About Chocolate

Ocarina · Performance · Teaching · Event performances · Teacher training · Podcaster

A moment in the frame · Portrait

// A little about me

Hello, I’m Chocolate

Ro-Yi Chen · 陳若儀

── Chocolate

I have been teaching the ocarina since 2000, with over 26 years of experience. In 2001, I began designing courses for different age groups, focusing mainly on adult learners. In 2010, my courses received recognition for excellence from Taipei City’s community universities and a national award for outstanding community university arts courses.

In 2006, I founded the Rubato Ocarina Ensemble. I have hosted an ocarina programme on CTS Education and Culture, appeared in numerous radio and television interviews, and been invited to perform in Japan, South Korea, China and Hong Kong.

In 2011, I formed the Qiao Ensemble (巧樂團). We perform weekly for children and their families in hospital, with more than 400 performances to date. In 2012, I published the teaching book Ocarina: 24 Lessons for Complete Beginners (陶笛完全入門 24 課).

In 2015, I founded the Taipei Ocarina Arts Development Association and served two terms as chair, a total of eight years. We organised dozens of events, including the Taipei Ocarina Music Awards, the Kou Zi Bu Lei Ocarina Music Party and specialist talks. I now chair the Taiwan Ocarina Cultural Exchange Association and judge national ocarina competitions. I am also a licensed street performer in Taipei and New Taipei City, and a volunteer musician who performs regularly at National Taiwan University Children’s Hospital.

Since June 2021, I have produced Qiao Yan Qiao Yu (巧言巧語), a podcast sharing everyday stories and conversations with people from different fields every Tuesday. It now has more than 400 episodes. In 2022, I began hosting a weekly Tuesday Podcast Breakfast Meetup where creators can connect and learn from one another. Since 2023, I have also taught a course on making a podcast from scratch at Beitou Community University.

// Along the way

My journey

2000
Began teaching the ocarina
2006
Founded the Rubato Ocarina Ensemble
2010
Received a national award for an outstanding community university arts course
2011
Formed the Qiao Ensemble; its hospital performances have since exceeded 400
2012
Published Ocarina: 24 Lessons for Complete Beginners
2015
Founded the Taipei Ocarina Arts Development Association
2021
Started producing the Qiao Yan Qiao Yu podcast
2022
Became chair of the Taiwan Ocarina Cultural Exchange Association
2023
Launched a course on making a podcast from scratch at Beitou Community University

── Year by year, the story continues.

// Work & experiences

Music, teaching & connection

Roles & recognition

·Chair, Taiwan Ocarina Cultural Exchange Association
·Founding chair, Taipei Ocarina Arts Development Association
·Ensemble leader, Rubato Ocarina Ensemble
·Board member, Taiwan Street Arts and Culture Development Association
·Recognised for outstanding teaching and courses at Taipei City’s community universities
·Author of Ocarina: 24 Lessons for Complete Beginners, published by Music Culture Publishing (麥書文化)
·Producer and host of the Qiao Yan Qiao Yu podcast
·Judge for national student music competitions and local ocarina competitions across Taiwan
·Teacher trainer for primary and secondary schools, kindergartens and community programmes
·Licensed street performer in Taipei and New Taipei City

Podcasting & sharing knowledge

·Producer and host of Qiao Yan Qiao Yu (巧言巧語)
·Organiser of the Tuesday Podcaster Breakfast Meetup for creators to connect and exchange ideas
·Organiser of a podcaster collaboration for the Yangmingshan Lawn Music Festival
·Podcast mentor in 104 Job Bank’s Young Giver programme
·Led sessions on sharing and extending online teaching at Miaoli Community University
·Led sessions on sharing and extending online teaching at Daming Community University
·Led sessions on sharing and extending online teaching at Keelung Community University
·Led the Cloud PLUS online teaching programme at Zhonghe and Yonghe Community Universities
·Guest lecturer on podcast production in a practical presenter training programme
·Instructor for the podcast-from-scratch course at Beitou Community University
·Contributed to online courses for New Taipei City’s street arts workshop

Rubato Ocarina Ensemble

One of Taiwan’s notable ocarina ensembles, Rubato brings together people from outside the professional music world to create performances of a professional standard. The ensemble is recognised in ocarina communities across Asia, including China, Hong Kong, Japan and South Korea, as well as Europe and the Americas.

·Founded in autumn 2006 and registered in Taipei in 2007 as the city’s first registered ocarina ensemble
·Ensemble leader: Ro-Yi Chen (陳若儀); music director and conductor: Zhong Yu-Qiao (鍾育喬)
·Members from many walks of life bring together diverse experiences and musical styles
·Annual concerts spanning classical, contemporary, folk and popular music
·Hundreds of performances at ceremonies, events, charity programmes and international concerts
·Bronze award in the ocarina septet category at a 2012 international ocarina competition in South Korea
·Invited to give a featured concert in Saitama, Japan, in 2013
·Featured multiple times in Japan’s Ocarina Life Magazine
·Our vision: nurture ocarina music in Taiwan and connect with the musical world

Qiao Ensemble · 巧樂團

Formed in 2011 through volunteer performances at National Taiwan University Children’s Hospital. The ensemble plays weekly for children and their families, with more than 400 performances to date.

·Founded in 2011, growing out of volunteer performances at NTU Children’s Hospital
·Regular volunteer performances at NTU Children’s Hospital on Wednesday afternoons; over 400 to date
·Lead melody: Ro-Yi Chen (陳若儀), ocarina
·Musicians: Guo Zi-Qiang (郭自強), guitar; Zheng Yuan-Kai (鄭元凱), piano; Zhang Jun-Hao (張峻豪), violin and cajón
·Visual performance: Shen Jun-Yu (沈峻宇), illusionist
·A small ensemble creating moving melodies and captivating visuals
·Ro-Yi Chen has been invited to perform across Taiwan and in Hong Kong, China, Japan and South Korea
·Ocarina demonstrations and teaching at rural primary schools