Congratulations to Noreen Chui for having her work shortlisted for the MBBS1 MEHU creative work presentation.

Noreen explains her work below….

My project is titled The Sounds and Shapes of Life relating to the theme of Living and Dying. It comprises a collection of excerpts from piano music selected to illustrate the process of living and dying. I have been playing the piano for twenty years and music has always been my way of expressing emotions. I wanted the audience to be able to understand what these music pieces remind me of, so I have added some visual elements to accompany the music.

The piece begins with a light joyous melody by Schubert, reminding me of the joy of life and growth. This is followed by Tchaikovsky’s October “Autumn Song” which symbolizes aging and frailty. A fast, hurried piece by Schubert symbolizes disease. Beethoven’s Pathetique Sonata first movement depicts dying, while the second movement depicts grief. My work ends with the famous hymn Amazing Grace which was sung at my grandparents’ funeral. This melody gives me peace and hope, signified by the flower.

Playing music allows me to relax and take care of my mental wellbeing by organizing my thoughts and emotions. Playing music also cultivates my empathy because to play a piece well one must try to understand why the composer wrote the piece and the circumstances he was in when he wrote the piece. I hope that this short selection of music and the video can remind people of the simplicity and fragility of life, and also remind medical students to never lose empathy.