Christine Samson - Not Just a Vocal Coach

Earlier this month we held our first press conference to announce the official launch of CSMA Studio and its Special Summer Vocal Program in affiliation with Regal Hotels. We were thrilled to have had such a great turn out of press photographers and journalists, and felt very fortunate and touched that so many of our students came to support the event as well.

Hosting a press conference was a decision that came largely from the marketing team behind the CSMA Studio/Regal Hotel Special Summer Vocal Program project. Those who know Christine well will know that she is certainly not the type of person who seeks this type of media attention for herself. As Christine herself jokingly said at the press conference, "Ask me to sing a song and I'll be fine. Ask me to speak in public and watch my legs turn to jelly!"

We were fortunate that so many of our students were able to attend the event to show their support and it was especially heartwarming to hear some of Christine's students and friends (including Stephen Chan 陳志雲, Fiona Sit 薛凱琪, Miriam Yeung 楊千嬅, Tina Liu 劉天蘭 who spoke in person, and Joey Yung 容祖兒 and GEM who gave video testimonials) share a few words about their experiences with her. While each student had their own story to tell, one thing they all had in common was the feeling that Christine isn't just a vocal coach to them; she's a confidante, a person who genuinely cares about her students, who gives her time generously to others and, most of all, an inspiration. Canto-pop singer Miriam Yeung, in particular, shared that during a critical time in her career Christine inspired her to love music again.

As I sat there in the conference room listening to these heartfelt testimonials, I was reminded of the famous quote that goes, "People may not remember exactly what you did, or what you said, but they will always remember how you made them feel." I believe that as teachers, we should always strive to not only pass our knowledge on to our students but to also nurture a passion for the subject they're learning. Whether it be through words of encouragement, patience and understanding, giving students goals, cheering them on as they struggle through their challenges, showing our pride when they succeed or, at best, all of the above, I believe it is the responsibility of teachers to not only educate but to also inspire and that these qualities combined is what makes a person truly worthy of being called a teacher.