The turning point of my life was my decision to give up a promising business career and study music. My parents, although sympathetic, and________my love of music, disapproved of it as a profession. This was________in view of the family background. My grandfather had taught music for nearly forty years. Though much respected, he earned________enough to provide for his family. As a consequence of this example, the very mention of music as a profession carried with it a picture of a risky existence with________ financial rewards. My parents________college instead of a music school, and to college I went — quite________ , for although I loved my violin, I had many other interests.

Before my graduation from college, the family met with severe financial reverses and felt it my ________to leave college and take a job. Thus was I launched upon a business career — which I always think of as the________ years. Now I do not for a moment mean to________business. My whole point is that it was not for me. I went into it for________ , and aside from the satisfaction of being able to help the family, money is all I got out of it. It was not enough. I felt that life was________me by.

I continued to make money, and finally, bit by bit, ________ enough to enable me to go abroad to study music. I resigned from my position and, feeling like a man released from ________, sailed for Europe. I stayed four years, and enjoyed every minute of it. “Enjoyed” is too ________a word. I walked on________. I really lived and I was a free man.

Our ancient nomadic (游牧的) ancestor would often sing or dance to show others where to find food. In my family, we’ve always had music around us too and this influence is starting to ______. Our seven-year-old son has ______ to perform his own raps which are quite excellent even without considering how ______ he is. Our four-year-old daughter is showing her musical ______ too —she started to make up little ditties (小调).

What is most joyous about our shared ______ of music are those moments when we all come together as a ______. My favorite time happened in April when I was feeling quite ______ I was cooking breakfast when the kids ______ that I was playing dance music. My seven-year-old son then started to join in dancing. This ______ his four-year-old sister, soon the three of us were jumping up and down. It was a moment of real ______ and it turned around how I was feeling.

At that point, I felt like music would be the way to ______ to the kids. I’ve sat down with my son and together we’ve remixed his voice and I’ve sat with my daughter and we’ve played the guitar. We might not be ______ anything about the whereabouts of food as our ancestor did. But we are giving them an ______ through song. We’re teaching them “Flower of Scotland” so that they might know something about their heritage.

Through ______, we have all become a ______ family.

My five-year-old son was amazed by the beauty of the dancers _________ the classic story, presented by a ballet company. Afterwards, he expressed an interest in learning to _________, the classmate who lived next door laughed. “Don’t be _________, there are no boys in my dance classes.”

One afternoon when my son waved from the front window to this classmate as she left for dance class, his eyes _________ with tears. “Mom, boys dance too.”

My son _________ to pursue dance, but I held the same view as my peers, I discouraged him of his dreams. Dance lessons were put _________. Instead, I admitted him in many other classes. However, he never lost interest in learning to dance.

Finally, he got to have his dance and voice _________ during his fresh year of high school even though he was also busy with those classes. His goal was to try out for the school’s madrigal choral troupe, a group that performed at various_________. The competition was fierce, and the _________ was made and posted finally. He managed to practise at a dance academy that welcomed male dancers. The hard work __________ — he made the cut. He developed as a member of the madrigal troupe, and it paved the way to his dance __________.

During his first year of college, he was __________ a role in a national touring company. Several years later, he moved to New York City and was offered a chance to __________ his idol, Bob Fosse. Over the years, my son has danced in dinner theatre, summer stock, television and various musicals. Indeed, boys dance, too.

When I wrote the article about diversity twenty years ago, I still felt the sense of __________. My message holds true today: “It’s okay to be __________. Go for it!”