When I was 15, I fell in love with the songs when they were first released — Bring Him Home, I Dreamed A Dream and On My Own. Even though I hadn’t read Les Miserables and knew very little about the musical, the songs captured my attention and I happily sang along with enthusiasm and energy whenever I heard them on the radio.

At the age of 17, I watched Les Miserables in a theatre of Vancouver. After getting home, I was really thrilled and announced that I wanted to perform in the musical. Hearing what I said, my parents did nothing but support me, although they considered the thought ridiculous, given that we lived 50 kilometres from the nearest large town, Toowoomba. There was little likelihood of ever having a chance to perform.

But some things are just meant to be. The Toowoomba Choral Society bought the performance rights with the view to perform it. Although I was not a member of the choir, they called for auditions (试镜) and I went along. I had had no experience singing and had never performed in any musicals but I believed in miracles and hoped that there was a place for me somewhere in the chorus.

I tried out for the part of Javert but did not have the range. Little did I know there were a host of parts that needed filling. Fortunately, I was chosen to be in the chorus as well as playing seven roles — ten costume changes in all. It was so exciting to play all the different parts. Rehearsals (排练) started immediately and I got a crash course in singing, acting and dancing. There was so much to learn and as I drove to rehearsals three times a week a little voice would say, “You are in over your head, get out now.”

I really had a hard time rehearsing — first with written texts and sheet music and then without. Personally, I struggled. So much to learn really made me so crazy that I had a strong desire to quit. And the little voice “You are in over your head, get out now.” rang in my ears again.

At that time, my parents’ determined look appeared in my mind.

On the opening night, nervous as I was, I gathered my courage and stepped on the stage.

6 . Kao chia-yu’s journey into music began at the age of 3, and he started violin lessons at 6 and piano at 10. According to Kao, Taiwan doesn’t have graded exams for music education as the mainland does. Instead, children from age 8 can choose government-organized exams, which give access to specialized music classes at school.

“I entered the music program in the 3rd grade through the exam. Students from this program have additional coursework related to music theory,” Kao told Teens. In high school, he still signed up for the music class, which allowed him to skip other subjects like math to devote more hours to music courses.

“This specialized and systematic nature of music education in Taiwan has trained many musical talents, such as Jay Chou and Ouyang Nana. They received strict music training at school,” Kao said.

The most challenging thing for Kao is finding a balance between music and academics. “People say that music keeps kids out of trouble, but we simply don’t have time for mischief(恶作剧)，” Kao joked. His days are carefully structured: completing homework during lunchtime or breaks, resting briefly at home after school, and then practicing the violin and piano. On holidays, he doubles his practice hours or seeks guidance from professional teachers.” But the many opportunities to perform on behalf of my school add joy and motivation into my sometimes boring routine，”Kao said.

After 14 years of music learning, Kao has found that the true essence (本质) of music lies in discovering one’s unique voice, allowing both the musician and listener to bury themselves in a musical world crafted through personal performance.

This summer, Kao joined the music program at New England Conservatory of Music(新英格兰音乐学院)in the US and performed with students from all over the world. Kao’s passion for music only continues to grow, displaying his technical practice for the craft and lasting love for it as an outlet for personal expression.

7 . A group of middle-aged dads formed a dance team to perform at their kids’ school but unexpectedly gained popularity on social media, having over 300, 000 followers—one of them is famous actor Hugh Jackman. The “Outta” Puff Daddys first came together in 2012 in Brighton for a surprise performance at their children’s annual dance show.

Having never danced as a job before and ranging in age from 42 to 60, the dads were taught by their kids’ street dance teacher for the surprise performance. They received a good reception, so they decided to carry on permanently.

Paul Jukes, 48, said dancing together has enabled the members to get through unemployment and anxiety. “Even though I’m the leader and artistic director of the team, I’m not normally the most confident guy,” said Jukes, whose team name is Jukebox. “If we’re in a party situation, we’re off at the side, but when we’re together those inhibitions (拘束感) are lost, and we just accept life to the fullest.”

The dance team members remember the moment when they surprised their kids at the dance show. “We performed at the Brighton Dome which seats 2, 000 people, so for our first live dance performance, it was quite something. We took the roof off,” Jukes said. “The noise was crazy and of course, the kids in the audience were blown away. They were shouting, ‘Hang on a second; that’s your dad.’ Most people might think our kids would be embarrassed by us but none of them had that feeling. All our families and kids were really supportive and really loved it. And it has been considered cool by them to have such a large following on Instagram.” The team has to adapt to its members’ changing bodies as they get older, but that has not stopped them from continuing to dream big, which sets a good example to their kids.