Disability-inclusive youth band wins national recognition

At a recent national showcase for China's youth bands music festival in Wenchang, Hainan province, a disability-inclusive band from Yunyang Special Education Center in Chongqing captivated the audience with a stunning performance.

This remarkable group, known as the Firefly Galaxy Project, includes Yueyue (alias), an eight-year-old bassist, and Xiaoyu (alias), a nine-year-old guitarist, both with hearing impairments. Ruirui (alias), the 14-year-old drummer, is on the autism spectrum, while Xinxin (alias), the nine-year-old lead vocalist and keyboard player, is partially sighted.

Emerging from over 400 participants nationwide, the band secured an impressive fourth place in the mixed-age group category. They also received a special award from the festival's organizing committee.

"The challenges we faced were beyond imagination," said Deng Han, their guiding teacher. "While others rely on listening to melodies and reading sheet music, these kids depend on touch and memory."

To help the children overcome these obstacles, Deng and the other teachers crafted a personalized teaching plan. For Yueyue and Xiaoyu, they used visual cues through custom hand signals and encouraged them to feel the vibrations of the drum to sense the music's rhythm. For Xinxin, they used a metronome to help her internalize the song's tempo and guided her through touch to familiarize her with the keyboard layout.

The teachers broke down songs into mini-beats so the children could practice each segment independently. During rehearsals, four teachers conducted using specially developed hand signals. Deng noted that these gestures were crucial for guiding the young musicians, each of whom had their own way of perceiving the music.

"The Firefly River Project symbolizes countless small yet resilient lights. We hope that each child can shine like a firefly, eventually coming together to form a brilliant galaxy," Deng said.