PETALING JAYA: Music has always been a huge part of Sarah Ow’s life. A certified music teacher who uses rhythm and melody to teach special needs children, she is also a natural singer as shown in a video at a recent symposium focused on special educational needs for adults and children.
Her love for music began when she was a toddler, being rocked to sleep with songs from Shania Twain’s album Come On Over.
When introduced to the piano at the age of eight, her teachers noticed she had “perfect pitch”, a rare ability to identify or recreate a musical note, that only about one in 10,000 people possess.
Ow was also diagnosed with mild autism and borderline Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) as a child.
She has since honed her skills after graduating from Singapore’s Genesis School and HELP University in Kuala Lumpur.
Part of her classes included music therapy and guiding young children’s behaviour.
Ow, who has been teaching special needs children since 2018, sees her abilities as an opportunity to shape the children’s personalities.
“I have wanted to be a music and kindergarten teacher since I was 17. I teach two to eight children in a group twice a week at the Pusat Jagaan Kanak-kanak Istimewa Sri Eden in Cheras,” the 24-year-old told theSun.
“Seeing them happy and able to sing in class brings me joy. We also use percussions,” she said.
“It is only when they are naughty or when they start to pull my hair that I need to be firm. I would ask them to take a break if they find the class too much or too stimulating to handle.
“Otherwise, the sessions are fun,” she said, adding that her students have different forms of disabilities such as Down’s Syndrome, ADHD and speech impediment.
Ow’s mother, Tan Li-Ling, said Ow only started to walk at 18 months and was often hyperactive and seemed aloof.
She took Ow to four specialists, who confirmed that she would need special lessons.
“I felt nervous, sad and confused,” said Tan, who enrolled her daughter in speech and occupational therapies, including in a Montessori kindergarten.
“I would spend RM5,000 a month on her treatment in the early years. This would cover school fees, speech therapy, occupational therapy and perhaps one other therapy,” she added.
The family’s encouragement to ensure Ow leads a productive life is paying off.
The elder of two siblings, Ow, who intends to pursue her dream of becoming a singer-songwriter, performs regularly at charity and wedding events in a three-piece band called “Forever Band” with guitarist Boy King and Alleycats’ bassist Jimmy Loh.
Her favourite artistes are Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga.
The band would often rehearse at Music Mart, a school that serves both able-bodied and differently-abled students, founded by local musician Edwin Nathaniel.
Nathaniel stressed that being patient with his students was crucial to bring out the best in them.
“For instance, there are different forms of autism. The children would jump, run around or not focus. It is a challenge to get them to sit, focus and play.
“Their parents would tell me that I needed to be firm with them.
“I would repeatedly tell them I was their teacher, and that they were my students.
“I would make changes in my teaching style to make it fun.
“In the end, patience is a virtue and commitment is needed to teach them,” he said.
