A Special Student

Did you enjoy Weng Hoe's performance? "I've heard better" is probably what you are thinking. Yes, normally, I would expect a student's performance to be better than this. But this is no normal performance. You see, Weng Hoe is a very "special" student.

Weng Hoe was born a slow child, a special child. His parents realised the need to raise him so that one day he can be independant enough to stand on his own. That takes a lot of special education and other extra-curricular activities to develop his skills and as stimuli for his brain.

One of the things they had wanted to do was to let him take up music lessons as a form of therapy to promote brain development. According to Weng Hoe's mom, Vivian, it took her more than 2 years to finally be able to do that as the music teachers they approached earlier were not interested when they found out that he is a special child.

Well, I'm not one to discriminate or be picky about whom I teach. In fact, I've had three "sixty-something" silver-haired students before. One of whom is a lady whose husband tags along with her to class with a tote bag in hand. I later found out that the bag contains her "emergency" medication as she has a heart ailment! Whenever it's her lesson, time seem to stand still. I finally understood the true meaning of the word p-a-t-i-e-n-c-e.

Then there's the man with only four fingers, he's missing a thumb! There's the lady with very bad "BO"... arrrgh..phew!! And another one whose perfume actually rids the room of mosquitoes... after every lesson I would have to leave the door open to "air" the room, so that the next person using the room won't faint. Not forgetting little ones who are so hyper they won't be in the same spot for more than 2 seconds. I actually have to hold on to them with one hand and teach with the other! The list goes on...

Coming back to Weng Hoe. I took him in with the understanding that the music lessons were meant to be just a form of therapy and to not expect too much. But little did I know that I would be pleasantly surprised at his progress. Within a few months, he has managed to play and co-ordinate both hands on the keyboards with his foot on the pedals.

"Normal" people have given up learning to play the organ within months and these include piano teachers(!) because they just could not co-ordinate their hands and feet. So, for a special child to be able to do that, now that's something else.

Impressed with his progress, Weng Hoe's parents recently bought him a new organ which he enjoys playing very much. He has also been an inspiration to me as I find satisfaction in seeing him progress from week to week. Most of all, it encourages me to just see him enjoy music in his own special way with the gift God has given him.

Yes, Weng Hoe, Jesus loves you, this I know...