Professor Lan Yaqing/PhD
- Main Instructor: Piano Pedagogy.
- Highest Education:
- Doctor of Piano Education, Mississippi State University, USA.
- Master of Music Theory, Mississippi State University, USA.
- Bachelor of Piano Performance, Mississippi State University, USA.
These experiences laid the foundation for her current commitment to glorifying God and benefiting others through music. God not only placed this burden in her heart but also gave her the opportunity to teach piano and music theory at an overseas seminary.
Dr. Lan’s profound experience in music education made her an indispensable member of the seminary’s teaching staff. Her inspiring teaching methods brought the art of worship to life in her classes. Her gentle personality and ever-present smile fostered a love of music at the seminary. However, these outward qualities are not the whole picture. This professor also won the affection of her students and the respect of her peers through her pursuit and perseverance of beauty and goodness. Therefore, even amidst a heavy theological curriculum, students eagerly anticipated each of her music classes.
Among the seminary students who chose piano lessons, many possessed strong musical foundations. However, there are also complete novices who know nothing about music. With over 20 years of experience teaching piano, in-depth research during her doctoral studies in piano pedagogy at the University of Mississippi, and a thorough understanding of various music teaching methods from around the world (such as the Suzuki, Orff, and Gotti methods), Dr. Lan can tailor a learning plan to each student. For each student, she tries to understand their purpose for taking the course, their background, their musical talent, and their current level, to determine different teaching methods within very limited practice time.
Besides piano instruction, Dr. Lan places great emphasis on teaching music theory. Her current experience as an organist and choir conductor has given her a more practical sensitivity to the needs of contemporary church music ministry. Through teaching music theory, Dr. Lan actively cultivates students’ ability to guide and teach music ministry. Music theory includes understanding church music, basic skills in leading hymns and conducting, and the ability to appreciate and interpret sacred music. Although the goal is not to train music pastors… She persisted in providing her theology students with in-depth and practical musical training, enabling these church ministry leaders to become encouragers and nurturers of their musical colleagues.
Some might ask, “Isn’t it too late to learn music at such an advanced age?” During her time at the overseas seminary, Dr. Lam deeply appreciated the unfathomable potential God bestows upon those who love Him. She witnessed God not being limited by human experience or age: He set aside His inspiration to allow some theology students to naturally compose hymns, and He also granted them the ability and perseverance to go from not knowing sheet music to being competent as organists in the church in a short period of time.
In experiencing the abundant blessings of this teaching, Dr. Lam thanked God for giving her a husband who not only helps her to deepen her understanding but also encourages her to serve the Lord diligently. They currently have a son, Philip, who has just turned one year old. In the gaps between her busy teaching schedule, Dr. Lam most cherished these precious moments of leisure, bringing her little Philip to connect with parents who also had young children, sharing the gospel with them or edifying one another in the faith. This combination of family life and teaching ministry has given her a solid foundation in the philosophical aspects of teaching, while her involvement in church ministry has allowed her to frequently observe how music edifies the church today. She possesses a natural ability to seamlessly connect theory and practice, an ability evident in her teaching.
If anyone thinks Dr. Lan lives only in the ivory tower of academia, they are mistaken; although she is very busy juggling her roles as a professor, wife, and mother, she still gladly volunteers to lead a music program for children aged 0-3 in a church’s parent-child fellowship. The music program has been well-received, attracting many mothers who are not yet Christians to participate with their babies. This success brings her great joy.
With her insight into building up the church through music education, Dr. Lan has begun some interesting and innovative writing. Currently, Dr. Lan is compiling her piano teaching experiences from overseas seminaries into a systematic piano teaching course. This course is specifically designed for the needs of church pianists. She hopes this teaching material will provide a self-learning channel for other brothers and sisters who aspire to play the piano in church, and can also serve as a reference for training piano players in missionary areas where needed. In addition, she is gradually organizing her teaching findings in music theory to create teaching materials for training choir leaders and conductors in the church.