Fun in games

In 2014, the National Center for the Performing Arts in Beijing joined a program launched by the city's municipal education commission that aimed to have art organizations engage in art education programs in schools.

Lei Lei and Zu Wenting, both classically trained musicians with experience of offering music education to children, were assigned by the NCPA to give music classes at primary schools in Beijing.

Their mission was to teach basic knowledge about Western classical music and traditional Chinese music, such as reading music notes and introducing classic works.

They designed various games to have children engage actively in classes, which made music learning fun. They also used music to interact with the youngsters and guide them to express love and joy, likes and dislikes.

"It was an unforgettable experience because we saw how much children enjoyed music. They were not bored at all," recalls Lei, who learned to play the piano as a child and graduated from the China Conservatory of Music as a composer with a master's degree in 2005.

"Their improvement was beyond music itself. For example, they developed their social skills during such classes."

Zu was also impressed by the experience.

"As children, we learned music by practicing our musical instruments for hours every day. It was not so much fun, to be honest. I just practiced the music pieces as my teacher said but I didn't enjoy the process very much," says Zu, who learned to play the erhu (two-stringed Chinese fiddle) as a child and graduated from the China Conservatory of Music with a bachelor's degree in 2004.

"Many children learn music in the country. For those who don't become professional musicians, they can also benefit from learning music in a fun way."

The experience sparked an idea. In 2018, after becoming mothers, Lei and Zu, along with their musician friend, Lin Yan, decided to become entrepreneurs by launching their own music label to offer music training to children of all ages.

After a few years of experimenting with the idea by giving music classes to children through online courses and physical classes at kindergartens and primary schools, their label, Dolala, was introduced online in the form of a new app recently.

"Many schools have moved classes online because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We hope that children can still have access to music learning while the school campus is shut," says Lei.

Keeping with the style of engaging children with fun games during their music learning, the app offers children animated lessons, such as games for ear-training, rhythm and interactive exercises.

Zu learned some animation by herself as the combination of music and animation is a highlight of the app. She designed the main character Dolala, an elf, and his seven playmates, symbolizing the music notes.

Lei and Lin mainly compile the contents of the courses.

"Music is one of the best ways you can keep your kids entertained. We want to use creative ways of keeping children informed and entertained at the same time," Zu says.

When they started to work on the app, Zu's 7-year-old daughter became her student. Her daughter didn't learn to play any musical instrument but started listening to music and learning about music theory by playing games.

"For kids, it's a pleasure to listen to soothing sounds and rhythmic harmonies. It's the first step of introducing them to music and having them intrigued before they learn any musical instrument," says Zu.

For now, they are working on more content for the app and plan to have more courses, such as music history and combining music with other art forms, such as theater and painting.