The first-grade girl has a talent for playing the zither.

(Baonghean)Despite never having received any formal music training, the songs played by his small hands resonate steadily, with the right pitch, duration, and embellishments that leave listeners in awe. This is the young "artist" Ngo Hoang Anh (6 years old), from Dien Hoa commune, Dien Chau district, Nghe An province.

We arrived in Dien Hoa in the early days of October, amidst torrential rain. As soon as we set foot in Phuong Lich hamlet, we heard the locals praising six-year-old Hoang Anh, a first-grade student, as a musical prodigy. Everyone knew the way to Hoang Anh's house; some said to go straight to the coconut tree, while others said to follow that road and listen for the sound of a zither. Following the locals' directions, as soon as we reached the alley, we heard the sound of the zither echoing through the vast air, despite the falling rain. Hoang Anh's grandfather and little Hoang Anh greeted us. Hoang Anh was small, but her face was remarkably bright. She stopped playing the zither and quickly greeted us, asking, "Who are you looking for? My father is working in Laos and hasn't come home yet, and my mother is working in the fields. Only my grandfather is home now."

I said, "Now, your family wants to hear you play the zither." Hoang Anh quickly replied, "I've been playing the zither for over a year now. I can't even remember all the songs anymore. How about I play 'Vietnam, My Homeland' for you?" With that, the little girl sat down at the zither and used a small bamboo stick to pluck the strings. Her small hands moved back and forth across the strings, and the song "Vietnam, My Homeland" began to play, leaving us in awe.

Little Ngo Hoang Anh is engrossed in playing the piano.



Besides learning to play the piano from his grandfather, Hoang Anh had never taken any other piano lessons.
Which music school?

Hoang Anh's zither playing has impressed many. A young girl, only in first grade and without any formal music training, plays the zither skillfully. Some believe the zither is a difficult instrument to play, and achieving the sound Hoang Anh produces requires three to four years of formal training. When we asked about Hoang Anh's musical journey, her mother, Chu Thi Huyen, said: "She learned the zither from her grandfather. When she was little, her grandfather often played it for her. Seeing that she enjoyed it and was curious, he started teaching her for fun. Unexpectedly, she understood everything he taught her and performed even better than we imagined."

For someone with musical training, playing a piece correctly requires reading sheet music and understanding pitch, duration, etc. But for Hoang Anh, because she can't read sheet music, she relies entirely on her ears for all the notes. Pointing to the instrument, little Hoang Anh explained that the zither has six basic notes, and that simply knowing these notes isn't enough to play well. The player must listen carefully and adjust the frets to produce the correct sound. When we asked how she knows she's playing correctly, the cheerful little girl said she usually plays recorded songs on CDs, listens, and plays along. She added that this not only helps her play correctly but also sounds great.

With her clear and poignant zither playing, Hoang Anh has achieved many "miracles." Her grandfather, Ngo Khac Duy, shared: "Although she is still young, she is invited to participate in every arts festival. On September 22, 2011, she won first prize in the 'Nghe An Province Folk Song Contest' in Vinh City. Below the certificate, the organizers wrote in small ink: 'Six-Year-Old Zither Artist.' She also participated in the 'Lang Sen Singing Contest' and achieved high results."

As if wanting to show us her skillful playing, little Hoang Anh played the song "Quang Binh, My Homeland" beautifully and shared: "I only practiced this song yesterday, Uncle. Do you think I played it well? Some teachers at school told me to practice the song 'Trong Com' (Rice Drum) so I can perform it at the Vietnamese Teachers' Day celebration. I found a CD to listen to the song and practiced it!" When asked about her future dreams, "When I grow up, I want to become a musician," Hoang Anh replied. After saying that, Hoang Anh ran back to the zither and continued practicing a new song.

Goodbye, little girl. We hope that your musical journey will shine brightly.

Nguyen Phe - Minh Hau