Sharon Chang

Sharon is the daughter of a Taiwanese immigrant father and Euro-American mother. Growing up multiracial Asian in America, Sharon has experienced the beauty of multiculturalism and the frustration of being caught between worlds. She believes language and communication are key in removing barriers, bridging gaps and closing divides.

Sharon considers music to be one of her primary languages. She began playing piano when she was in kindergarten. She has also studied flute for 5 years, voice for 3 years and is self-taught on the guitar. In 2000 she graduated cum laude from the University of California, Los Angeles with a Bachelor's in Ethnomusicology (world music).

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Sharon has been working with children and families for over a decade. She began as a teacher and music coordinator for Gymboree Play & Music in 2002. Wanting the freedom to offer a broader arts curriculum for young children, she opened her own early music studio in 2003, Rising Song Children's School of Music. From 2003-2009 it grew from 10 to 150 students. During the 6 years she ran the studio, she taught Kindermusik, Sign & Sing for babies, a self-designed World Music series for preschoolers, arts preschool, and piano classes for children ages 3-5. Following Rising Song, she taught for 2 years with Seattle Central Community College affiliated parent-run cooperative preschools and helped to start Seattle's Progressive Preschool.

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In 2009, Sharon had a multiracial Asian baby of her own (with her multiracial Asian husband!) It led her to reflect anew on issues of culture, heritage and identity. She began to feel even more profoundly the importance of acquiring cross-cultural skills for herself, her son, and family. She is currently pursuing her Master's in Human Development with an Early Childhood Education specialization at Pacific Oaks College. Her thesis study looks at the ways parents today are raising young multiracial Asian children to have positive racial identity.

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Yi-Chun Lin

​Growing up in Taiwan and emigrating to America during her formative years, Yi-Chun has maintained a strong connection to Taiwan, its people and its traditions; at the same time, she has fully immersed herself in the languages, cultures and life in the United States. Splitting her time between the two sides of the Pacific Ocean, combined with her experience traveling to various parts of the world, Yi-Chun has developed a fascination with different customs and varying ways in which people communicate with one another.

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With a background in multi-disciplinary design, she brings visual-based approach to compliment the linguistic emphasis in her classes. She thinks of spoken word as a continuous, evolving organism with a rhythmic and musical overtone. Yi-Chun has been working with children and families, as well as adults, in the linguistic realm for almost half a decade. She wishes to share, and is energized by teaching students ways to learn Mandarin in a comfortable and pressure-free environment that puts individuals at ease, and facilitates channels of learning.

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Aside from teaching, Yi-Chun continues to work locally and internationally as a conduit for Mandarin Chinese and English speaking clients as cultural, language and visual communication consultant. Her clients include individuals as well as companies/organizations such as Taiwan Sporting Goods Association, F.A. Gallery Taipei and Boeing.

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In her spare time, Yi-Chun can be found running after her children on their balance bikes at local parks, teaching in the home-based cooperative preschool that she co-founded and shopping at farmers markets with her family and friends.

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Teachers