Recently held in Australia, the 5th Marimba Festival and Competition 2024 attracted 50 outstanding percussionists from Australia, Belgium, Mainland China, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Mexico, Sweden, Taiwan, Thailand, and the United States. Lin Cheng-Wei, a student from the Department of Music, NCYU, won first prize in the open class, Best Interpretation Award and Most Popular Award for the compulsory work, bringing glory to Taiwan.
A self-taught music student, Lin joined the percussion section of a wind band in junior high school and a band in high school. It wasn't until his senior year of high school that he decided to enroll in the music department and began learning marimba solo. He secured the first place in the Taipei City Student Music Competition for Marimba Solo and an excellent fifth place in the National Student Competition of Music for Marimba Solo. He made his way to the Department of Music, NCYU, where he majors in percussion and minors in theory and composition. Lin mentioned that there is a lot of freedom in playing percussion, which requires only two hands. Foot movement is also necessary when performing marimba, which is very wide; and you need to move your whole body to emphasize the visual effect. He loves music and practices music pieces he likes every day. While his musical foundation might pale in comparison to his classmates from specialized music classes in earlier education, he believes that the key to progress and growth lies in accepting different opinions and learning from others' strengths.
The three-round schedule of an international competition required the contestants to prepare a large amount of music pieces. This was something he had never experienced before, but he believed that with pressure comes the need to do his utmost. During the competition week, master classes were also held, where 14 world-class percussionists who served as judges learned from each other. It reminded all contestants that there is no end to learning art, and it is critical to open their minds to different perspectives. Watching the spectacular performances of contestants from various countries allowed him to observe different interpretive styles. The confidence and expressiveness demonstrated by Western contestants impressed him the most. The judges mentioned that Lin, while demonstrating excellent skills, came into his own only in the second half of the performance. Thus, it becomes a lesson for him to learn to show his confidence from the moment he steps on stage. Through this competition, he realized that a good performer should cultivate their own characteristics to capture the attention of the audience and judges. The ultimate goal of music is to convey emotions, and if your music leaves the audience wanting more, then you've succeeded.
Associate Prof. Yeh Chin-Yi, who advises Lin, said
that Lin's music is very special, and his way of interpretation is captivating
and infectious with his passion and delicacy. He may not always fully take the
advice from the teachers, but he always has his own way to meet their
expectations. The nourishment he gained during the college years allows him to
transform and grow in his third year. Not only was he selected to perform a
marimba concerto with the NCYU Symphony, he also won the first place in the
open class, among others, at the Marimba Competition, Australia. His inspirational
story is a culmination of hard work and talent.
Photo 1: Lin Cheng-Wei, a student from the Department
of Music, NCYU, performed in the final round of the open class at the Marimba
Competition, Australia.
Photo 2: Lin Cheng-Wei (in orange red), who studies at
the Department of Music, NCYU, placed first in the open class at the Marimba
Competition, Australia, and posed for a group photo after the award ceremony.
Photo 3: Lin Cheng-Wei (first from left), a student
from NCYU's Department of Music, received the Most Popular Award from Adam Tan,
organizer of the Marimba Festival.
Photo 4: A group photo of 18 semi-finalists of the open class at the Marimba Competition, Australia, including Lin Cheng-Wei (front row, first from left), who studies at the Department of Music, NCYU