The choral theatre “Alice’s Fantastic Journey”, jointly produced by Taiwan Tech and National Defense University (NDU), was held at Taiwan Tech on May 13. The performance fused diverse global musical cultures with digital art technology to create an artistic feast that transcended language and geography through a dazzling interplay of sound and light.

The concert featured participants from Taiwan Tech’s Energetic Choir general education course, the Department of Applied Arts at NDU’s Political Warfare College, and the Fuxinggang Choir. The repertoire included songs in Mandarin, English, Taiwanese, Hakka, and Indigenous languages, showcasing rich linguistic diversity and artistic layers. Notably, NDU students custom-designed digital visuals, sound design, and stage effects for the performance, skillfully blending technology and art to inject fresh expression into traditional choral music, delivering a novel and immersive audience experience.

The themed concert “Alice’s Fantastic Journey” is presented as a choral theatre, blending diverse global musical cultures with digital art technology to create a dazzling artistic feast that transcends language and geography through a vibrant interplay of sound and light.

Taiwan Tech’s Energetic Choir embraces diverse musical styles and actively explores innovative performance formats. This time, their repertoire includes Mandarin, English, Taiwanese, Hakka, and Indigenous languages, showcasing rich linguistic diversity and multiple layers of artistic expression.

Taiwan Tech’s Energetic Choir, composed of students from various departments and led by Humanities and Social Sciences professor Wei-Jun Wang, boldly embraces diverse musical styles and actively explores innovative performance formats. Serving as the artistic director and conductor for this event, Professor Wang remarked that this is not just a general education course but a fantastic journey that transcends campus boundaries, disciplines, and imagination. “The students not only won over the stage with their voices and sincerity but also touched hearts. In a short time, they completed scriptwriting, rehearsals, and performance - a high-intensity challenge that showcased their remarkable learning ability and creativity.”

The concert also featured a special appearance by Taiwan Tech Vice President Chaur-Jeng Wang, who praised the Energetic Choir course for its continuous innovation and breakthrough. He noted that the cross-university collaboration with the National Defense University produced stunning results in a short timeframe, fully demonstrating that the power of education lies not only in the classroom but in every moment a student is inspired and moved. This collaboration also opened up limitless possibilities for interdisciplinary teaching.

Director Sy-Ying Lee of Taiwan Tech’s Center for General Education emphasized that the course embodies Taiwan Tech’s core values in general education by integrating knowledge, creativity, and practice. Through collaboration and exploration, students discover their passion and meaning in learning. The partnership with the National Defense University further deepened students’ understanding of multiculturalism and the importance of teamwork.

The Taiwan Tech Energetic Choir, the Department of Applied Arts from the Political Warfare College at National Defense University, and the Fuxinggang Choir jointly performed the piece “Battle Hymn of the Republic.”

Teaching assistant Pei-Shan Yu, participating in Taiwan Tech’s Energetic Choir production course for the first time, described it as a precious experience. “Although most students don’t have a musical background, they showed exceptional understanding and enthusiasm for learning. They supported each other through challenges and ultimately completed a wonderful and touching performance together.”

Student Hsieh Cheng-Hsi from the Department of Applied Arts at the National Defense University shared that this cross-university collaboration was deeply meaningful to him. From choreography to stage production, they worked closely with Taiwan Tech students on every detail and gained a profound appreciation for the complexity and charm of choral theatre. “Although there were minor mistakes on the performance day, under Professor Wang’s encouragement, we learned to enjoy the stage and delivered a natural and sincere performance - an experience unlike any I’ve had before.”

Group photo of Taiwan Tech and National Defense University collaborators behind the themed concert “Alice’s Fantastic Journey.”

Siu Sung Chu, the concert’s executive producer, and lecturer in the Department of Applied Arts at National Defense University, said that although coordinating members across schools and integrating different tasks were challenging, it fostered mutual understanding and collaboration. What touched him most was that regardless of difficulties, the students always gave their best effort. Their passion and dedication led to results beyond expectations and reinforced his belief in the power of creativity and teamwork.

This concert not only showcased the students’ learning achievements but also embodied the concept of “art without boundaries” through cross-school collaboration, allowing participating teachers and students to deeply experience the energy and warmth of artistic creation. The Taiwan Tech Center for General Education looks forward to further developing such courses and collaborative models, cultivating more versatile talents with interdisciplinary thinking and global perspectives, and expanding cooperation to more inter-school and community settings. This will blend arts education with social practice, injecting continuous new energy into cultural creativity.

A group photo of the main cast of “Alice’s Fantastic Journey” with conductor and artistic director Wei-Jun Wang (center, front row).