An elementary school in Keelung is teaching kids a traditional Indonesian musical instrument. The angklung is a bamboo zither with a unique sound. The class at Badou Elementary lets kids learn music from several Southeast Asian countries, as part of a multicultural curriculum. After seven years, the class is flourishing. Students and teachers hope the little orchestra they’ve formed will have more opportunities to show off their skills on bigger stages.

Bamboo tubes vibrate against each other, producing a delightful harmony. The school is filled with a gentle yet lively tune.

Directed by their teacher, these students are memorizing the position of each note, and learning how to make the instrument sing under their fingers. The angklung is a traditional Indonesian instrument, also known as the bamboo zither. Cut bamboo tubes are vibrated with the fingers and tap each other, producing different frequencies. It’s a designated piece of intangible world heritage.

Seven years ago, Badou Elementary School in Keelung began to teach multicultural classes, in line with the New Southbound Policy. New classes in the angklung began, introducing students to the music of some of Taiwan’s neighbors in Southeast Asia.

Li Yi-fei
Teacher
In this class, they learn how to use traditional musical instruments from different Southeast Asian countries. So in our multicultural society, our classes let them grow in wisdom and broaden their perspectives.

Luo Shih-pin
Badou Elementary principal
In the future, Badou Elementary wants to take it even further, and have even better opportunities for performance, so that everyone in Taiwan or even all round the world can see us.

These music lessons are enabling kids to dip their toe into different fields, and learn about the cultures and musical heritage of their close neighbors overseas.

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