By Nicholas Allen | September 8, 2020
I felt enlightened when I saw that this project between Abigail Washburn and Wu Fei was able to bridge two distinct cultures together…That has since sparked my interest in researching the folk music of other nations to see if I can find those similarities there as well. Doing so will open up many new doors for possible lessons I can do with my students.
William Jung is a Chinese language and orchestra teacher at Millbrook High School in Wake County Schools. He works tirelessly to expand the scope of these subjects at his school, but also to combine them into meaningful experiences for students like his parents did for him. “Growing up in a Chinese household, I was exposed to a lot of Chinese folk music by my parents ever since I was little. They hold a very special place in my heart,” reminisced Jung. The fact that the cross-culture fusion of Wu Fei and Abigail Washburn‘s music was the subject of the 2019-2020 World View Fellows Program was a stroke of serendipity between Jung and for World View. “Being aware of the many differences that cultures across the globe has, I felt enlightened when I saw that this project was able to bridge two distinct cultures together,” he stated. Jung, who is an avid student of his native culture, noted that participating in the program empowered him to take this passion to new heights—and to explore the folk traditions of other cultures as well. “It allowed me to see the many similarities that American folk music has with China’s, in terms of structure and topics. That has since sparked my interest in researching the folk music of other nations to see if I can find those similarities there as well,” he explained. Jung’s dedication to global self-education directly translates into the culture of his school.
While Millbrook High School has a strong history of global reciprocity through their exchange program, Jung is nonetheless an impactful global educator. He’s been steadily growing the Chinese program at Millbrook to bring authentic lessons about his native language and culture to American students. In the rehearsal hall Jung strives to open doorways to the world through music. “I am always seeking non-standard pieces for my students to play, which is usually music from Eastern cultures. This expands my students’ aural scope so that are exposed to different sounds that I hope they will appreciate,” he remarked. The impact of his work, however, extends even beyond language curriculum and sheet music. “As one of the only Asian American teachers in my state, I can positively affect the way American students view Asian Americans,” Jung emphasized. A deep understanding that we can all teach each other and learn from each other underlies Jung’s character, both as a lifelong student and as an educator, but it’s also something desperately needed as the world rallies against COVID-19.
I’m always looking at the bright side of our current situation. I think all of my teacher colleagues will agree with me in that no one was prepared for this so we really can’t only seek help from each other! A proactive teacher will see how teachers from other nations have handled this situation and learn from their experiences and resources. We can also see how other nations have reacted and responded to COVID-19 and compare that with our communities to learn from these experiences as well.
We’re proud to put William Jung in the spotlight for September and always grateful for his partnership with us. You can find the curriculum resources he developed during the Fellows program by clicking here. Additionally, Jung will be presenting at our virtual program Shared Narratives: Bridging Cultures with Music Across the Curriculum. If you’re interested in learning more about how teachers are coping with teaching during COVID-19, check out our podcast Connecting Conversations.