Soldiers and teachers are two professions that most of us respect because soldiers protect our lives and teachers feed our souls. The everyday diplomat that I want to introduce today not only combines these two professions but is also an artist. Mr. Wu Baochang is an army violinist and violin teacher.  Although he isn’t a soldier who fights in wars, he uses his music to support the soldiers. Mr. Wu teaches students art to cultivate their characters.

Mr. Wu Baochang was born in 1950 in the city of Shenyang of Liaoning Province in China. He began to learn the violin with Mr. Huang Huadi at the age of 13 and was offered the 1st violin position in the Advance Singing and Dancing Group of Shenyang Army District at the age of 19. He composed many songs for famous Chinese singers like Ms. Dong Wenhua. He became very well-known after he was introduced by the Liaoning Broadcasting Station. Mr. Wu Baochang has also taught many excellent students, many of whom are furthering their music studies now in many countries including the United States.

He told me that when he was young, it was during the time of the Cultural Revolution when intellectual youths travelled to the countryside.  Violin was regarded as a representative of capitalism so Mr. Wu could only play the violin secretly. In order to practice without letting the neighbors hear him, Mr. Wu practiced in a stable for several hours everyday even in hot summers. But the unbearable smell and the dirty environment didn’t make him give up. Instead, the hardship strengthened his optimistic spirit. He often told others that he was “a guy who dances with horses” when he talked about his early life. The environment in which Mr. Wu grew up differs greatly from that of our generation.  The youths today ride in private cars to and from a violin teacher’s home or studio, have various foods to eat, have warm and comfortable rooms for practicing instruments, and enjoy many other conveniences that Mr. Wu didn’t have when he was young. But sometimes this more comfortable environment has weakened the will to overcome difficulties and hardship. I have seen children who give up half way through learning the violin, and I often think what a pity it is for them to give up.

Mr. Wu said that the singing and dancing group in the army needs to perform two hundred times a year, which is nearly one performance every other day. Every performance needs to go through layers upon layers of bureaucracy and modified many times before approved by the government. Thus it is very time consuming. Sometimes they would have emergency rehearsals at 2:00 A.M. by the time a performance is approved.  Though it is hard work being a violinist in an army, Mr. Wu feels honored to play for many heads of state. The singing and dancing group he works in has performed for President Nixon when he visited China to promote a bilateral relationship. In 1970, they performed at the front line for Chinese soldiers one year after the Zhenbao Island War between China and the Soviet Union. They’ve also performed for many foreign leaders, including Samdech Norodom Si-hanouk, the leader of Cambodia, as well as many countries’ military delegations. In my point of view, war is essential while art is leisurely. I asked Mr. Wu if such performances were effective in the army. Mr. Wu answered me by citing an example. In their performance at the anniversary of Zhenbao Island War in the frontline, the soldiers marched to carry out orders. But once the singing and dancing group came, they all ran enthusiastically to see the performance. In the small battleground that was shaped like a cat’s ear, artists couldn’t perform loudly for fear of exposing themselves to the enemy, so singers would sing in low voices next to the soldiers’ ears. The affection for our own country and people conveyed through music moved all the soldiers to tears. A commander said, “After hearing your performance, there’s no need to educate the soldiers for the next month.” Mr. Wu’s experience made me realize the power of music. Music can support the soldiers’ spirits especially when they are struggling between life and death. Music gives them courage and consolation.

I asked Mr. Wu about his understanding of art. He thought art is infinite. For example, Beethoven’s works are full of grief, expressing destiny’s tragedy, while Mendelssohn’s works are resplendent expressions of life’s happiness. If you listen to music or learn to play an instrument, you can be influenced by music unconsciously as time goes by. Many of Mr. Wu’s students who were initially impatient or self-centered become better people through music. The beauty of music lies in its changing notes and melody. It can influence people little by little, day by day. This kind of beauty leads people to kindness and teaches them about humanity. Thus those who love music must also love life and enjoy life. Mr. Wu said that it’s unimaginable if something prevents him from playing the violin. That would be worse than death. It’s art that makes his heart forever young.

In our talks, we also mentioned his teaching. He hopes his students can surpass him and fulfill his dream to achieve even greater things. Mr. Wu said, “I wish all people’s life be as beautiful as art. And I wish people who already have this kind of life can pass the beauty to others, for love for others itself is a beautiful art.”

吴宝昌：艺术人生

当提到两个职业------军人和教师时，大多数人都会心生崇敬，因为军人捍卫着我们的生存，教师哺育着我们的心灵。而今天我们故事的主人公吴宝昌先生，不仅仅身兼二职，还是一位艺术家。作为一个军旅小提琴家和小提琴老师，他虽不是扛着真枪实弹冲杀战场的战士，却在用音乐支撑着战士们的精神世界，让他们能安心保卫国家；虽不站在讲台黑板前教书育人，却在用无言的艺术陶冶着学生们的性情。就让我们一起来体会他军人的艰苦，艺术家的才华，和作为教师给青年人播种的梦想吧。

   

吴宝昌，军旅小提琴演奏家、教育家，1950年出生于中国辽宁省沈阳市。他13岁开始从师于黄华第老师（在他门下学习小提琴的经历改变了他一生命运），19岁考入沈阳军区前进歌舞团并担任第一小提琴。在他从事艺术的近半个世纪中，他随军在歌舞团行遍白山黑水，琴音远传外邦。他曾为我国著名歌唱家董文华谱过曲，他的学生桃李满天下。名声斐然的他于1987年受辽宁广播电台邀请录制了“介绍前进歌舞团小提琴家吴宝昌”节目，为广大音乐爱好者所熟悉并喜爱。更重要的是，他不仅自己用跳动的琴弓和炽烈的激情一生演绎艺术，更使艺术在更多跟随他学琴的孩子身上继续散发着不朽的活力。今天，我心怀崇敬，采访了他，得以有机会全面地了解了他作为一名艺术家和一名音乐教师的辛苦和幸福。

   

采访伊始，和他同样在学琴生涯中走过儿童时代的我自然对他的学琴经历最感兴趣。他说，他年轻时正赶上知识青年下乡和文革时期，小提琴在那个年代被认为是小资产阶级的代表。于是他只有将对艺术的热爱在没有人的地方偷偷地通过琴声表达。为了练琴而不打扰邻里，他只能在酷热的夏天躲在马棚里拉琴，而且一拉就是多半天。难闻的气味和肮脏的环境丝毫没有动摇他的决心，反而练就了他苦中作乐的情怀。在他以第一名的成绩如愿考取音乐学院后，他还经常对此津津乐道地称自己是“与马为伍”的人。尽管他幽默轻松地说着他当年的经历，却更让人感受到“黄连树下弹琴------苦中作乐”所反映出的那种常人难以忍受的艰苦环境。看到现在学琴的孩子们有家长车接车送，有营养丰富的食物补充体力的消耗，有宽敞温暖的房间练琴，有许许多多他当年无法相比的优越条件的同时，似乎我们也看得见，这些过于舒适的环境和条件使得孩子们逐渐缺少了那种练琴所需要的吃苦精神和顽强毅力，大批的琴童往往学了一两年就半途而废了，这无疑是幸福年代孩子们的巨大损失。

   

接着我们又谈到了他在前进歌舞团任第一小提琴的三十多年的工作情况。他说，歌舞团在一年中要到所在军区演出200场，平均不到两天就得演一场，而且排练一台节目需要层层审批和反复修改，非常耗时，有时半夜两点钟还要紧急集合排练。他所在的歌舞团曾在尼克松访华的破冰之旅中演出；在1970年为中苏珍宝岛战役一周年时奔赴前线慰问；还曾为包括柬埔寨元首西哈努克等多个国家的领导人以及若干国家的军事代表团表演。我总觉得打仗是其极残酷的事，而文艺演出则是带有安乐享受的感觉，于是我问，慰问演出真的有很大作用吗？而吴老师用亲身经历说服了我。他说，在珍宝岛战役一周年那次的慰问演出中（这个一周年意味着中苏很可能再起冲突，因此前线气氛剑拔弩张），战士们原本都是步行执行任务，但听到演出的消息时，都跑着来看。在战地的猫耳洞里，因为怕暴露位置，不能大声歌唱，演唱家们就小声贴着战士的耳旁唱，浓浓的祖国和家乡人民之情感动得战士们个个热泪盈眶。一位连长说：“看了你们的演出，一个月都不用再做思想工作了。”原来，音乐中的深情和艺术的感染力真的可以如此强大，可以从精神上抚慰挣扎在生死边缘的士兵，给他们振奋和鼓舞的力量。无法用语言表达的感情通过旋律的共鸣却可以轻易地打开人们的心扉。

   

我又问了吴老师对于艺术的理解。他说，艺术是无止境的，是全方位的，比如：贝多芬的作品是悲愤之情，表达的是命运在敲门的悲壮，抒发着一种与命运相抗争的力量；而门德尔松的作品则是华丽之美，描绘出无尽的幸福和甜蜜。每种音乐都以它独特的美感，给人们带来强烈的艺术感染和心灵的震撼。经常听音乐，或学习一种乐器，它所给你带来的影响和变化是潜移默化的。很多原来很调皮的学生因为学琴而渐渐变得比较有耐力了；也有很多性格上娇惯的孩子变得善解人意了。音乐本身的美就在于它每一个变幻无穷的音符和扣人心扉的旋律，一点一滴、慢慢地渗透给聆听和学习它的人，这种美引人向善，它使学琴孩子们获得的不仅仅是一项专业技能，而更多的是做人的道理和艺术。因此，深爱艺术的人也往往是热爱生命、享受生活的人。吴老师说，他对艺术的热爱是无法阻挡的，如果让他十天不拉琴，那感觉真的比扼制他的生命还难受。看着眼前年近花甲却依然容光焕发的吴老师，我真是很羡慕他饱满的精神状态和眼神中那闪闪的神采。我想，正是艺术，才使得他和所有热爱艺术的人永葆青春不老之心吧。

   

我们还谈了很多关于他教授小提琴课程的内容。他说，如今的他已经把对艺术的追求延伸于对学生们的培养和希望之中。他希望他的学生们能够在琴艺上超越他，实现他所未完成的梦想，取得更高的成就。末了，我请吴老师送给所有的青年人一句话。他说：“希望所有人的人生都能像艺术一样美好。”我想，这便是他一直以来作为一个负责任的好老师、一个精益求精的演奏家，为学生们、为听众们不断付出的动力和目标吧。在此，我也同敬爱的吴老师一道，祝愿每个人都能拥有自己的艺术人生，每个人也能用自己的艺术人生为别人点亮艺术之光，使越来越多的人生活在充满艺术享受的人间天堂，因为爱本身也是一种艺术。