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At the audition for this year's Voice of Minhang·Singer Contest, a foreign performer in a yellow suit sang softly while playing the guitar, instantly catching everyone's attention. He is Daniel, the only foreign singer-songwriter in this year's Singer Contest.
"I have lived and worked in Huacao for nearly eight years. I love everything here. I love Chinese culture, and I also deeply cherish Chinese culture, as well as the early childhood education profession that I pursue."
However, about eight years ago, when Daniel first came to China, he could only speak two Chinese words. Today, Daniel can not only speak Chinese fluently, compose Chinese songs, but also pick up more life skills.
"I remember when I first started teaching at Morgan Kindergarten, the only Chinese I could say was 'Ni Hao' and 'Xie Xie'. One time the kids wanted some water, but they gestured for ages and I still wasn't getting it. From that moment on, I made up my mind to learn Chinese. Now, not only can I have simple conversations in Chinese, but I've also learned how to shop on Taobao and order takeout on Meituan. Today I can write song lyrics in Chinese."
What charm does the city have that keeps an American here for eight years? He gives a down-to-earth answer.
"Ten years ago when I lived in the USA, I always loved to play the guitar and sing. And to my surprise, when I arrived in Shanghai, China, I was able to continue pursuing my passion in music. As for the conveniences Huacao offers me, there are simply too many to list. There are bilingual signs everywhere, and the community center frequently organizes activities for expat families, so I never feel lonely. Plus, there's a small park right below my building. I can walk to the supermarket and to the gym in just ten minutes. The neighborhood is very safe, so I often walk home alone at night after playing the guitar, completely without worry. This deep sense of belonging has blossomed into cross-border friendship and cultural resonance, giving birth to an original song that blends Chinese and Western elements and showcases cultural communication. We both love Huacao deeply, so we wrote this song together — 'I Love Huacao'. Given the fitting atmosphere, we decided to enter the competition together. After all, bilingual songs blending Chinese and Western styles aren't so common in competitions. It is also an original song, and we hope everyone will enjoy it."
The creation drew on all the strengths of Huacao and local place names, using homophonic techniques in the lyric. The whole tune is gentle and melodious, and filled with positive vibes. It encourages people to strive forward and keep creating.
When it comes to the upcoming contest, Daniel says ranking is not the main goal. Singing sincerely on stage and sharing his musical passion with the crowd is success enough. He has more plans for the future: opening a music story corner and writing more songs about Shanghai.
"Next year I plan to launch a music story corner at Morgan Kindergarten, where I'll sing along to English picturebooks with the children every week, accompanied by my guitar. I also want to write more songs about Shanghai and Huacao, like 'Four Seasons in Huacao' and 'Morgan's little train'. Music and early childhood education shouldn't be separated in the first place. Songs help children remember words. I hope that every child I've taught, when looking back on their childhood as adults, will remember the American teacher strumming a guitar and singing. Now it's time for Maggie and I to participate in the competition. I hope you'll all wish us luck."
Now let's look forward to him using his guitar to sing out the warmth and charm of this town in the following performances.
在今年“声动闵行 我是歌王”市民歌手争霸赛海选现场，一位身着黄色西装，拨动吉他弦深情弹唱的外籍选手，吸引了全场目光。他叫王达维，是本届比赛中唯一一名原创外籍歌手。
“我住在上海华漕快八年了，工作在华漕八年了。我爱这里的一切。我热爱中国文化，热爱自己所追求的幼教事业。”
八年前，王达维刚来中国的时候还只会说两个中文词汇。如今，王达维不仅能流利地讲中文，写中文歌，还解锁了更多生活技能。
“我记得第一次来到摩根幼儿园教学的时候，我只会说‘你好’‘谢谢’。有一次这里的孩子告诉我想喝水，但他们比画了半天我也不明白要干吗。自那时起，我下定决心学习中文。现在，我不仅能用中文进行简单对话，我还学会了在淘宝购物，在美团点外卖。如今我能用中文写歌了。”
这座城市到底有什么魅力，让一个美国人待了八年不愿离开？
他的回答朴实真切：“十年前我还在美国的时候，我就很爱吉他弹唱。惊喜的是，来到中国上海，我依然能尽情追寻音乐梦想。我在华漕享受到的便利，数不胜数。这儿到处是双语标识，社区中心经常组织外籍家庭参加各类活动，我从未感到孤单。而且我家楼下就是小公园，步行十分钟就能到超市和健身房。小区治安特别好，所以我经常晚上弹完吉他，独自回家，完全不必担心。这份深深的城市归属感，化作跨国情谊与文化共鸣，催生了一首中西交融、承载文化交流意义的原创歌曲。我们彼此都非常热爱华漕，所以我们就写了这首歌曲——《我爱华漕》。在这个很应景的气氛下，我们决定一起参赛。毕竟这种中西结合、双语的这种歌曲还是比较少的，然后又是原创歌曲，也希望大家能够喜欢。”
整首歌曲创作巧思十足，创作者巧用谐音手法，将华漕的风土特色与本地地名融入歌词。曲目旋律温婉，基调积极向上，“我们要努力去奋斗，我们要努力去创造” 的歌词，更是传递出满满的正能量。
这首歌曲巧思十足，把华漕的优点特色、本地地名融入歌曲，用谐音的方式展现。旋律柔和、氛围昂扬，“我们要努力去奋斗，我们要努力去创造” 的歌词，尽显积极向上的态度。
对于即将到来的比赛，王达维坦言名次不是最重要的，能够站在舞台上唱响热爱，让更多人听到自己的音乐心声，这本身就是一种胜利。而他对未来还有更多计划：开设音乐故事角，写更多关于上海的歌。
“明年我计划在摩根幼儿园开设音乐故事角，每周我都会伴着吉他，和孩子们一起唱英文绘本歌谣。我还想创作更多关于上海华漕的歌曲，比如《华漕四季》《摩根小火车》。音乐与幼教本就相辅相成，不可分割。歌曲能帮孩子记住词汇。我希望我教过的每一个孩子，长大后回望童年时，能记得有一位美国老师弹着吉他这样唱。现在我们要去参赛了，大家祝我们好运哦。”
期待接下来的赛程中，他将用吉他弹唱出这座小镇的温度与魅力。
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Reported by Guo Xinruo, Lu Qianchen
Edited by Shi Sijia
Reviewed by Liu Kenbo, Xue Weikan
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