Sharon

I was born and raised in Singapore. I moved to the US in 2001 for graduate school in Cambridge, MA. At that point in my life, I was ready to experience something different - education in the US and a different culture/lifestyle. I identify as Chinese, specifically a Singaporean Chinese.

I find myself straddled between two places and cultures - Singapore where I was born and raised, and the United States where I am currently living. Home is the feeling of being complete, loved and safe, and where I can build a meaningful life.

I grew up in a culture that emphasizes "the collective over self". In the US, what I've mostly seen and experienced is the "self over the collective". I strive for a balance between the two extremes.

Music is essential in my life - composing, songwriting, teaching, performing, and collaborating with other musicians. I cannot imagine a life without music. "Without music, life would be a mistake" - Nietzsche 

Heart Strings Mandarin is an early childhood music and movement program in Mandarin designed to introduce and teach young children Mandarin. As a trained music therapist and licensed mental health counselor, I designed and developed the curriculum to focus on learning language, music education, and supporting children's physical/mental/emotional/social development.

 

Heart Strings Mandarin was "birthed" in 2013 in North Carolina, primarily to introduce and teach my children Mandarin. I wanted learning Mandarin to be fun for my children, and I developed a curriculum where I would use different modalities such as songs, movement, musical games, stories, puppetry, and instrument-play, to address the different learning modalities of each child. 



Heart Strings Mandarin: https://heartstringsmandarin.com

When my family relocated to the Pacific Northwest, I "resurrected" Heart Strings Mandarin in 2020 in the midst of a pandemic by offering online classes. I now teach online classes as well as in-person classes at a few libraries. I have also produced and released two Sing and Learn Mandarin albums with songs I have written; these albums can be heard on Spotify/Pandora and other music platforms worldwide.

I went through a divorce in my 50s. This had a major impact on my life as I had mostly been a stay-home mother with two school-aged

children for the last 16 years. I had to quickly figure out a stable living situation for my children, how to return to the workforce, and how to navigate

and balance work and single parenthood.

 

I had to work through the immense feeling of guilt that I had failed my children and shame that my marriage had failed. I went through an identity crisis as I strongly identified myself as a mother and wife and suddenly, I was a divorcee and single mother. I am a relatively private person but I choose to share my story in the hopes of encouraging and supporting others who happen to be experiencing the same, and that we have the strength to overcome challenges and become a stronger person in the process.