DAFU LAI AND THE LEGACY OF THE OCARINA SOCIETY

Professor Dafu Lai (NYU Steinhardt Alumni, Class of 2006, MA in Music Ed.) sends us some notes from Beijing on how he joins his students on-line to continue his teachings on creating beautiful music playing the ocarina.

Dafu Lai was the first student in our department in NYU Steinhardt from Mainland China. I believe it was in 2004 when we first met and spoke how music technology could be a powerful factor for music education in China. He spoke of his university, Xiamin University, that had the most beautiful campus in the world. I thought to myself, maybe we all think our Alma Mater has the best of everything. But several years later, his teacher, Dean Xianbo Zhou, invited me to teach a summer class, and I discovered that it was indeed, the most beautiful campus I had ever scene. I immediately wanted to become a film director and have Xiamen University serve as my set.

Although technology has continued to be an important asset for Professor Lai, perhaps his greatest contribution to our field  of music education was to revive the ocarina as a legitimate, serious musical instrument, which also provides a entry to learning music as a life-long process. With great imagination and perseverance, Professor Dafu Lai continues to promote this ancient Chinese Instrument,  restoring its legacy of 5000 years as an instrument of epic proportions throughout its long history. Returning to China in 2006, after his graduation from Music and Performing Arts Professions at New York University, he founded the Ocarina Society of China, which now has more than 5000 members.Professor Lai began teaching at Petroleum University, bringing music to thousands of students using this simple and revered instrument.

Ocarina Society of China

The Society has promoted concerts and alliances through international music education initiatives such as ISME and KODALY.  Some students have gone into the business of making Ocarinas, and many imaginative designs and sizes have emerged. Serving as the President of the Ocarina Society has been a rigorous and demanding responsibility, but Professor Lai notes that the activities of the society contributed to rise of popularity of the Ocarina and produced many virtuoso performers who perform throughout the world. Professor Lai founded an Ocarina Museum that is the home of many valuable Ocarinas centuries and milennia old. My visit to the museum was a highlight of my visit to Beijing as I learned that the instrument comes in many sizes and shapes as I toured the museum's stunning display.

 In the face of the COV-19 Virus lockdown, Professor Lai has maintained contact with his students through the Internet.

Professor Dafu Lai teaching on-line in his studio at Petroleum University, Beijing

Dafu Lai is a professor of music of China University of Petroleum in Beijing. He also teaches Orff Method and ocarina flute at the other universities: China Conservatory of Music, China University of Politic Science & Law. Due to the outbreaking of COVID-19 and most students and teachers were required to stay at home, Professor Lai has been teaching online courses since February 2020. In order to make the students seeing and hearing his instruction clearly, Dafu invested significant funds to equip many facilities such as new desktop computer with two monitors, video camera, microphone, fill lights, etc. Better equipment better insures an online teaching effect.

According to Lai: Online teaching platform is also very important either for teacher or students. Due to the unpredictable epidemic situation, almost 20 million students had to learn online courses at the same time at the first few week days of the Spring semester. Dafu had to use four different online platforms such as Tencent Class, Rain Classroom, WeChat for Business, Douyin, Chaoxing and Zoom for his live broadcast class in order to avoid the congestion. Professor Lai observes:

Fortunately, most students feel that they got much more from my online teaching than in the classroom on campus. First, the students could see the teacher’s demonstration clearly and closely with the video camera, especially for ocarina playing. Second, the students can go over the teacher’s instruction with the video playback function. Third, the students can practice their ocarina playing without disturbing the rest classmates after the teacher’s demonstration. Last, I could give specific comments for the student’s homework with the “Drop of video” function in QQ platform. I can view my students’ homework on the cellphone anytime.

The virus may block the students’ way to the school, but it could never block the teacher’s instruction and the connection to the students. We wish the outbreaking of COVID-19 could under control and to be eliminated eventually all over the world as soon as possible. We are all looking forward to seeing each other again on campus.