19-year old Lu Tian Wei is a musically talented teenager despite his autistic condition. He came to Beautiful Mind Music Academy (BMMA), a music unit of Beautiful Mind Charity, on 25 August 2016 for an audition, and was subsequently enrolled as a violin student.

 

Tian Wei is under the tutelage of Ms Lee Hyun Joo, BMMA’s musician teacher. According to his family – “with his teacher’s patient coaching, his skills and love for music have only grown since then, and now fully participates in concerts. He has learned to rein in his natural tendency to improve right there on stage, learning to focus on the piece and work with other fellow students. Before arriving at BMC he has had years of music training with private tutors, demonstrating a natural ability since age 13.

 

Music provides him not just with a means of self-expression but also connection, which can be a challenge for those with special needs. BMMA allows him to hone these skills and display them, opening rare doors in a world sometimes seemingly ‘very closed’ to autistic people.

 

It is gratifying to see the positive change in his personality and the ease with which he communicates with others now, and the increased confidence he handles himself with on stage. From his family we are grateful for Ms Lee Hyun Joo’s and BMMA's assistance and are looking forward keenly to his future concerts. The excitement and happiness Tian Wei expresses towards music brings joy to us all.”

 

Teacher Hyun Joo adds - “I have come to witness Tian Wei’s special gifts in musical talents especially in translating musical notes into his own harmonious chords. Although there has been some difficult times in communicating and correcting some of his old habits, I feel blessed to have been given an opportunity to teach and develop Tian Wei for the past year. This would not have been possible without the loving and patient support of his mother by his side.  I hope I can continue to bring positive influence over Tian Wei’s love for music and assist in uncovering his full potential. I would also like to thank Beautiful Mind for giving me the opportunity to share my talent in this meaningful way.”

 

Besides providing free one-on-one violin lessons to Tian Wei, BMMA has provided him the following opportunities to grow and develop his music skills –

 

• Performance at BMMA’s 2016 progress concert and 2017 main concert.

• Performance at Strings Charity Concert on 27 May 2017, organised by PRISM - a student-led initiative of St. Joseph’s Institution.

• Sponsored his participation and performance at the Singapore Performing Arts Festival in August 2017, a local arts festival, organised by MS Works Pte Ltd.

 

Seeing what music can do for Tian Wei and what he can do with music will be our best rewards. Watch out for his concert performance on 22 April 2018!