‘It’s Like Being in Heaven,’ Says Congressman Deputy Chief of Staff After Shen Yun Concert

October 18, 2018

Paul Behrends, Deputy Chief of Staff for Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-Calif.) attended Shen Yun  Symphony Orchestra on Oct. 14, at the Kennedy Center Concert Hall in Washington D.C. He said it felt like paradise.

“It’s like being in Heaven,” said Mr. Behrends. “Listening to this music is so impressive, they are very talented. It’s super pleasurable. It’s a great way that they’ve meshed the Western and the Chinese tradition. Sounds wonderful, fairly pretty.”

“I just thought that the conductor and the entire symphony just did a beautiful job,” said Stephen Rakowski, a political analyst at Stratfor. “Especially at the end with the encores, he was truly having a great time and I think that added even more to the audience having a great time.”

“It’s incredible, just incredible,” said Bruce Wyman, a psychotherapist. “I used to play the violin so I understand the kind of level of professionalism they’re using here, it’s just amazing. Very touched. The whole orchestra is incredible. It put me in a higher place. Very high place. I saw the ballet [dance performances of Shen Yun Performing Arts] a couple of years ago, and I had the same reaction.”

Ancient Chinese believed that culture and many aspects of it—such as art and words—were gifts from the heavens. This belief played a guiding role throughout society. In the 1960s, the communist regime in China tried to wipe out traditional culture.

According to Shen Yun, the artists value virtue and cultivating self-refinement, in order to create art that can uplift and inspire.

”The evolution of a culture, five thousand years, the development—and it’s so sad that it’s been lost,” said Bruce Wyman. “I know that [Shen Yun is] trying to bring it back, which is a great thing. We need more of that in this country.”

“What it does is that it opens up your mind to the idea that China could be a force for good. We are kind of brainwashed here thinking that China is bad,” said Mr. Behrends. “But China doesn’t have to be bad. What we are seeing today is that China could actually be a great and a good thing for the world. It’s just that the ideology [the Chinese Communist Party] right now is not so great. I know that the Falun Gong have very honorable intentions and they are wonderful people. And that’s why I’m here today, because I support that.”

NTD News, Washington D.C.