Keeping the fire from simple classrooms
According to VNA, every Tuesday and Sunday evening, Ms. Thuy Phuong (An Luc Long commune, Tay Ninh province) comes to the zither class taught by Meritorious Artist Hong Cuc at the library - cultural space of Long An ward. For her, this is not only a class but also a journey to find the cultural values of origin.
Working in the field of culture and art, especially cai luong and don ca tai tu, Ms. Phuong loves zither even more. "Partly because this is the cultural identity of her homeland, and partly because every time I hear the sound of the zither and the poignant lyrics, I hope that one day I will be able to play tai tu tunes myself," she shared. From passion, she bought a zither herself to study methodically.
The class currently has about 15 students, studying two sessions a week, two hours each session. The students are mainly adults, sharing a love for Don ca tai tu. Previously, due to lack of location, artisan Hong Cuc had to teach at home. Thanks to the support of the locality, the class now has a stable space to maintain.
Attached to amateur music, Meritorious Artist Hong Cuc has been teaching since 2000. According to her, learning to sing takes about a year to sing in the right rhythm, but learning to play the zither takes longer, at least 10 years to be able to play for others to sing.
What worries her is that learners are mainly over 40 years old. This is an important force in preserving, but for sustainable development, there needs to be a young generation to inherit. "Many children want to study but do not know where to study. If the locality and school create conditions, I am willing to participate in teaching," she said.
She also hopes that localities will continue to support activity venues for clubs. After merging administrative units, many activity venues have been narrowed, making it difficult for people living far away to participate.
Bringing folk musical instruments into schools
In parallel with community classes, many schools in Tay Ninh have introduced traditional music into teaching, associated with the policy of organizing 2 sessions/day.
Every Friday afternoon, Le Huu Tinh (11A1 class, Tan An High School, Long An ward) brings a zither to school to participate in the music club. The zither is the result of the time he saved money to buy, stemming from his passion for folk musical instruments.
According to Mr. Nguyen Van Than - Vice Principal of Tan An High School, the club was established at the end of 2025, currently with about 50 students participating. Students learn many types of musical instruments such as kim, dan tranh, flute, monochord, guitar, organ depending on their preferences. After about 4 months, many students have been able to play their favorite musical instruments.
Bringing folk musical instruments into schools helps students develop artistic talents, nurture love for traditional music, and at the same time form a sense of preserving and promoting cultural values.
In the coming time, Tan An High School plans to establish a specialized folk music club, creating conditions for students to practice and stage performances to serve the school and local activities.
