˾ graduating seniors got some advice from an eminent faculty member during Summer Commencement on Friday.
Dr. Chan Kiat Lim, a recipient of the UL ˾ Foundation’s 2015 Distinguished Professor Award, offered guidance as the keynote speaker. An associate professor of music, he teaches piano performance and has performed classical music professionally around the world. He has been cited for developing new ways to present and teach music.
Lim urged graduates to embrace new experiences, learn from others and promote the arts. He concluded his remarks by performing Claude Debussy’s "Prélude" from "Pour le Piano."
Below is his address to the Summer 2015 graduates.
Graduates, I am most honored to be here with you to celebrate this benchmark event.
Today, you are standing at the edge of a new dawn, confronted with exciting opportunities, crucial decisions, and experiences that will continually shape your life, and even, your happiness.
Facing you is a set of doors, each leading to a different destiny and destination, each having the potential to propel you into the forefront of your professions. The question is: are you ready to face the challenge? And, most importantly, are you ready to dare?
Quite often, these doors are left unopened because of fear or self doubt. These emotions are quite human, and believe me, I understand them well. I grew up in a very small town in West Malaysia, and I really had to dream, and dare, to get where I am today. Thankfully, we can all find that courage within us, even if it’s deep within us, to take the leap of faith that allows great things to happen.
This summer, I observed this very fact while teaching in the Study Abroad Program in Florence, Italy. Many of our students of various disciplines left the Houston airport with a sense of uncertainty and apprehension. As the days passed, they grew to be more confident in their new home in Florence. And by the last days of our six-week program, I witnessed among the same group, a sureness of self, a flair, a fresh curiosity, and an appetite for new adventures that I had not noticed before. It was a beautiful transformation to see and a reminder that to grow, we need to step outside of our comfort zones.
So, if there is any one of you in your seat today who is afraid to leave home, who is anxious about a new opportunity that might seem daunting, or who is frightened to dream, I say, embrace your challenges with enthusiasm. Don’t let your fear hold you back because often times, these opportunities only present themselves once in a lifetime.
As you move toward the next phrase of your life – be it a new job, or new school, or a new city – remember that no man, or woman, is an island. Being successful means that you must know to surround yourself with the right people.
Don’t let the negatives define you. Instead, soar with people who are positive, with those who care about you, and with mentors who know more than you.
Take a moment and look around. You are surrounded by the most important people in your life. Your friends will form solid professional networks. Your professors? Be grateful and value them, as they will be your sounding board and source of wisdom for years to come. And your family members? Treasure them as they will forever be your pillar of strength and guide in life.
In the pursuit of your goals, stay focused and never stop learning. I'm a strong believer that you are defined by your ending and not your beginning, and the journey is the greatest reward. As a faculty member, I can assure you that many of my most successful students did not start off with the best set of skills, nor were they the most talented. But they all had one thing in common – the drive to learn and improve.
Our environment is constantly evolving. Innovative technologies, new dialogues on social issues, medical discoveries, and creative concepts are being presented each day. Keep your eyes and minds open so that you, too, can be part of this growth, and be a better version of yourself each day.
I’d like to quote Mary Oliver, the American poet, who sums this up so eloquently. She writes:
“For what is life but reaching for an answer? And what is death but a refusal to grow?”
So graduates, build upon the foundation of knowledge and experience that you have gained here, so that you can constantly thrust yourself forward in the direction of your dream.
My final message today is one I hold close to my heart.
As our community of ˾ continues to mourn our recent tragedy, we are reminded that we must learn to protect and not destroy, and to inspire positivity and not surrender to fear.
As an artist and teacher of the arts, my life’s passion has been my greatest vehicle for connecting with others as well as to myself. But regardless of your profession, it is through the arts that we can all connect as humans, and reach to the higher realm where we learn to create beauty rather than to destroy it. And through the arts, we gain insights that allow expression that is powerful yet non-violent.
To give you an example, not so long ago in 2008, while anti-American sentiments were still very strong in North Korea, the New York Philharmonic Orchestra was invited to perform there. It was a landmark event for the orchestra and even more importantly, a crucial gesture of reconciliation for both countries. While much tension and many issues were still unresolved, music was able to rise above it all. Music bridged humanity. Such is the magic of the arts.
So, as you take your stand in society, I urge each of you to find a firm footing in protecting the arts – for it belongs not just to the musicians or the painters or the dancers, but rather it is shared among us. And by embracing the arts in your homes and communities, you will also be protecting the very energy and miracle that inspire beauty and life. With that intent, I would like to conclude my speech today, not through words, but rather, through my music.
Let me tell you a little about the piece I will perform.
At the turn of the century in 1901, Claude Debussy, the French impressionistic composer, composed a piece entitled Pour le Piano, which is translated simply as “For the piano.” He intended to show off innovations that were new to the instrument at that time that allowed for his new musical language that is colorful, dreamy, and textured.
Though this music was considered bizarre by many of his contemporaries, Debussy is regarded today as one of the most influential musical figures of the last century. In fact, the impact of what you will hear extends beyond the world of classical music to influence film scores and jazz artists, such as Duke Ellington and Herbie Hancock.
So, to the exuberant Class of Summer 2015, I wish you many congratulations. Like Claude Debussy, strive passionately, dare fiercely, and dream wildly. And I hope that many years from now, you will remember this moment and be reminded to always create beauty and protect this delicate world we live in no matter where you stand.
And now I will like to dedicate this performance of Claude Debussy’s "Prélude" from "Pour le Piano" to the graduating class.
Photo by Amy Windsor