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As part of Feng Chia University’s Humanities and Technology Grand Lecture Series, the well‑known Tainan‑based Rosewood Tomb Band was invited on November 27 to present a music‑based life‑education event titled “Music of Love and Life.” This unforgettable performance broke away from the traditional lecture format by blending live musical performance with real‑life stories, transforming the experiences of hospital patients, families, cancer survivors, and children into heartfelt songs. Through melodies and narratives, the band guided students and faculty to reflect on the meaning and value of life from multiple perspectives.
The Rosewood Tomb Band shared deeply moving life stories, inspiring us to face our own lives with greater positivity, courage, and hope.
Founded in 2006, the Rosewood Tomb Band features two acoustic guitars, bass, violin, djembe, drums, cello, piano, and three vocalists—creating its signature acoustic rock sound. The band’s leader and vocalist, Dr. Shih‑Yang Su, draws from his frontline experience as an emergency physician, turning stories of life, death, family ties, and emotional struggles into deeply moving songs. Between musical sections, he recounts the real-life stories behind the compositions, expanding reflections beyond mortality to themes of society, humanity, family, and environmental care.
To date, the band has created over 140 original songs, each adapted from a true story. Their works explore issues including illness, aging, caregiving, cancer battles, child abuse, domestic violence, vulnerable groups, and anti‑drug messages. By combining songs with short prose narratives, they have developed a unique creative style known as “Literary Acoustic Rock.” In 2019, they published Driftwood and Bones, a music‑literature volume merging prose, poetry, and modern music.
During the event, the Rosewood Tomb Band presented nearly ten life stories organized around four themes: health and illness, career and money, family and emotions, and dreams and passions. Each song transformed a life journey into music, flowing naturally through powerful highs and resonant lows. The audience was fully immersed in the emotional stories and stirring rhythms. Through the humanistic lens of medicine, the band delivered rock music that encouraged listeners to bravely confront life’s challenges.
At the end of the concert, Dr. Su explained the symbolism behind the name “Rosewood Tomb.” In Mandarin, its pronunciation echoes “rosewood,” the finest material for crafting acoustic instruments. “Rose” symbolizes beauty and blessings, while “tomb” represents death. Only by confronting death with openness, he remarked, can one truly live as beautifully as a rose.
Over the past three years, the Rosewood Tomb Band has performed more than 230 public service concerts, with Dr. Su dedicating all his personal vacation time to these events. He sees this work as a social responsibility—using music to raise awareness for marginalized groups, dissolve social indifference, and inspire young people to value real life. He encouraged students not to lose themselves in virtual worlds or online games, but instead to cherish their lives in the present moment and pursue what truly matters.
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