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Air Force Strings Ring in the Chinese New Year

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Will Hurd
Washington, D.C. --  On Saturday, Feb. 6, the Air Force Strings performed for over 300 students, parents and members of the community at the Hope Chinese Immersion School in Montgomery County, Maryland. Hope Chinese School is one of the largest weekend language schools in the nation, serving communities in Virginia and Maryland. The student body at Hope Chinese School is comprised of children and adults from both inside and outside the local Chinese-American community.

The Strings were invited as part of Hope's Chinese New Year Celebration. Many of the students and faculty were dressed in traditional Chinese vestments. The event hall was decorated colorfully and festively to welcome the "Year of the Monkey." Master Sgt. Bryce Bunner and Technical Sgt. Ni Santiago emceed the bilingual presentation, with Santiago providing translation between English and Mandarin Chinese.

Among the selections performed was "Fisherman's Nocturne," a traditional Chinese folk song. Hope faculty member Bing Xia performed this graceful melody on the guzheng, a traditional Chinese stringed instrument. Santiago explained the meaning of the folk song as "the feelings of gratitude, contentment and happiness felt by Chinese fisherman returning to their lakeside village at sunset. Their boat is full of fish and they are enjoying the warmth and serenity of the sunset."

Santiago then demonstrated the characteristic sounds of traditional Chinese music heard in "Fisherman's Nocturne," and offered some advice on how to create these sounds on Western stringed instruments. The Air Force Strings, along with 15 of Hope's student musicians, practiced these sounds and then performed their own version of "Fisherman's Nocturne," which was received with tumultuous applause.

The U.S. Air Force Band reaches student audiences throughout the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and beyond through its "Advancing Innovation through Music" (AIM) program. Last year AIM reached an audience of over 22,000 students across 20 states.

The Strings would like to thank Capt. Christina Lee, our main contact in planning this event. Lee is a parent and board member at the Hope Chinese School, and she is also a reservist in the U.S. Navy.
The U.S. Air Force Band looks forward to continuing cultural and community exchanges with schools across the United States.