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[VERSION 1] TEACHER SPREADING TRỐNG QUÂN FOLK SONGS TO KINDERGARTENERS
Driven by the burning desire to preserve Trống Quân singing, Merited Artist Phạm Thị Huệ has been making relentless efforts to spread the songs to the later generations, especially by integrating it into kindergarten’s curriculum.
LIÊM THUẬN’S UNIQUE ART FORM
The Red River Delta, home to indigenous Vietnamese culture, is famous for its rich and deep-rooted culture traits. Each province, each region from this area proudly owns a distinct cultural heritage, such as Đông Hồ painting of Bắc Ninh, or Bát Tràng pottery of Hà Nội.
Liêm Thuận Commune, Thanh Liêm Ward, Hà Nam province is not an exception. This land is famous for its unique Trống Quân singing. Initially appearing around 1000 years ago with Mr. Phạm Cư Lượng’s aim of collecting troops, this art form was officially recognized as a national Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2016. Liêm Thuận Commune received Trống Quân, then developed their own branch: singing on boats, which was due to their natural terrace including mostly rivers and lakes. Also, the drum used by Liêm Thuận people is not similar to the conventional drum used by other provinces. They are huge ceramic jars, familiar to local people’s daily life.
However, by 1945, Trống Quân singing in Liêm Thuận commune had nearly disappeared due to the socio-political context of Vietnam, marked by the resistance wars against French and American invaders. After peace, Trống Quân faded into obscurity due to modernization. Until 2006, with the relentless efforts of Liêm Thuận authorities and local villagers, Trống Quân singing was revived and handed down to the next generations.
THE TEACHER WITH A HEART OF FIRE
Among all the villagers who have devoted their efforts to Trống Quân singing is Merited Artist Phạm Thị Huệ, the head of the Liêm Thuận’s Trống Quân Singing Club and a teacher at Lau Chảy branch, Liêm Thuận Kindergarten. Driven by her passion for Trống Quân singing and a strong desire to preserve this folk art, she successfully proposed the integration of Trống Quân into local primary and secondary schools through the school curriculum, especially during extracurricular activities.
In 2017, under the guidance of Mrs Huệ, a group of Liêm Thuận secondary school’s students achieved high awards at the science and technology competitions in Ha Nam province with the project “The conservation of the Trống Quân singing heritage in Liêm Thuận”. These accomplishments served as a precious gift for the dedicated artist.
As a preschool teacher, Mrs Huệ also integrated easy-to-understand Trống Quân songs into lessons for kindergarten kids. However, the journey of bringing Trống Quân singing to kids was challenging as their linguistic abilities and memory functions were in the early stages of development. Many children are still babbling, making it much harder for them to learn how to sing.
“Trống Quân singing is combined with poems, story-telling activities and lullabies at school. For the 5-year-old classes, this traditional song will be combined in the playtime between children and teachers”, Mrs. Huệ shared.
On an afternoon early in December, we had a chance to visit Lau Chảy branch, Liêm Thuận Kindergarten school and joined in Trống Quân class for 5-year-old students led by Mrs. Huệ.
Liêm Thuận kindergarten is composed of different branches, each branch teaching children from one to two villages of Liêm Thuận Commune. Specifically, Lau Chảy branch is where the teaching program is primarily focused, and is also where Mrs. Huệ has spent her career in.
Unlike the original drum performed in festivals, the musical instrument used in Trống Quân lessons is a small red drum with colorful decorations. The lesson lasts for about 30 minutes, with the guidance of one to two teachers. In the class we attended, Mrs. Huệ was the one who led the song, and another teacher - Mrs. Nam was responsible for playing the drum.
We enjoyed how students sang the “Đố quả” song, which is about a playful conversation between two people quizzing each other about various types of fruit. One person describes the fruit's shape, while the other attempts to answer based on the clues given.
Mrs. Huệ employed a straightforward method to help the children memorize the songs. As their memory may find it hard to remember the long, difficult lines, the teacher made use of the rhythmic melody. The children listened to the songs together in the first place, then combined with clapping their hands and finally, learned the lyrics by following the teachers. After that, the class was divided into two teams to sing the question-to-answer parts alternately.
The classroom buzzed with the cheerful voices of children, the rhythmic beats of the drum, and the lively clap of hands, all matched by the bright smiles on their faces. This vibrant energy transformed the lesson into a joyful experience, filling both teachers and students with pure happiness.
A Trống Quân class between Mrs. Phạm Thị Huệ and kindergarten kids (Video: No.36)
THE JOURNEY CONTINUES
The journey of the teacher, however, has to come to an end. Early this November, Mrs Hue retired, ending her 20 years of teaching with 7 years of tirelessly instructing children in Trống Quân singing. However, she has left a lasting inspiration on the next generation of teachers to continue teaching Trống Quân folk songs as a subject in schools. In addition, she is always willing to help other teachers and teachers when needed.
Mrs. Huệ confided that Trống Quân Singing, or any other art form would not be able to develop and would even fade away if not granted the space for growth. Hopefully, Mrs. Huệ’s efforts to protect the precious art form will soon bear fruit and bloom in future generations - the young voices of Liêm Thuận land.
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