A vocal music teacher from Generation Z has realized his dream by founding a music studio for seniors, igniting their passion for music while achieving his self-fulfillment. Cai Mingjie, 23, is a vocal music teacher at the University for Seniors in Qingshanhu District of Nanchang City, east China's Jiangxi Province. With an average student age of 65, his class has been described by learners as "the one they are most reluctant to miss" and "the one they are most unwilling to leave."
Cai was born in a remote village in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality. In 2021, he was admitted to Nanchang University, marking his first time leaving the countryside to study and live in a big city.
Since his sophomore year, Cai has been teaching vocal music at the University for Seniors. During his teaching process at the university for the elderly, Cai has discovered that the seniors' desire for spiritual and cultural life far exceeds expectations. The once-a-week vocal class at the university completely fails to meet their spiritual needs.
"We have one class every Monday afternoon. We feel a bit unsatisfied. So we suggested Cai to set up a studio. We would have more opportunities to improve our skills and sing better," said Chen Jianghong, one of his students.
Encouraged by the enthusiastic silver-haired students, Cai conceived the idea of establishing a magic vocal studio. To realize this dream, he immediately contacted a friend who had a background in music.
"I discovered that actually the overall vitality of elderly people, including their desire for this knowledge, is quite strong. In fact, we also feel psychologically comforted when teaching them. It's a sense of self-worth being realized to a certain extent," said Linghu Lin, Cai's cooperative partner.
However, establishing a studio isn't an easy task for young people. Despite financial constraints, the two young musicians meticulously took the first step into entrepreneurship.
News of the studio spread, and the elderly eagerly signed up for vocal music education. Inside the music classroom, Cai handled vocal instruction while Linghu provided piano accompaniment. Their tacit cooperation created a magical vocal classroom for these silver-haired students.
"We think that he has gone through a lot of hardships. Starting a business nowadays can be very difficult for a young person. His practical actions have truly touched us. Each of us has come a long way to be here. We are here because of him. We indeed consider him as one of our family members, and we do not want him to leave us," said Li Xiaoxia, a student from the local university for the elderly.
Cai said it was the senior learners in his class who brought vitality to his life in Nanchang. Their care and warmth helped ease the loneliness of living in an unfamiliar city away from home.
"Their genuine care and recognition made me feel I have many family members in this city. Whenever I see senior learners singing with joy, I think that this work is very meaningful. I believe I will persist in continuing it," said Cai.
Gen Z vocal music teacher ignites silver-haired students' passion for music
