Visually impaired kids put auditory gifts to good use

Challenged by musical scores, students master singing through memorization.

When God closes a door, he opens a window, the saying goes.

For 18-year-old Zeng Xiaomeng — who lost her sight a few months after she was born due to an illness — her angelic voice is that window. Many remark on the celestial sound of her singing.

In a video of Zeng and three of her schoolmates singing — posted on the internet by their teacher — their beautiful voices have amazed and touched many.

"Thanks to your encouragement and blessings, your openness and praise, we will sing better and live better," the four girls have replied to the messages they receive.

Years ago, when Zeng realized she enjoys music, she talked to her parents about learning to sing. She started her school days at Hengyang Special Education College in Hunan province 11 years ago.

"She has a gift for music and learns songs faster than others," said Zhang Xuemei, Zeng's teacher at the school.

"It is not easy for visually impaired students to learn to sing. They need to use Braille while I read the lyrics. They also need to practice the melody and rhythm repeatedly. It takes up to a month to learn a song."

Repetition is a major learning method for Zeng and the other three girls in her chorus.

"You have to listen to the song many times to learn the emotions behind the lyrics, and when I encounter problems I will ask teachers and friends for help," Zeng said.

A reserved person, Zeng said she rarely talked with others when she first came to the school.

"The environment was totally new to me, both in terms of facilities and people, but gradually I made more friends and became more willing to communicate with others," she said.

School usually starts at 8 am and finishes around 4 pm. Besides music classes, she also takes Chinese, mathematics and massage.

The other three girls in the video are Zeng Lulu, Liu Li and Xu Fang — all music lovers.

Born in 2006, Zeng Lulu enjoys playing drums.

"There is certain distance between each drum, and I need time to memorize the positions of the drums and cymbals," she said. "It is also harder for us to memorize music scores. Sometimes a song can have up to six pages of scores."

Music has brought great changes to the girls' lives and personalities.

"I think I have become more confident about myself and more optimistic, especially when I know that people encourage us on the internet and say we sang well," Zeng Lulu said.

The teacher Zhang has always been concerned about the future employment of her students.

"There are very few employment opportunities for visually impaired students, but I hope the livestreaming industry may provide a chance," Zhang said.

During summer breaks, Zhang and her students sing on livestreaming platforms. At her suggestion, Zeng Xiaomeng opened her own social media account where people can hear her sing.

"Xiaomeng had the problem of crooked teeth, and she didn't plan to have them adjusted, but with the livestreaming, she now is willing to have her teeth straightened," Zhang said.

"I feel that she became happier since she began communicating with people on the internet," Zeng Xiaomeng's mother said. "I haven't thought about a long-term plan for Xiaomeng, but I am happy she is satisfied with the current situation."

Through her social media account, Zeng Xiaomeng hopes she will be able to attract more fans, and both she and Zeng Lulu want to plant their feet in the music sector in the future.