Asian Sensation

why it's important:

The Asian Sensation was formed in spring 2006. We decided we could use our talents to spread joy and smiles for the elderly. Our first concert as Asian Sensation was at Salemtowne Retirement Community in March 2006. It started out as a fun volunteer project. We compiled a thirty-minute program with duets, trios, and quartets with a guest. We did not know what to expect, but the concert went well, and the audience had a good time. Their warm reception and invitation helped us decide that we would perform at Salemtowne twice a year from then on. After a couple of years of playing for the elderly communities, we realized that there is another neglected segment of the community - inner-city kids.
We were motivated, especially after watching the movie “Music of the Heart” about a teacher named Roberta Guaspari who develops a violin music program at an inner-city school in New York – a true story. To jump start our efforts, the Asian Sensation applied for and received a $275 grant from the Youth Grantmakers in Action of the Winston Salem Foundation in January 2008 to purchase music, which led to a concert at a downtown afterschool program. It took quite a bit of planning and experimenting to finalize the forty-five minutes program. The music we played included familiar classical music such as the Can Can, Wedding March, and A Little Night Music to demonstrate that many of the now familiar and popular tunes they hear are actually classical music. We also tried to play music that could engage the audience, such as “YMCA,” the Titanic and the Mission Impossible theme songs to demonstrate that classical instruments can also play pop songs. As a matter of fact, many popular songs do have strings in the composition.
After the concert, the children got to play on our old violins, which was a lot of fun. We brought out our ¼ and ½ size violins for the little kids to play. The audience, both children and adults, were wild about it. It was a hugely successful experience for us, and we were asked to come back.
After the downtown after school program, we offered to play at the downtown public library as part of their summer reading program. The response was tremendous, and we were asked if we could do a Christmas program at their annual downtown public library Christmas celebration.

the plan of action:

As soon as we got invited to play at the annual Christmas party at the downtown public library, we knew we would need to apply for a grant in order to purchase music. We had been scouring the Internet for free duets and trios for violins and clarinet, without much luck. However, there is quite a bit of music available to buy. We specifically would like to purchase sheet music with accompanying CD, which gives background tracks to make it more exciting. Sheet music is costly, which is the biggest challenge for us. Ordering through the Internet is sometimes hit or miss. We usually cannot preview the music before purchasing it, so we do not know what it is like.
Another challenge Asian Sensation faces is how to increase the number of players. It is very challenging to find someone that is an accomplished player and willing to make the commitment to stay with the group. The chemistry of the current members is excellent. We get along very well, and we work harmoniously together. It takes a lot of team work. The Asian Sensation does not have a pianist; this limits our repertoire. We would really like to be able to either recruit an accompanist to expand the repertoire or hire someone occasionally.
Although we know we will not be able to replicate the accomplishments of the violin teacher in “Music of the Heart,” our goal is still to help the inner-city kids in our area to realize that classical music is not so dull and boring as they may think. We would like to inspire them to broaden their horizons and get music into their lives. We like to think that our influence on these inner-city kids will be great, and that exposing them to classical music will have a very positive effect on them. We hope that it will open doors and let them see what opportunities lay ahead of them through music.
We know we can probably play at weddings and earn some spending money, because we have been approached by people, but we want to use our talents and compassion for people in need and bring them joy and happiness through music, and gain a sense of satisfaction and pride at the same time.

When we get up in front of an audience, we never ask for anything except for them to enjoy our music and have fun. Although we do not have a scientific way to measure our success such as surveys or questionnaires, there are other ways we can see how successful our concerts are. To us, success is seeing the smiling faces looking up at us. We know we have succeeded when we see them get up, dance to our music and clap to the beat, and when they linger to try out the violins and clarinet for themselves. Each time we have performed, we have been asked to come back and play for them again. One little girl at the public library even asked our violin teacher for her phone number because she was so fascinated by the instrument. That is evidence of success to us and shows that we are greatly appreciated.
Even if the kids do not ever get a chance to play the violin or the clarinet in the future, we hope that listening to us play is the first step in inspiring them to incorporate music in their lives. In the future, we would like to continue our effort to provide a musical experience for inner-city children. We feel that they are the neglected segment of our society. They cannot afford many of the luxuries that we can and do not get the attention they need and deserve. We think we have taken a small step toward that goal and we want to keep it up. Through music, we want to open these children’s eyes to a different world where they can find opportunities and success that can carry them throughout their lifetimes.

how you can get involved:

videos: