By Minghui reporter Zhu Xiuming

(Clearwisdom.net) "Falun Dafa is Good, Falun Dafa is Good, Falun Dafa is the Righteous Way, Buddha's Light Illuminates Everywhere." Joyous music reverberated in the skies above Chinatown in Los Angeles.... On February 26, 2006, a grand parade opposing the persecution and supporting the withdrawals from the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was held in Chinatown in Los Angeles. The parade was composed of more than 2,000 Falun Gong practitioners from around the world, people from the Quitting CCP Service Center and people showing concern over China's human rights. The Celestial Band, led the parade. More than 200 bandsmen marched on the streets in Chinatown accompanied by powerful drumbeats from military drums. A passerby described that each song this band played seemed to be able to thoroughly cleanse both the heaven and earth.

The Celestial Band is a marching band set up two months ago, composed of 200 Falun Gong practitioners. The drums and trumpets are so impressive and amazing that many people want to know more about it.

General director of the Celestial Band is Chen Rutang, who was born into an old and well-known musical family. Mr. Chen announced that the Celestial Band has been organized for just over two months, and there are about 200 members, mainly Falun Gong practitioners from all walks of life from the New York Metropolitan Area. Among them are tenor Mr. Guan Guimin, soprano Jiang Min and some philharmonics, but most of the members do not have any basic musical knowledge training. They include company managers, doctors, painters, workers, homemakers, university students, even high school and elementary school students. The oldest is 68 years old, and the youngest is 13 years old.

Chen Rutang said that it can be called a miracle to set up such a marching band in just over two months. When asked what empowered the many practitioners who do not know much about music to set up a marching band, and to be able to give public performances in such a short period of time, and to play such impressive music, Chen Rutang said that all members of the Celestial Band are cultivators. They have a high requirement for themselves, and through practice their improvement has been generally faster than ordinary bands.

Certainly, the requirement of the Celestial Band on its members is also very high. The band requires that everyone practices by himself or herself every day, and joins in group training on a weekend for an entire day. Trombonist Li Baigen said that he liked very much practicing together with other band members because he could feel a very strong energy field. At the same time, seeing other practitioners being so diligent, he is encouraged. Everyone discussed together and worked with each other so they could make progress faster.

Drummer Yu Xin is a hostess at NTDTV. She said that one of the reasons attributed to the miracle of the Celestial Band is the power of everyone's "heart," and their spirit in opposing the persecution. Everyone wants to convey the beauty of Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance through the musical notes they play.

Yu Xin introduced that the Chinese Communist regime carried out a policy described as "beating [Falun Gong practitioners] to death is nothing, and counted as committing suicide" to brutally persecute Falun Gong practitioners, and many practitioners have died as a result of persecution. Some members of the marching band have experienced torture inflicted upon them by the CCP, and some of their family members have suffered persecution in China. A main reason for them to come to take part in the marching band is to let more people learn the truth about Falun Gong.

Falun Gong practitioner Li Baigen came to the United States over two years ago from mainland China to avoid being arrested by the CCP. When he heard that a marching band was to be set up, he immediately registered to join and became a trombonist.

Li Baigen said that when playing the trombone, he felt each note represent his thought, "Falun Dafa is Great, the World needs Truthfulness-Compassion-Forbearance." He hopes every person who hears the music of the Celestial Band can feel Falun Dafa's peacefulness and beauty.

Trombonist Julia expressed that she felt very much honored to be able to promote the beauty of Falun Dafa in a form of a cultivator's peacefulness. She said, "Everyone overcomes many difficulties with a strong will, and hopes to tell the world's people the beauty of Falun Dafa in such an artistic form."

Like most of members of the Celestial Band, Li Baigen was basically musically illiterate three months ago. He had never touched any music instruments before.

Li Baigen said, "When I first picked a trombone, I was really at a loss. I could not recognize a music score, did not have music sense, and could not follow the rhythm. I either was unable to make a sound, or was out of tune even if I was able to make a sound. I was vexed, and the more I was vexed, the worse I blew. But, since it is for clarifying the truth to the world's people, no matter how arduous and difficult, I should practice well."

He practiced several hours each day, and used great strength to blow into the mouthpiece with his lips. Several days later, his lips began chapping. At the most serious time, after finishing practice, his lip stuck to the mouthpiece of the trombone, oozing blood. Even so, he did not stop practicing even for one day.

John and Xiao Ran, of the several young men who play trumpets, are both computer engineers who are very busy in their work, and both also do other volunteer work. To meet the requirement to play the trumpet in a very short period of time, they each took a trumpet mouthpiece to work with them every day. In their free time, they would practice. When walking or driving, they also practiced exhaling and changing breath. John said he was busy during the daytime, and did not have time to practice. When he returned home at midnight, in order not to disturb his neighbor, he hid in a storeroom to practice. For the first few weeks, his mouth swelled due to blowing the trumpet, especially when practicing. A alt, all trumpet players said they felt sharp pain in their heads. But with cultivators' strong wills, they did not slack off for one day, but practiced diligently every day, and could feel their improvement each day. Whenever playing a note well, they felt very happy.

John expressed that he grew up in America, and has never suffered much since childhood. Doing sitting mediation for an hour is also not painful, but very relaxed. But practicing playing the trumpet was really a challenge to him. The process was a good opportunity to temper his willpower and improve his xinxing.

Enthusiastic audience

Being Calm in Mind Brings Natural Success and Outstanding Performance

Participating in the musical performance of a marching band is also to put an end to slander and persecution inflicted upon Falun Gong by the Chinese Communist Party evil specter, so the participants' involvement is necessarily connected with their individual cultivation. Piccolo player Zhao Xin had some understanding of this. She said, "Holding the piccolo in hand, I was unable to produce sounds, I was very worried, the more I was worried, the less I was able to make the sounds come out, and the more I was out of tune. I thought, Master has told us that people in the past would always adjust their breath first no matter what they did, and they did not start doing things until they calmed down. Cultivators emphasize being calm in mind and being tranquil, so to calm down I sat peacefully to study the Fa, reading the book Zhuan Falun. Gradually, I felt better. I blew again, and it was really good. Without using any strength, the correct tune was produced. Playing piccolo is also cultivation."

The leader of the Celestial Band, Falun Gong practitioner, tenor Guan Guimin said, "Our band has participated in two community parades in New York, the audience's response was warm and enthusiastic because overseas, Chinese people have never seen such a large band. Seeing Falun Gong practitioners' marching band performances, they applauded enthusiastically, and many people were amazed and dumbfounded."

Chinatown residents living described the Celestial Band's performance with words like "Vast scene, with profound influence." He said he was amazed at seeing the waist drum group, along with the banners during the parade. It can be said to be shocking heaven and earth. He said the communist party appears strong and fierce, but it is actually very scared.

Chinese version available at http://www.minghui.org/mh/articles/2006/3/1/121868.html