Teacher Feature | Dr. Wu
In this year’s teacher feature, we decided to find out more about one of the most beloved and talented teachers here at Sewanhaka: Dr. Wu. Dr. Wu is the orchestra teacher for all grades. He also conducts and leads the chamber orchestra, as well as the pit orchestra, notably conducting the pit orchestra in this year’s musical production Kiss Me, Kate. In his free time, he loves playing video games, watching movies, and loves to pet his dog. He describes being able to teach at Sewanhaka as one of his greatest accomplishments. “Earning this spot was definitely one of my accomplishments because I get to work with great faculty and great students.” He also has a doctorate in musical arts to his name, which took him an unbelievable 6 years of hard work to complete!
While he may seem to be just a witty, classical-adoring orchestra teacher, there is a lot more to his character than what meets the eye. His favorite artist is actually Metallica! When we asked what would be his theme song when he walked into a room, he responded, “I always love the energy that Metallica gives, and there’s this song called ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’ by Metallica. Its got the perfect amount of energy and the perfect amount of seriousness to it.” We also asked him what actor he thinks would play him in a movie about himself. He said, “Does Samuel L. Jackson look like me?”
While he joked around with his response, he said that he would love to be played by Simu Liu, the actor who played Shang-Chi in Marvel’s Shang-Chi films. “He’s a really big influence in Asian culture because he was one of the first really popular Asian superheroes.” In his dream dinner with famous musicians, he would love to invite Beethoven (preferably before he was deaf), famous composer Gustav Mahler, and a member of Metallica.
When we asked him where his love for orchestra began, we were surprised by his answer. “It really took its course when I was a junior in high school,” he responded. “I’ve been playing bass since I was in 4th grade, but I didn’t really care about too much of it. I was just playing bass to play bass and I never really understood why I was playing it.” However, once he got into high school, he really started to think about why he was in orchestra, and realized the sense of community and togetherness orchestra, and music in general, can bring, as well as much it could affect himself. After college, he began looking for jobs relating to music. “I had found out about Sewanhaka because of the music program, more specifically about the marching band and stuff, but I also heard that they were going through a lot of orchestra teachers.” When he discovered this, he decided that he wanted to be the one to break this chain and become a true part of the Sewanhaka family. “There’s a certain energy here that I love being around, and the energy comes from you guys, the students.” He loves having the opportunity to work with students and faculty with such a great passion towards what they do and having amazing character. “Another thing is that everyone here is their own individual. I’ve never had the same student musically-wise, and even personality-wise. I think it’s great that there’s just so many different cultures here, too.”
Outside of Sewanhaka, he loves playing in community and church orchestra gigs where he gets to play bass outside of a teaching or conducting environment. He’s also recently been hired to play bass at Queen’s College “It’s good to really branch out that way because I get to branch out and work with a lot of different people.” Other than orchestra, he also loves playing video games, holding the crown as the winner of the first ever faculty Super Smash Bros. tournament held in February. He also loves to play video games occasionally with students during their free time and after school. He loves to cook as well. “It’s just like music, you have to practice how to make a meal, then when it’s done you enjoy the product, similar to practicing your instrument for a concert.” Furthermore, he considers himself a film connoisseur. “I recently saw Dune 2, which the music in that movie was amazing. If you ever get the chance to see it, watch it for the music, and of course the story as well.”
Looking back, his favorite memory at Sewanhaka so far was being able to perform with the chamber orchestra at the district Sewanha-con event last year. “It was the first time that a music group was able to play at Sewanha-con, and it was an amazing experience because of the fantastic music we played and the great cosplayers that brought the energy up.” While looking back with fondness is always fun, he’s only been teaching at Sewanhaka for a few years, so we asked what his plans for the future are. “There’s so many things thrown at you throughout life, and I would like to say I will be here for a while, but there’s so many opportunities for people out there,” he responded sincerely. “I currently teach at Five Towns College in Dix Hills, but I would love to stay here at Sewanhaka for as long as I can.” His statement is true for anyone here at Sewanhaka, and even for anyone else in life. Life can throw many curveballs at you, but there will always be opportunities waiting for you. You just have to open the door and go find them. Never stop learning and never stop exploring. Special thanks to Dr. Wu for allowing us to find out more about him and letting us get to know who he really is, and Jai Singh for helping to record the interview that made this article happen. You can see Dr. Wu conduct the senior high orchestra at the Senior High Spring Concert and Art Show on May 22nd, as well as see him conduct the chamber orchestra at the Tri-M and National Art Honor Society Induction Ceremony on May 30th. We can’t wait for all the amazing memories we will make with you, Dr. Wu!