My trip to Ghana was an inspiring experience; being surrounded by enthusiastic children and passionate teachers reminded me why the Reading Spots initiative was so important. It was almost perfect, just almost – it was just a bit uncomfortable not being able to play the piano for two weeks.

I have had the privilege to develop a passion for music. It excites me to discover complex harmonies and beautiful melodies by many composers of different eras. I just thought that performing and sharing the legacies of these composers with a charitable cause would be a great idea. I decided to organise a concert in Hong Kong with two other brilliant pianists from the Hong Kong Academy of Performing Arts – Alvina Yang and Vivienne Tam.

We all performed for a slot of 45 minutes each, with repertoire ranging from Bach to Schumann, Beethoven to Messiaen. Although it was a nerve-racking experience to perform in front of 100 people, it was a great experience to see how the audience, friends and family were so supportive of the music-making, as well as this meaningful cause. Considering the overemphasis on academia among students, many would lack a sense of global awareness. I was pleased to see empathy from those who participated. If more events were attached with charitable causes, I think people would have greater awareness of the injustices and inequalities around the world, and would be more vocal and outspoken about it

In the end, we raised £4,000 from ticketing sales and donations. It was a surreal experience, and I encourage many others to do the same! 

Tony Wong, August 2018

The funds Tony has raised will go directly towards funding the expansion of the Abofour project, our first ‘Reading Spot’. As the Reading Spots project is run entirely by volunteers, all fundraising can make a significant and direct difference in Ghana, which pupils are able to quickly see the impact of. Email contact@readingspots.org if you would like to follow Tony in fundraising for Reading Spots