Music has always been one of my striking talents. When I first picked up my own classical Yamaha guitar, I didn't know what to expect. Although I have been learning how to play the piano for years, it... just felt different from a string instrument. As I learned the basics on my own, I began to find great interest. Although the guitar is a relatively difficult instrument, I truly enjoyed the sound and how you can produce any kind of piece with it. As I continued to enroll in my school guitar class, I was often complimented as being a quick learner and excelling in the guitar especially playing fingerstyle, which is a method of playing both the melody and the bass in the guitar. I soon began to explore other guitars, and I found that the acoustic guitar was suitable for me. I often joined bands in my church as the main guitarist, and I occasionally taught students in my class. A great moment was when I was chosen to perform in front of my whole high school, where I played a duet as the fingerstyle with my friend being the accompaniment. In the future, I hope to use my talents to good use and hopefully teach more students in the future. read more

Hello, my name is Matthew. I am ethnically Chinese born in Los Angeles and raised in Indonesia ever since. I was born speaking English and Indonesian, and am currently fluent in Japanese. I am current... ly studying abroad in the United States and I love interconnecting with students from all cultures from all around the world. I love diversity, and I am passionate about many things, including STEM, languages, music, cooking, teaching, and much more. My perspective upon teaching changed during my math class in high school. Until then, I was not the best at academics, but I challenged myself in an advanced class and I failed my first exam. With my grit, I did not give up and I worked hard and I gained straight A's afterward. Ever since I began to teach people who I once asked for help, I found great interest in teaching. Although I received nothing in return, I really enjoyed helping peers in my classroom and occasionally helping them outside of school hours. Although I had a bad image of studying and becoming a teacher myself, I discovered that it became one of my passion after trying. Being able to teach is a blessing, as I share the talents and skills I have, and also learn in the process. As an ambitious student in my community, I always hope to make an impact. I believe education is one of the keys to success, and I believe that by sharing my knowledge with others, I can create an impact, starting with students, one by one. Living in a third-world country, Indonesia, I see that education is one of the greatest necessities lacking within the country, and I strongly believe that education will make a country like Indonesia better.read more