昨天PYP在例行練習時，指揮陳美安對他們說了一席話，讓我很感動。
陳美安是來自臺灣高雄的一個年輕指揮家。她十六歲時拿到新英格蘭音樂院的全額獎學金來美就讀，專攻小提琴，但指揮一直是她的夢想。所以在大學小提琴及指揮雙主修畢業，研究所拿到小提琴演奏碩士和指揮碩士後，專攻指揮學，並拿到博士學位。畢業後不知多久，被聘請來PYP帶領PYP五年，給這些年輕人很大的幫助。她在2005 年在丹麥舉行的Nicolai Malko國際指揮大賽中展露頭角，擊敗其他參賽者，從240人中脫穎而出得到首獎，是他們史上第一個得到這項殊榮的女性指揮家。今年她應亞特蘭大交響樂團的邀請，到那兒去擔任副指揮。這是PYP的損失，但是是她事業的一個轉捩點。PYP的這些孩子們到現在還在為她的離去而難過，頻頻地拿客座指揮來和她比較。。。
我很欣賞她的指揮，我覺得她的音樂很真摯並充滿了生命及活力。我也相信她真是認真又有才華的一個音樂家，值得最好的樂團，但這些都不是真正讓我感動的原因。她鼓勵這些年輕人，給新的指揮們以及即將來的候選人一個機會，打開他們的心胸，也許新來的指揮將是一個非常適合來帶領他們的人，她自己也曾走過這條路。她並且勸誡這些年輕人，不要認為他們所擁有的一切都是理所當然。在她讀博士的時候，為了掙生活費減輕家裏負擔，她替別人割草、清潔房子。畢業後一時找不到適合的工作，於是她以教小提琴為生，並在擔任樂團經理時做盡了一切粗重的工作，打雜，並搬重物搬到腰受傷，一路跌跌撞撞，直到五年前PYP給了她這個機會。當初她剛來時，也沒有立刻被完全接納，同樣地被拿來與前任指揮作比較。但若不是PYP，她今天也不會有這樣的成就。她放棄了一年中唯一的兩個禮拜假期，來擔任他們聖誕音樂會的指揮，因為PYP的這些孩子們在她心中有非常重要的地位。
我曾經在報導上看過，她全家都是虔誠的基督徒，因此她即使站在這麼高的位置，仍不忘將榮耀歸給神。感謝神！ 我真是以她為榮，也覺得很有幸能親眼看見她在這些孩子們身上作的工。
「指揮不只是揮揮棒子，如果沒有心靈的感動，就只是製造聲音。音樂不只是音符，如果沒有生命的養分，就稱不上是音樂。而生命中種種的挫折，則讓我的生命更甘美。」 -- 陳美安
只要仔細觀察用心體會，你會發現人生時時有驚喜，生活處處充滿感動！
Yesterday during PYP rehearsal time, their conductor Miss Mei-An Chen said something to them which really touched me.
Mei-An came from Taiwan. She received full scholarship from New England Conservatory at age 16 and started her study in the US. She majored in violin initially, but decided to double-major in both violin performance and conducting. She received her bachelor and master degree majoring both, and doctor's degree in conducting since conducting is her dream starting at young age. After she obtained her dr's degree not sure about how long, she was invited by PYP to lead these young musicians for 5 years. In 2005, she attended the Nicolai Malko International Conducting Competition in Denmark and won the first prize among the 240 competitors from around the world. She is the first female ever to win this competition. She left PYP in 2007 because she was invited to be the assistant conductor by Atlanta Symphony Orchestra. This is a great loss of PYP but the turning point of her career life. The kids of PYP are still suffering from her departure, and they keep comparing other guest conductors with her...
I really appreciate her conducting style because her music is full of life. I believe she is a very talented musician and she deserves the best. Very proud of her!! However, what really touched me is what she said to these young people. She encouraged them to embrace the change and to open their hearts and give the guest conductors and candidates a chance, just like what PYP has given her 5 years ago. She also told them not to take everything for granted. When she was studying her PhD degree, she worked 3 part-time jobs to support herself. She had cleaned people's houses, mowed the lawn, taught 30 violin students in a week, and worked as an orchestra manager. She has even hurt her back by carrying and lifting heavy stuff while she was an orchestra manager. She struggled and stumbled until finally she and PYP found each other. When she first started as a conductor with PYP, she was not well-received immediately and was compared to the past conductor as well. Had PYP not offered her the opportunity, she wouldn't be what she is today (but I believe she would still eventually succeed regardless!). Instead going home to see her family, she uses her only two-week vacation time to come here for their Christmas concert because these kids have a very special place in her heart.
I read in a report that her whole family are Christians, and she gives thank and honor to God for what she has accomplished today. Praise the Lord!! We feel so blessed to be able to witness her work with the kids in the past.
"Conducting is not just waving the baton. It is simply producing sound without the touch from the bottom of one's heart. Music is not just notes. It is not music without the nutrition from life. And all the struggle and suffering is to make my life more beautiful." -- Mei-An Chen
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