Dr. Hoi Lam Ip
(Helena Yip Nolen)
Director

As a mother of three and a classically trained soprano, I am thrilled to introduce world-class, British-based musical training to our community ahead of our official launch in January 2027.

With a doctorate from ASU and two decades of blending British, American, and Japanese (Yamaha) pedagogy, I’ve had the joy of teaching students from ages 3 to 60. But my greatest inspiration over the last five years has been my own daughters.

By introducing young minds to multilingual classical art songs, we naturally immerse them in beautiful melodies, accents, and linguistic mastery. I can't wait to share this foundation of art with the next generation.

 

After more than 20 years in the classical music world—studying, researching, teaching, and performing across different countries—I began to notice a pattern. The art forms and languages presented to children were often limited to English or the dominant language of each country. Many children’s theaters chose what seemed like the “easier” path, focusing mainly on dance, acting, and singing on stage, while leaving out the rich possibilities of foreign languages and classical repertoire. As an opera singer, my perspective changed one morning while I was practicing a German operatic piece at home, next to my three young daughters, all under the age of five. Because of the unique sounds and colors of the foreign language, they did not find it difficult or intimidating—only fascinating. They began to casually mimic my German singing, effortlessly mastering the vowels and inflections.

 

Even though they were simply copying, they reproduced the sounds with striking accuracy. I was both surprised and deeply inspired. They perfectly projected complex German consonants that even adults struggle to master! It reminded me of a beautiful truth: children are like blank canvases. When you provide them with high-quality "paint" and guidance, the masterpiece they create is incredible. Their minds are sponges, absorbing what they see, hear, and feel for the very first time. Through us—their teachers and guides—they learn how to express themselves: through language, gesture, vocal tone, movement, and emotion. These become the building blocks of what we call Total Artwork: singing, dancing, vocal color and expression in multiple languages, and drama, all inspired by the beauty of classical poetry and melodic design. My doctoral dissertation, *Chen Yi’s Song Set “As in a Dream”: The Merging of Chinese and Western Musical Idioms* (Ip, Hoi Lam. Arizona State University, ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 2015. 3739547), explores the relationship between linguistic tone and melodic design. Composers must understand a language deeply—its accents, stresses, and natural speech patterns—in order to make the words truly “work” with the melody.

 

When children learn through foreign classical repertoire, they begin forming strong impressions and mental models of new languages. They associate the new sounds they hear and sing with the melodies they love. This process can help prepare and strengthen their capacity for more complex language learning in the future and it's always fun to start with the combination of music, theater and dance.

 

 

*Chen Yi’s Song Set “As in a Dream”: The Merging of Chinese and Western Musical Idioms* — Ip, Hoi Lam. Arizona State University, 2015. ProQuest Dissertations & Theses, 3739547. Available via ProQuest.

— Dr. Hoi Lam Ip (Artist name: Helena Yip Nolen)