him. In addition, his interest in singing is getting stronger and stronger. Every time he sings, he seems to be in a very good mood. But the most thorny problem is that no one can prevent children from growing up. How can people feel at ease if they always live in the comfort zone created by their parents and do not integrate into society?
Zhang Qipan joined the band on the recommendation of others. Changes emerged from taking the stage again and again. Fan Jie recalled that the first time his son took the stage, he seemed a bit resistant and not very cooperative. But by the second or third time, I was able to sing a complete song. After four or five months, I was able to perform very naturally. At the same time, Fan Jie mentioned something: One time when everyone went out to eat hot pot, Zhang Qipan saw stage sound equipment on the stage and asked Fan Jie if he could go up and sing. Fan Jie encouraged him to ask the staff for their opinions, but he needed to take the initiative to ask. Unexpectedly, Zhang Qipan actually found the staff who managed the sound system and successfully sang a song on stage. Fan Jie has remembered this incident for a long time. She felt very relieved that her child could have such a big change, and at the same time she felt more at ease.
In the future, everyone still has a long way to go, including the band itself. Peng Limin told reporters that in fact, the "Yicai Childhood" art therapy demonstration project for children with mental disabilities has ended in December 2023. Currently, in order to support the band's continued progress, they have negotiated with the Bayin Art Academy to continue to provide training for the children at a low price of 300 yuan for 10 lessons. The funds are provided by the Longquanyi District Intellectually Disabled People and Relatives and Friends Association, Longquanyi District Xinyi The Social Work Service Center is also crowdfunded by caring people and social organizations.
In the past, if a theme was set for the choir, Peng Limin thought it would be to "let music play a greater role in healing." Now, she considers it "hope", hoping that through hard work, the band can continue to be run, and that more and more citizens and institutions will care and support these children.
Red Star News reporter Dai Jiajia photographer Wang Xiao
editor Cheng Xu
