Seven years after its founding, every moment was a challenge for the Heart to Heart Orchestra. Putting musical instruments into the hands of the youths with developmental disabilities who find it difficult to sit in one place, and getting them to know the score was not an easy process. Endless trial and error was needed until the members could go up on stage to play and be applauded. The performance of the Heart to Heart Orchestra is improving every year, to the point where it is hard to believe that the members have developmental disabilities. 

Their challenge to break prejudice continued at this seventh regular concert. That members of the orchestra came on stage as MC and introduced the songs was a big step. Hee-eun Kim, director of the Culture and Welfare Division of the Heart to Heart Foundation, said, "I wanted to prepare a special time to repay the gratitude we have for those who cheered on the members. There were mixed worries about the chance of ruining the atmosphere of the regular concert, but after it was over there were many reactions that it was a refreshing and heart-warming change. I was really grateful for the kind reactions."

In fact, most of those who left the Changchun Art Hall after the regular concert responded that they cannot believe that the members are youths with developmental disabilities. This was the first time the regular concert performed together with a famous violinist. The Heart to Heart Orchestra Violinist Dong-hyun Lee(16, Yeoksam Middle School) played Nella Fantasia as a duet with violinist Joo-hyun Kim with the orchestra's accompaniment. Joo-hyun Kim praised the orchestra, saying, "Their sound is as strong as an established orchestra, and the hearts of the members can be felt in the tone."

In January, The Heart to Heart Foundation founded the Miracolo Ensemble, a group of musicians with developmental disabilities who are college graduates of music. In order to open up the future for musicians with developmental disabilities, these professional players joined this ensemble despite their excellent skills. All seven members of the Miracolo Ensemble are musicians who have grown through the Heart to Heart Orchestra.

They receive a certain amount of money from the Heart to Heart Foundation and are currently performing in various places. "Happy School," an education program to improve students' disability awareness for elementary and junior high school students nationwide, is also taking place. Hwa-yeong Jeong, the director of the Cultural Welfare Department of the Heart to Heart Foundation said, "The members of the ensemble share their experiences of school violence due to the prejudice against disability. By standing in front of the students in person, they show how they are capable of playing beautiful music and even enter university despite having disabilities." The Happy School program has been held in a total of 10 elementary and 2 junior high schools so far, and 5836 students have met with the Miracolo Ensemble. The students' change in awareness was amazing. The Heart to Heart Foundation conducted the same survey before and after the Happy School program, asking the students to choose adjectives that people with disabilities reminds them of. The average score was 13 points before meeting with the Miracolo Ensemble, and it improved to 17 points afterwards. (getting over 16 out of 20 points being "positive state of awareness" and less than 16 being "negative state of awareness"). Also, the Happy School homepage is constantly receiving students' letters, saying things such as "We learned that the disabled are no different from us" and "I became a fan of the Miracolo Ensemble."

"Even if it is difficult, if you think through slowly, you can do well."

Heart to Heart orchestra flute member Dong-kyun Kim(21) smiled and opened his bag. The notebooks he took out were filled with notes about chord theory. A music score filled with music notes also comes in sight. All these traces show his busy first year spent in college. Last March, Kim entered the Department of Instrumental Music at Korea National University of Arts. Studying flute since the age of 13, he has won multiple awards such as the National Student Music Competition Gold Medal, the Korea Music Competition Excellence Award, and 3rd place in the Flute Division of the Kyungwon Music Competition. Even after entering college, his talent is being recognized, receiving 3.74 credits out of a 4.2 scale. With the admission of Kim, a small change took place in the College of Music at his university. Starting this year, a support center for people with disabilities was created in the university. One student who listened to Kim's performance during applied studies is now sharing talent as a visiting member of the Heart to Heart orchestra. The professors are also responding that "It is difficult to believe that he has disabilities when hearing his remarkable performances." Hee-eun Kim, director of the Cultural Welfare Division of the Heart to Heart Foundation, said, "Thanks to the admission of Dong-kyun, there is a change in the perception of people with developmental disabilities in the music college. With Dong-kyun sitting at the front, participating actively and asking earnestly, I heard that the atmosphere of general students as a whole in the music college has improved."