Hong Kong teens aim to break out of poverty through music in concert showcasing talent
- SoCO helps youngsters develop potential for higher admission chances into elite schools which value music talent
- Initiative levels playing field where talented poor are overlooked since they cannot afford music classes
As Vicky Lo Yuet-shan, 17, glides her fingers elegantly across the strings of the guzheng, an ancient Chinese instrument with a 2,500-year history, the wistful, plucked notes conjure images of a performance in an imperial palace of eras past.
But nothing could be further from reality – Lo practises in a Hong Kong subdivided flat for three, where there is barely enough space for her instrument. She wants to prove that music is not an indulgence available only for the elite.
Born into a poor family, Lo lived for years in a 130 sq ft home in Sham Shui Po, the city’s poorest district. Her father suffered from hypertension and foot pain, and the family struggled to get by on income from her mother’s odd jobs.
Despite the hardship, Lo’s parents supported her music dreams – she was introduced to the guzheng at nine. Lessons cost about HK$800 a month, and the family cobbled together what they could to develop her potential in the hope her skills could win her entry into a reputable secondary school.
“We sometimes skipped breakfasts to save money for my guzheng lessons,” Lo said. “I practised in our room where the instrument could barely fit.”
We sometimes skipped breakfasts to save money for my guzheng lessons