Wang Yuanyuan

    A wind band formed by Futian schoolteachers won second prize at the Second China Amateur Wind Music Competition held in Shanghai from May 1 to 3.

    The band, made up of 40 teachers from Futian District, marked the first time Shenzhen teachers had participated in the national wind music competition.

    “The competition, which included indoor and outdoor performances, was supported by the Shanghai Municipal Government. They blocked a street for us to present the march-forward performance,” said Zhang Hong, music teacher at Yitian Middle School and conductor of the band.

    Formed by the Futian District Education Bureau 10 years ago, the band has performed in several cities in China and abroad and is planning to give a special performance at the Shenzhen Concert Hall at the end of this year.

    “Most of the teachers are music teachers from high schools, some of whom teach other subjects, like Chinese and maths,” Zhang said.

    “We have practiced for only one month and it was very difficult to gather so many teachers to do the rehearsal as we were from different schools, so it’s a pleasure to win the second prize,” he added.

    “I hope we can join in the competition next time and I believe that we can win the first prize for sure, as members of the band are all very experienced and full of passion for music,” Zhang said.

    The China Amateur Wind Music Competition has been held annually since 2005. More than 30 bands participated in this year’s competition, some of them from foreign countries like Malaysia and Thailand.