Finding Hope in Music

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In our next story we’ll highlight a special artist who plays the viola for elementary school students. Amazingly, the musician is a young man in his 20s with a development disability and has a hard time holding a simple conversation. But he's communicating through his music and spreading hope with his determination.

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A man carrying a viola enters an elementary school classroom and introduces himself.

[Soundbite] Baek Seung-hee(Violist/Grade 1 developmental disability) : "I am working as a violist."

The children become confused by his awakward speech. But their confusion soon turns to amazement as a beautiful melody fills the classroom.

[Soundbite] Park Min-su(3rd Grade) : "I never imagined that a person with a disability could play so well."

25-year-old violist Baek Seung-hee is afflicted with a grade 1 developmental disability. As he struggled to hold even a simple conversation, his mother introduced him to the viola 10 years ago.

[Soundbite] Jeong Hyang-mi(Baek Seung-hee's Mother) : "He liked the sound of the viola the best. He liked it because he could play with others and listen to the sounds others made."

It took him a whole year just to memorize the scale. But he never gave up and practiced relentlessly. Five years ago he at last joined an orchestra comprised of musicians with disabilities. Since then he has been touring elementary schools to play the viola for young audiences. Ever since he started playing in front of children, he began to have bigger dreams.

[Soundbite] Baek Seung-hee(Violist/Grade 1 developmental disability) : "I want to teach children and play for a long, long time."

Baek's dream of becoming a viola teacher to communicate with children continues to grow bigger and bigger.