Composing a future for forgotten songs

Composing a future for forgotten songs

In a quiet village nestled in Vietnam’s northern mountains, the lullabies of a grandmother and the soft notes of a gourd lute once echoed through stilt houses. For RMIT Vietnam Vice-Chancellor’s Scholar Nguyen Mai Phuong, those melodies from her childhood were a call to action.

Now recognised with RMIT Vietnam’s full scholarships, Phuong is celebrated for her ability to turn cultural memory into creative momentum. Her work blends tradition with innovation, bringing ethnic heritage into the lives of young people through music, media, and community-led projects.

Alt Text is not present for this image, Taking dc:title 'nguyen-mai-phuong-1' RMIT Vietnam Vice-Chancellor’s Scholar Nguyen Mai Phuong draws inspiration from her mountain village roots to reimagine ethnic heritage for future generations.

Phuong’s journey began in her hometown in Hai Duong province, where she first sensed the fragility of her cultural roots.

“My grandmother sang lullabies in a language I never heard beyond our village,” she said.

These songs, sacred yet fading, remained invisible to the outside world.

Years later, after moving to the city to study, Phuong performed a traditional melody at a cultural event.

“The polite applause felt like a farewell rather than a celebration,” Phuong recalled.

She realised that Vietnam’s ethnic traditions weren’t fading because they lacked value, but because they lacked visibility and creative integration.

Her first attempt to address this was to propose a school charity concert featuring ethnic musicians and student bands. Though the concept was unique, the traditional music performance remained isolated.

“I realised that this was not only a cultural issue but also a structural one,” she said. “Without meaningful engagement, tradition cannot survive in a modern context.”

Phuong expanded the reach of her initiatives by leveraging her involvement across multiple student organisations. During the Festival of High School Bands and Music Groups, she joined an initiative to incorporate ethnic instruments into modern performances.

“It was a true transformative experience for everyone involved,” she said.

One band that blended H’Mong flute melodies with rock was voted audience favourite. Three other bands continued integrating traditional instruments into their performances after the festival. The initiative has since been requested to be expanded to include neighbouring provinces.

Alt Text is not present for this image, Taking dc:title 'nguyen-mai-phuong-2' Nguyen Mai Phuong and her parents at the Scholarship Award Ceremony at RMIT Vietnam’s Hanoi campus.

Her leadership was equally evident in school and community settings. As Vice-President of the Event Organiser Club at Nguyen Trai Specialised Senior High School in Hai Duong province, Phuong oversaw three of the school’s five largest annual events.

During the Red Flamboyant Volunteer campaign, Phuong led a group of students in delivering English lessons to children in difficult circumstances and organised Mid Autumn Festival celebrations for children in flood-affected areas following typhoon Yagi.

Phuong’s academic record is equally impressive, with a GPA of 9.8/10.

Her artistic talents have also gained international recognition. In July 2024, Phuong won the Gold Prize at the Asia Arts Festival in Singapore for a piano solo that blended Vietnamese folk melodies with classical structure.

These experiences shaped Phuong into what she calls an “artpreneur” – someone who combines cultural knowledge, creativity, and business thinking to create social value. She plans to develop CultureBridge, a digital platform that connects young creators with ethnic artists to co-produce educational media, digital content, and heritage-based products, during her studies at RMIT Vietnam.

“CultureBridge aims to transform endangered traditions into scalable intellectual property,” Phuong explained. Her goal is to reach students across Vietnam and expand it into ASEAN cultural education markets in the coming years.

Phuong believes the Bachelor of Business with Global Business major at RMIT Vietnam will equip her with the knowledge and tools to realise this vision.

“Courses, such as Cross-Cultural Management and Innovation Management, will help me turn CultureBridge from a concept into a sustainable venture,” she said.

And her teammate, President of Event Organisers Club Vu Thi Ngan Giang, agreed.

“Phuong leads with empathy, creativity, and the quiet determination to build things that last,” Ms Giang said. “She brings people together through charisma, systems and strategy.”

Nguyen Mai Phuong isn’t just preserving tradition, she’s designing new ways for it to thrive – one story, one song, and one student at a time.

Story: Ha Hoang

04 November 2025

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