(Minghui.org) I’m an editor for Minghui. My responsibilities include adding music to the audio recordings of cultivation experiences, adjusting the volume, and completing a series of steps to produce a finished broadcast file.
I select a piece of music to introduce the broadcast content and showcase Falun Dafa practitioners’ rich musical creations. I choose different music based on the content, voice-over, tone, and other factors. The music selection can give the broadcast a unique flavor. Another critical consideration is adjusting the volume. If this isn’t done correctly the overall effect of even the best content and music can be ruined, and everyone’s hard work will be wasted.
Joining Minghui
A few years ago, I was invited to do voice-over work for an upcoming Japanese Minghui radio program, which led me to join the team. I was a bit overconfident, thinking, “It’s just reading articles and recording them—what could be so hard?” But when I heard the audio files I recorded I realized my pronunciation, rhythm, intonation, and pauses were terrible—it was unbearable to listen to.
The recording equipment I used was cobbled together, and the sound quality was awful. I was reluctant to let anyone else hear my recordings, especially in front of me. Once, when my wife played back one of my recordings while I was present, I even snapped at her.
Since I didn’t know how to improve my voice acting skills, I couldn’t actively help. The team once faced a crisis due to a shortage of narrators, but they managed to maintain the minimum number of narrators and continued to operate.
About a year later the practitioner who had been editing Minghui Radio left Japan, so there was an urgent need for editors. I still lacked confidence in my voice-over, so I decided to try editing which would allow me to learn from others while editing the broadcasts.
Becoming an Editor
I began by downloading editing software. I followed the instructions carefully and began experimenting with producing radio programs.
Looking back now, I realize that I was only focused on finishing quickly, and I even found myself competing with another editor to see who could finish faster. I created several templates and concentrated on editing efficiently. Because I relied entirely on my intuition when I adjusted the volume I never quite mastered the appropriate setting.
I wanted to diversify the music used in the radio program. This was because only a few songs were used throughout the year for the opening and closing themes, as well as for background music, and some of them even had noise. So, I stopped using those songs and selected other songs from the music library that the other editor gave me and I used them for a while.
As the music changed I had to adjust the timing of when to cut to the broadcast text and the volume of the audio. The template I created soon became unusable, and the time it took to edit a broadcast program increased. I began to focus more on improving the quality of the broadcast program rather than editing speed.
But the problem surfaced again: the existing music library was quickly running out. After checking with the coordinator, I learned that Minghui Broadcasting can use music downloaded from the Tianyin website. When I opened the Tianyin website, it felt like a musical paradise: a vast space filled with a rich variety of music. I immediately downloaded some piano accompaniment music that was widely applicable.
As the number of songs available increased, the frequency of changing songs decreased from once a month to once every two weeks. A few months later someone suggested combining a month’s worth of radio programs into a single continuous broadcast. This made me realize my shortcomings.
When I imported a month’s worth of broadcast files into editing software, I was devastated. The volume of the voice-over recordings varied, and although I thought I switched the music frequently during editing, when I listened to two weeks of broadcasts I realized that it was just one song playing on repeat.
The content of Minghui Radio covers a wide range of topics, including practitioners’ cultivation experiences, cautionary stories about practitioners, articles recalling Master’s seminars, the cultivation experiences of young practitioners, traditional culture, and much more.
I always chose songs based on my personal preferences, without considering the theme of the broadcast content. During the broadcast integration process, I had a sudden thought: “Wouldn’t it be better to select intro, interlude, and outro songs that are suitable for the theme and content of each broadcast?”
However, concerns arose, such as “If I do this, will the editing be completed on time? Won’t I have to repeat the previous tracks once the existing ones are used up?”
When I listened to Minghui broadcasts in other languages, I found that they all repeated the same tune. I began to doubt whether my thinking was correct. Just when I was confused about what to do, I found the answer when I read the Fa.
Master told us:
“Contemporary music or ancient music, whatever the case, you need to walk your own paths, based on your understandings as Dafa disciples.” (Teaching the Fa at the Meeting on Writing Music, Teaching the Fa at the Discussion onWriting Music and Creating Fine Art)
So, I decided to listen to all of the more than 1,000 songs I downloaded from the Tianyin website.
Understanding the Heavenly Circuit
I spent a long time listening to songs on the Tianyin website one by one and downloading them. I categorized them by instrument type, such as piano, flute, string instruments, and brass instruments. I also divided them into categories such as “for young practitioners,” “in memory of Master’s lectures,” “Tian Guo Marching Band,” and “traditional culture” for easy reference. In this way, I spent nearly a year filling up my music library.
I feel that, although editing broadcasts every day and enriching the music library are two seemingly similar tasks, they are two essential pillars that serve different needs.
As I listened to each piece of music, for a moment I seemed to see the entire Tianyin website—it resembled the Buddha’s body—each piece of music was like particles of varying sizes that make up the body. The process of listening felt like the Earth orbiting the Sun, and it was as if I were circling the Buddha’s body. This reminded me of another form of the Heavenly Circuit Master discussed in Zhuan Falun.
A thousand music pieces are like the Buddha with a thousand hands, and the range of music available for simultaneous broadcast editing is also expanding. I once worried about whether it was actually possible to choose specific music for each broadcast. Now, I can find the corresponding piece for any broadcast, and it doesn’t take much time. One day, I came up with a great solution for adjusting the volume: by distinguishing between stereo and mono, the volume adjustment problem is now a breeze.
The Hardship and Reward of Training Others
The coordinator found practitioners who wanted to learn how to edit the broadcasts, and I began teaching them. I shared all the experience I accumulated with them, but a lot was difficult to express clearly in words.
For those who are just starting to edit it is understandable that there will be shortcomings. I was afraid that the editing techniques I passed on might be the reason. I consciously let go of this fear and stopped nitpicking other practitioners’ work. Instead, I only pointed out the major issues and sincerely helped them when they encountered difficulties.
I also learned a lot. I became aware of many areas where I tend to be careless. As more people helped edit broadcasts the standard gradually improved. A few days ago when my family had an issue a practitioner sent me a message saying, “I’ll do my best to edit the broadcasts so please don’t worry.” This gave me a lot of encouragement.
My Gratitude For Master’s Arrangements For Me
In my opinion, the editing work of Minghui Radio, which utilizes music materials reflecting the profound cultivation experiences and musical compositions of individuals highly likely to become enlightened beings in the future, is the result of the multifaceted efforts of practitioners in translating, proofreading, and downloading selected articles. Such priceless treasures are simply impossible to find in ordinary society.
About twenty years ago, I began my spiritual journey after a trip to the United States. Before the trip, I went to a CD store to find music to listen to during my journey. I was into hip-hop at the time, but for some reason, my eyes were drawn to a CD featuring a large Tai Chi symbol. Throughout the trip, I listened to that CD nonstop. Even though I was in the United States, I found myself filled with an overwhelming sense of awe and longing for China’s vast landscapes and rich culture.
On the plane back home I found a Falun Dafa flyer. Whenever I think of this, it reminds me that Master already made arrangements for each practitioner long ago. Faced with such a profound debt of gratitude I haven’t been able to repay Master and often feel guilty and tearful while editing and producing broadcasts.
Closing Remarks
I’ve recently seen an increasing number of requests for video editing which made me realize that I still need to improve my skills and that I need to elevate my xinxing and cultivate better. I haven’t given up on voice-overs and I constantly practice and strive to be able to soon record with other practitioners.
Since last year, the number of podcast downloads steadily increased, and I am proud that I can also fulfill my mission in this way. My wish is that other practitioners will gain righteous understandings by listening to Minghui Radio and be able to share the truth about Falun Dafa with more people.
Thank you, Master! Thank you to all the practitioners who provide the music!
Views expressed in this article represent the author's own opinions or understandings. All content published on this website are copyrighted by Minghui.org. Minghui will produce compilations of its online content regularly and on special occasions.
Category: Improving Oneself
