Angela Liu

Fifteen-year-old Angela Liu, an accomplished musician with a gift for playing the flute, is helping bring more color and texture to the world for people who cannot see. In 2013, Angela started Blind Light Foundation with a mission to support students who are blind or visually impaired, enhancing their quality of life and creating new ways to interact with the sighted world around them.

“I’ve been wearing glasses since I was three,” says Angela, “and I was very fortunate to receive great medical treatment. I want to give children the same kind of treatment that I received when I was young. I want to become a pediatric ophthalmologist and help kids with vision impairments.”

Angela hosts an annual benefit concert in Pasadena, California, featuring student performances to raise money that helps pay for living expenses and tuition for 200 blind students in the U.S. and China. In total, Angela has collected $38,000 to date through these performances for her cause.

Half a world away, she is making inroads for blind students at schools in Zhengzhou and Beijing. On her travels to these schools, this young music protégé brings musical recorders to teach completely blind and severely sight-impaired students how to play the classic hymn, “Amazing Grace.” According to Angela, “Learning the musical recorder sparked something in them: self-confidence to take a risk and serve as class leaders. Music added another beautiful dimension to their life. It became a part of their identities. That was my ‘aha’ moment. Instantly, I realized why I went to China again, and why I want to keep going year after year.” Angela keeps the friendships she has made abroad going strong by staying connected to her Chinese friends via social media.

This talented musician has performed in more than 50 classical music concerts as a soloist. “I started playing piano at the age of 5 and flute at age 9,” Angela recalls. “In the beginning, I felt the thrill of producing music through an instrument for the very first time. Over the years, as the difficulty of the music pieces increased exponentially, I discovered a new joy. I love to share music with the blind and sight-impaired community. The joy of sharing with the community fuels my passion for playing music.”

Using her musical gifts to enrich the lives of young people who are coping with visual impairments, Angela Liu is a genuine Point of Light.

Who are the dynamic young people in your city that could become the next wave of difference makers for a better world? Share their stories with Points of Light, and we’ll do the rest! Go to http://www.pointsoflight.org/programs/recognition/dpol/nomination