Skipping melody of the straws – Flute music in Yushan

Teacher Cai Xue-ren (博愛國小) at Chaiyi’s Po Ai Elementary School has always wanted to teach students the panpipes, but one panpipe alone costs nearly NT$9,000! One day while drinking pearl milk tea he suddenly had a spark of inspiration and hatched the idea of using straws to make panpipes. Not long after, he started a panpipe band and recently brought the schoolchildren to perform a special concert at Wenfeng Visitor Center in Chiayi County with the aim of injecting some happiness into the lives of seniors living alone in the mountains.

The kids used the bright and uplifting sound of panpipes to play old songs that resonated deeply with the attending grandpas and grandmas who reminisced on the good old days. Getting schoolchildren to perform for senior citizens as part of their school studies builds a bridge between the generations through the magic of music.

以下為中文對照

嘉義市博愛國小教師蔡學仁，一直想教學童吹排笛，但一把排笛將近9000元，後來喝珍珠奶茶時突發奇想，於是用珍奶吸管做排笛，並成立排笛團，還特地帶著學童到嘉義縣竹崎文峰遊客中心表演，希望以悠揚樂音為山區獨居老人帶來幸福。

排笛清亮的樂音演奏著懷舊歌謠，讓阿公阿嬤們心裡產生了共鳴，重溫年輕時的舊夢。讓學童透過所學為高齡社會展現自己的才藝，在無隔閡的音樂世界裡串連起世代間的橋梁。

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