Ms. Zhang earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Music from Nanjing University of Arts in Nanjing, China. After moving to California, she obtained her Master of Music degree in Music Composition and Performance from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. There have been many moments in her singing career that Ms. Zhang takes pride in. She won 1st place in the Jiangsu Chamber Music Competition and the Excellence Award at the Jiangsu Music and Dance festival. As an award-winning professional musician, she has performed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C., and has received commissions for music composition in China and the United States. She is currently a member of the Music Teachers’ Association of California. Ms. Zhang is a Subject Expert Teacher in Music at BASIS Independent Silicon Valley Lower campus. Her goal as an educator at BASIS Independent is to help students understand music, enjoy music, and more importantly, learn about themselves and the world we live in from a musical angle. She strives to use her expertise in music to stimulate the thinking process and imagination of her students. She views music as a healthy outlet for her students to release their thoughts and emotions and by learning different styles of music, students learn to recognize their emotions and how to manage them. The balance and innovation of the BASIS Independent curriculum are what sparked her interest in BASIS Independent Silicon Valley and her teaching philosophy is consistent with the school’s mission and philosophy. She enjoys a positive working environment where everyone makes connections, supports one another, and excels together. For Ms. Zhang, music is a life-changing subject and plays a unique role in the hearts, minds, souls, and spirits of her students. She thinks that music lessons are not only for fun and entertainment but also an important way for students to deepen their thoughts and cultivate their sentiments and temperament. It allows them to feel the world in a sensitive way. Her greatest hope is that when her students learn music, it helps them blossom into well-rounded individuals who believe in themselves. Ms. Zhang likes to give students appropriate autonomy to stimulate their new, innovative, and brilliant ideas in singing and choreography. She believes that a positive attitude and fascinating lessons are the best things to promote engagement in the class. In her classes, she always creates a fun learning environment and uses contagious teaching to encourage the students to explore. One truth she has found is that no matter how old they are, students all love musical games and movements. When she is not teaching music, Ms. Zhang likes watching films and listening to film soundtracks. She has found that these soundtracks and films provide different life stories and experiences that enrich her inner world and inspire her artistic creation.​​​​‌‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍​‍​‍​​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‍​‍​‍​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍‍​‌‌​‌‌​‌​​‌​​‍‍​‍​‍‌‍​‍‌‍​‌‌​‌‍‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‌‍‌​‌‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‍​‍‍‌‍‌​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍​‌‍‌‌​​‍‍‌‍​‌‍‌‍‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌​‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌​​‌‍‌‌‌​​‍‌‍‌​​‌‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌​‍‌‌​​​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌​‌‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌​‌‌‌​​‍‌​‍‌‌‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌​‍‌‍‍‌‌‌​‌‍‌‌‌‍‌‌​​‍‌​‍‍​‍‌‌‍‍‌‌‌‌‍‍​‌‌‌‍‌​‍‌‌​‍‌​‌‌‍​‌‌‌‌‌​​‌​‍​‌‍‌‍‍‍‌‌​‌‍​​‍‌‌‌‌‌‍‌‍‌‌​‍‌‍‌‌‌‍‌​‌‍‍‌‌‌​​‍​‌‍‌‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‌‌‌‍​‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌‍​‌‌‌​‌‍‍​​‌‌‍​‍‌‍‍‌‌‍​‍​‍‌‌