Under the harsh glow of rehearsal lights, Assistant Orchestra Director Xinyi Lu raises the grip of his baton. Each note that flows from the orchestra blends in tandem, guided by the careful flicks of his hand. This symphony tells his story, one that began in Beijing and continues in the classrooms of Ladue today. 

 Lu’s journey through music started at the age of 6, living in the heart of the Hebei province in North China. His father had connections to a violin teacher, which allowed him to first start learning the instrument. From there, Lu became involved in music, not only through private violin lessons, but also in the broader community. 

“I played in [the] school orchestra and also played [with the] musical theatre in a school club,” Lu said. “I played music because my friends are doing it, so I’m doing it, and I happened to [be] not bad.” 

Growing up in Beijing, one of China’s biggest cities, made it easy for Lu to socialize with others. It was these early bonds that kept him involved in music. Now, Lu’s students are witnesses to his outgoing nature. 

“He has a super positive energy,” Liam Shoghi (11) said. “I’ve never seen him mad at us. He walks in every day with a big smile. He’s just, he’s fun.” 

While Lu’s hometown was where he first started to play, it was only when his family moved from China to Michigan at 16 years old that violin evolved from a hobby to his passion. Lu’s orchestra teacher, Mathias Boegner, unlocked his potential to make music a career. 

“My high school teacher [said], ‘I think you’re good enough to major in music. How about you major in music? And they will give you [a] scholarship,’” Lu said. “So for my undergrad, I went to Western Michigan University in Colorado, Michigan. I still thank them, because they [gave] me a full ride, plus other scholarships. I really appreciate them.”  

It wasn’t until starting college at West Michigan that Lu discovered the possibility of going into music education. Lu realized that a degree in music education could help open new opportunities for work, including being a conductor, music instructor or private teacher. 

“At the beginning, I was majoring in music performance, and I’m like, ‘maybe that’s harder to get a job,’” Lu said. “So I finished college with a degree in violin performance and also a degree in music education.”

Boegner has done more than just help Lu acquire scholarships; he’s heavily influenced the way Lu instructs his students. Boegner is a violinist who received his music education in both Germany and the United States, while also being a former professor at the China Conservatory of Music and the National University of the Arts in Taiwan. Since Boegner has studied music around the world, including the Cincinnati Conservatory of Music, he’s able to bring a unique strategy to teaching.     

“His approach is more technique-based,” Lu said. “He will break the [music] into [the] details of details with you. There are many teachers who are too abstract. They want something, but they don’t tell you how to do it. He will tell you he wants something, and then he will tell you how to do it, [in] very micro steps.” 

Today, students see that same technique based approach reflected in Lu’s own teaching style. Agwu David Nnanna (10) finds that when Lu gives instructions, it’s always been very informative and in-depth. 

 “He always makes sure that we completely understand the topic before we move on to the next one,” Nnanna said. “You can tell that he has a lot of knowledge on what he teaches.” 

What specifically led the way for Lu to become a public school teacher was one person: his mom. Lu’s mother is also a public school teacher, educating high schoolers on macro and micro economics in China.    

“My mom was pretty supportive,” Lu said. “She [said], ‘If you want to be a public school teacher, I think you’re following my career path, [and] I feel proud of you because you’re following my career path. There’s nothing wrong with it.’” 

After Lu finished his undergraduate degree, he spent some time teaching middle and high school students in Michigan before returning to school to further his own education at Florida State University (FSU). 

  “I appreciate [FSU] because they gave me an assistant position, which means I worked for them [and] they covered my tuition,” Lu said. “[I’m a] teaching assistant, which means as a graduate student, [I] teach or assist with some undergraduate class. In my case I teach [an] undergraduate-level guitar class and also assist with an instrument method class.” 

At the end of graduate school, Lu was deciding on what to do with his career after he received his master’s degree. Just as he was about to sign a contract to work  at a middle school in Atlanta, Ladue Orchestra Director Sarah Heuermann reached out to him. 

“Ms. Heuermann sent my professor [an] email saying she’s looking for an assistant orchestra teacher, and my professor forwarded the email to me,” Lu said. “I did my interview, and they called me later in the day and hired me.”   

Heuermann and Lu both attended graduate school at FSU with a major in music education. When she was promoted, having the same education helped reassure Heuermann of Lu’s ability to replace her role. 

“He was very confident and sure of himself and the questions that he answered during the interview,” Heuermann said. “He’s very detail oriented and helps to pick up the slack when I need help.”   

Now at Ladue, Lu helps coordinate high school and middle school orchestra rehearsals and activities. Although he’s only been here for two years, Lu’s adapted to the Ladue community smoothly, with many students finding that he creates a welcoming space for all.

“In the morning, sometimes I would go to the orchestra room to chill on the couch, and Mr. Lu would be there,” Alex Wang (12) said. “It’s really nice just talking to him about things that aren’t [music] related.”

Adapting to new environments can be challenging, but for Lu, it’s a familiar obstacle.  Lu has been able to create a space for himself in this district seamlessly, adjusting to whatever gets thrown in his way.      

“[The] first year of teaching can be a shell shock for some people,” Heuermann said. “[Lu] did really well, and I think he’s fitting in nicely with the students here at Ladue and the culture of what we teach.”