Hello! My Friend!

I am Aviva Tu（Meng-Chun Tu, 凃孟君）, I am a musician and surface pattern designer.

Music has been in my life from the beginning. I started with piano at age 4 and started violin a year later.

Design, crafting has been always speaks to me. I am so happy to share my crafts to you.

How I started with fabric industry

From the time I was born, my family was immersed in fabric printing. My father had a printing factory in Taiwan. From a extremely young age I would be with my father in the factory or with my mother going to the customers. I remember seeing sample books of fabric in my father’s office, seeing hand done silk screening and his huge fabric printing machine. At his customer’s factories I saw the fabric being cut and sewn for export. So, I saw fabric from the very beginning to the scraps at the end of the process.

Eventually the workers become like family to me and the factory became my school and my playground. As a kid, being in the paint and dye room was fascinating. Buckets of all kinds of colors with drips on the cans and buckets and on the floor was totally entertaining. I even liked the blank fabric when it came in before it was printed.

The entire printing industry changed as the fabric sources and customers’ factories moved to China. My father’s factory followed the industry and moved to China. I was ten. I went with him.

Music Journey

I moved to Shanghai with my father where he was going to start his 2nd printing factory. He went to the factory, I went to Shanghai music conservatory. It was like military school but for musicians. It was very disciplined and we practiced at least 5-8 hours a day. Nothing was optional. I focus on violin for 4 years, and then transitioned to piano for 3 years. That was my beginning path to becoming a professional musician. I moved to Taiwan to finish my last year in high school and prepare for the national college entry exam.

Freshman year, I took as many academics as I could. I took 2nd place in music department violin competition. Since violin was my secondary instrument and piano was my primary my professor recommended I double major. I was a double major starting my sophomore year. It was that year that I took first place in the Hualien City Music Competition and I represented Hualien in the national music competition.

College was my first opportunity to explore. I explored the diversity in music and a lot of others opportunities that college provided. While keeping up with my double major in piano and violin, I got to try different instruments by joining Orchestra, Wind ensemble and Big (Jazz) band. I was concertmaster for the orchestra, Percussionist and pianist for Wind ensemble and Bassist in Big band. I was the student association vice-president. Additionally my first year required we participate in cheer leading competition. That was a fun requirement. It was last year the school held the competition. I also started teaching in college - group classes for violin, and private lessons for violin and piano. Little did I know this would be the background for my future teaching studio.

Happy Tu Studio

In 2020, started my HAPPY TU STUDIO, teaching mostly young students piano and violin. In teaching I believe that a positive environment is extremely important to personal growth. It is a big part of my background teaching technique with students. If I provided a positive environment they have enthusiasm and love of learning. For me, I find that with a positive environment learning is addictive. It scatters my attention sometimes, but it also feeds my creativity and productivity. I will spend hours making new fabric and bag designs.

About my design

Combining music and floral motifs seems to be my niche in fabric design. I started making bags with my own fabric designs. They have been well received. I continue to invent new fabric and bag designs.

Learning in the safe and positive environment to create more fulfillment and joy during the process and tickle the desire for deeper knowledge.

Aviva Tu's education philosophy.