Outreach Event with Wu Man at the Montessori School at Rogers Ranch, November 18, 2024
It was pouring rain when pipa virtuoso Wu Man entered the gymnasium at The Montessori School of San Antonio at Rogers Ranch, on Monday morning, November 18. With a bit of music, however, the weather would soon clear up.
As over 300 students (from ages 4-10) lined up in rows on the basketball court to sit and watch Wu Man, Montessori instructor and liaison Rebecca Morgan helped us set up two microphones – one for speaking, and one to amplify Wu Man’s beautiful, sensitive Chinese stringed instrument, the pipa. Center stage, raised above the audience for all to view and hear, Wu Man began gently tuning her instrument until we could hear it clearly amplified through the room’s speakers. After the room quieted down and as soon as her instrument was tuned, she launched into an improvisation to grab everyone’s attention and hone our listening. Her flying fingers plucked and strummed, creating a fun, vibrant texture that highlighted the instrument’s unique sound. Finishing with a quick flourish, the whole audience of students applauded with excitement.
“Do you all know how many strings the pipa has?” Wu Man asked the crowd.
“Four!” a couple students shouted correctly.
“That’s right! La… re… mi… la,” she sang as she plucked each string.
She showed them her 5 fake fingernails, which help her pluck the instrument, and had them count “2…3…4…5…1” from index to pinky and then back to thumb. Plucking each string slowly while she counted out loud, she started speeding up faster and faster until the pipa’s famous tremolo rang out. She quickly improvised a flourish and the kids screamed with delight.
To change the mood and demonstrate the instrument’s incredible dynamic range, Wu Man then prepared to perform a serene, beautiful dance from a traditional Chinese folk style. “As you listen,” she instructed, “imagine being in the snowy mountains of China, near a beautiful river.” The young audience went silent, keen on hearing every twist and turn of the instrument’s lyrical lines. We were all transported to another place entirely.
After another appreciative applause, Wu Man fielded questions from the group. Questions ranged from asking about the material of the instrument (mahogany wood) to whether she could play something from the movie Kung Fu Panda (as a featured artist on that soundtrack, she obliged). With a curiosity about when she started playing and how much she practiced, it was clear that the students were not only engaged, but interested in further instrumental pursuits.
With the presentation of such a unique instrument from such a world-class virtuoso, this event at The Montessori School has undoubtedly left a lasting impression on these students. We look forward to sustaining this relationship with them, to continue expanding their world with artistic possibility.
– Submitted by Daniel Anastasio
