Nguyen Minh An is the first generation of the 9X generation, born and raised in the context of digital entertainment methods starting to spread to every alley and every house. However, I don't understand why the people of Nghi Thai (Nghi Loc) in my hometown really like to play the flute and listen to the sound of the flute, as if the flute is the only form of entertainment here. In the small neighborhood where my family lives, there are many people who play the flute well, from the elderly to children, everywhere you see people practicing the flute. That's why the little boy An has been absorbed in that melodious and passionate melody since he was 5 years old. The "street flute" songs he learned by himself likeCotton tree,Southern folk songs or movie songsNew River of SeparationAn played the flute very smoothly. “People only practice the flute when they have free time, or when they have a suitable space, but I practice the flute at any time. Whenever my hands are free, I pick up the flute,” An recalled.
During her primary and secondary school years, An was an excellent student in all subjects. She was on the school and district-level excellent student teams and was highly expected and trusted by her teachers and family. However, the biggest turning point in An's teenage life was the reward her mother gave her when she achieved the title of district-level excellent student in Literature. That is, An was allowed by her mother to take the flute entrance exam at the Provincial College of Culture and Arts. "Unfortunately, my mother submitted my application late, and by the time I arrived for the exam, they had already closed my application," An said. She was stunned and disappointed, and was about to leave, but a teacher on the judging panel "whispered" to her that if she was truly passionate, she could take the exam at the National Academy of Music, also with the intermediate level entrance exam.
Having decided to “receive the reward” he had to receive it completely, An asked his mother to go to the capital for a trip and she agreed. “My mother simply thought that she would give me a long trip, and I wished to compete in the flute once” – An smiled as he recalled. He packed his bags and left about a week before the competition to be guided by his teachers. He thought he was already very good at the flute, but it turned out that his proficiency from childhood was an obstacle when his teachers asked Minh An to correct it. The teacher – Meritorious Artist Trieu Tien Vuong, who discovered and guided him from the first day until he grew up at the National Academy of Music, told him: If you want to pursue flute, you have to change from left-handed to right-handed, because no matter how well you play, if you are only left-handed, the judges will not give you high marks and you will not be able to pursue flute professionally.
Having a natural talent, An changed hands in just two days, something that both the teacher and herself did not expect. The biggest surprise came to her that summer, when her performances of Ly Cay Bong and Rung Xanh rang tieng ta lu were given the highest score, with 9.8/10 points. Of course, she was admitted to the National Academy of Music.
That excellent result was not known until a long time later, because when the admission notice was sent home, An's parents... hid it! Like many other parents, Minh An's parents hoped that the flute would only be a spiritual friend, helping him relax after stressful hours of studying. Just when they thought that the desire to pursue a professional flute career was only a dream, the recruitment teacher unexpectedly went to Cua Lo for a vacation and came to An's family. He knew that An's parents had received the school's notice and expressed that the family should create conditions for him to pursue a professional career. "The teacher just said that the family should not block his talent and passion, art and talent cannot be obtained just by wanting. Unexpectedly, his parents changed their minds and agreed to let him "take his bag" to the capital" - An recounted.
Question: During the journey from elementary school, intermediate school to university with many difficulties and hardships, did An ever get discouraged? An answered that yes, especially in the first years away from home, he was a child from the countryside, and was too young to be independent. Homesickness and many times of disorientation made the boy An want to give up the professional environment. But the passion for the flute, the promise to himself kept him there, determined to "study hard". The most important thing for a person pursuing art is to know how to nurture his passion and have a goal. An did that.
The more he studied, the more passionate he became, the more difficult it was, the more determined he was to conquer. Minh An mastered the difficult techniques of breath, tongue, and fingers in elementary and intermediate levels, and the works were performed very smoothly, with full range of emotions. An said: The most difficult thing about the flute is the smoothness of the technique, expressing the artist's soul in the work. "As in the workHometown scentwhich I really like, in this work, in addition to techniques such as double tongue, skillful fingering, the artist needs to apply it to put emotions into his work, so as to fully portray the majestic, poetic beauty with a heart that loves nature, loves people; with a very Vietnamese heart when holding a bamboo flute in hand" - An shared.
Nguyen Minh An was invited to return to his hometown Nghe An by the Deputy Director of the Provincial Traditional Music and Dance Troupe, now the Provincial Traditional Arts Center. When this person came to his family to talk to his parents, hoping that he would return to contribute to his home province, An said that at first he was a bit skeptical, afraid of disappointment and afraid that the artistic environment in the province was not what he wanted. However, after the persuasion of his family and seniors, he decided to return.
Returning to his hometown, the environment was in the province but the artistic atmosphere and the family affection here convinced An. An was able to play his favorite love songs in a traditional orchestra, to show his full potential, and was trusted and respected on most large and small stages. Thanks to his ability and love for the flute, An could convey difficult songs that other artists had to practice for a long time just by looking at them. Therefore, An had time to share his experiences with friends and colleagues. That was also the way the young artist received the love and trust of his fellow artists in the troupe.
After only 4 years of "joining the army" at the Provincial Traditional Arts Center, Nguyen Minh An has already won many prestigious awards, such as the Certificate of Merit for Outstanding Flute Artist awarded by the Vietnam Stage Artists Association at the Tuong and Folk Opera Festival held in Nghe An in 2022; Outstanding Bamboo Flute Performer awarded by the Vietnam Musicians Association at the 2021 National Professional Music and Dance Festival, Phase 2, 2022 held in Dak Lak. Silver Medal for the performanceLam stream sedimentsat the National Music and Dance Festival 2022. Also in 2022, Minh An was awarded the Outstanding Artist of the Year award by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism. Notably, at the ASEAN Music Festival, An won the Silver Medal for the ensemble.Lullaby to the roots; Outstanding Musician Award from the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism presented at the 2022 ASEAN Music Festival in Hoi An, Quang Nam.
Now An says that she is “living very well with the flute”, she receives many large and small contracts for events and programs in and out of the province. In addition, she also teaches under contract at the provincial College of Culture and Arts, with 20 students. For her, spreading, building and transmitting the flute subject is a mission. “Discovering and building young flute buds makes me extremely interested, it is like the work of a guide, a bright and new path for many young people” – An said.