Mrs. McMinn's Music Blog

The Providence Bruins

2011-12-17T13:42:00.001-08:00

Singers enjoy a pizza party, compliments of Cabby Shack.

Arriving and warming up.

After singing on the ice, it was time for fun!!!!

Look! We're on the jumbotron!

Many thanks to Mrs. Sweeney and all of the parents who helped make this trip possible!

The Federal Furnace Treble Chorus at the Phil's Holiday Pops Concert

2011-12-17T12:44:00.001-08:00

All photos courtesy of Denise Maccaferri

The Phil's Brass Quintet

2011-12-17T12:13:00.000-08:00

Students in grades 3, 4, and 5 meet the instruments of the Brass Family.

Phil asks students about sound and vibration.

Ann teaches about some of the unique qualities of the French Horn.

Billy gets a conducting lesson.

Next, the Tuba!!!!

George talks about the Trombone and gives Grace a lesson.

A second Trumpet rounds out the quintet.

Students at Federal Furnace thoroughly enjoyed the engaging and educational program performed by the Plymouth Philharmonic Brass Quintet!

South Shore Conservatory Pure Treble and Pure Harmony Concert 11/29/11

2011-12-06T18:14:00.000-08:00

Pure Treble

Let All Nations Sing
The Bull Frog
Walking in the Air
Singing A-Round
Whisper
Peaceful River
Happiness Runs

Pure Harmony

Sing for Joy!
Kimineero (The Carrion Crow)
Dona Nobis Pacem
Africa
Didn’t My Lord Deliver Daniel
Homeward Bound
Tama Tu (A Maori Proverb)

"A Celtic Blessing"

A standing ovation!

MIP 2011/2012 ~The Phil's String Quartet

2011-10-17T17:45:00.001-07:00

The Plymouth Philharmonic String Quartet kicked off Music Immersion 2011/2012 by performing for 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students throughout the town of Plymouth.

Students learned about the violin...

The Viola

And the cello

At the conclusion of the concert, students had an opportunity to ask questions.

Students were so impressed that they gave a standing ovation (or two...)
Thank you, PPO String Quartet for bringing such an
enjoyable and educational program to the students of Plymouth!

Plymouth Remembers 9/11

2011-09-11T17:46:00.000-07:00

On September 11th, 43 fourth and fifth grade students from Federal Furnace Elementary School gathered at the Plymouth waterfront to prepare to sing at the 'Plymouth Remembers' observance of the 10th anniversary of 9/11.

Warming up before the procession. (Photo compliments of Denise Maccaferri)

"America The Beautiful"

Oh beautiful for spacious skies, for amber waves of grain.For purple mountain majesties above thy fruited plain. America, America God shed His grace on thee. And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

Oh beautiful for heroes proved in liberating strife.
Who more than self their country loved and mercy more than life.
America, America may God thy gold refine.
Till all success be nobleness and every gain devine.

Oh beautiful for patriot dream that sees beyond the years.

Thine alabaster cities gleam undimmed by human tears.

America, America God shed his grace on thee.

And crown thy good with brotherhood from sea to shining sea.

South Africa 2011

2011-07-19T17:41:00.000-07:00

Pure Treble Wraps Up Its First Season With Two Concerts in June

2011-06-19T12:42:00.000-07:00

On Sunday, June 12th Pure Treble performed an outside concert at the Hingham Campus. Between dress rehearsal and the concert singers enjoyed a year-end celebration.

What a crew!

The Program:

WOZA South African Can Dance

CIRCLE OF LIFE Hans Zimmer and Lebo M Arranged Audrey Snyder

soloist: 6/12/11 Madison Moitoso

6/19/11 Leigh Brandenburg

Our flute soloist is Emma-Cate Rapose

MRS. SNIPKIN & MRS. WOBBLE-CHIN Text by Laura E.Richards Music by David L. Brunne

ALLELUIA CANON Music by Joseph Haydn Arranged by Dave and Jean Perry

THE DRINKING GOURD Traditional Arranged by Andre J. Thomas

PIE JESU from Requiem Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber Arr, by John Leavitt

soloist:

6/12/11 Peter Morgan

6/19/11 Sarah Gauger

DOUBLE TROUBLE Music by John Williams Arranged by Teena Chinn

CAN YOU HEAR? Music by Jim Papoulis Arranged by Francisco J. Nunez

soloists: 6/12/11 Jamie MacKinnon, Thomas Joyce, and Sutton MacInnes

6/19/11 Stephanie Ward, Amanda Kim, Abigail Chase

.

In spite of the unseasonably cool weather and drizzle, singers' spirits were not dampened.

As a bonus, Pure Treble was asked to sing at the South Shore Arts Festival on Sunday, June 19th on the Cohasset Green.

The audience was surprised by a sudden drum call that brought the performers out of the crowd to start the concert with a South African can dance.

It was a beautiful Father's Day afternoon. We all enjoyed performing this encore concert for an audience of parents, friends, and festival-goers.

I am extremely privileged to be able to direct this fine group of budding musicians. Congratulations, Pure Treble and thank you for your hard work and dedication during this first year. I am very proud of you!
Thank you parents for your constant encouragement and support.
I would also like to thank Judy Ponte, our accompanist, Candy Kniffen our manager, and the South Shore Conservatory for supporting this fledgling chorus in its first year.
Have a safe and happy summer!
See you in the fall.
Mrs. McMinn

Pure Treble Concert

2011-04-06T14:27:00.000-07:00

On March 28, 2011 Pure Treble performed their second concert for a full house.

Photos: Michelle McGrath

Songs included:

Enter With Singing

Nathan Nobb

Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening

Ching-A-Ring Chaw/Great Gittin' Up Morning

This Pretty Planet

Lightning

Oye

Plymouth Children's Chorus 2011

2011-03-09T15:02:00.000-08:00

115 select students in grades 4 and 5 began rehearsing for their performance with the Plymouth Philharmonic in early January.

L.Enos

The intensive 8 week rehearsal schedule was interrupted not once, not twice, but 3 times with snowstorm cancellations. Read more: http://www.wickedlocal.com/plymouth/fun/entertainment/music/x95294497/Plymouth-Children-s-Chorus-goes-above-and-beyond#axzz1Fxw3p5Cn

L.Enos

Students were given rehearsal CDs and asked to practice the music on their own. They also came for an extra rehearsal on a Saturday.

L.Enos

After four rehearsals students met Mr. Karidoyanes.

Rehearsal #5 was a combination of polishing music and playing the "Rehearsal Game".

On March 5th, students met at Memorial Hall to rehearse with the orchestra.

On March 6th, they donned their T-Shirts and prepared to perform at the Philharmonic's Family Concert. This is the fifth year anniversary of the Plymouth Children's Chorus.

Warm-Ups in the "Blue Room"

L.Enos

L. Enos

L.Enos

While waiting for the concert to start, singers took their seats and had a chance to find their parents in the crowd.

"Wave to the photographer..."

D. Maccaferri

2011 Plymouth Philharmonic Family Concert
"Rising Stars Showcase"

D. Maccaferri

L. Eno

L. Enos

D.Maccaferri

D. Maccaferri

Many thanks to the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra for giving the students of Plymouth this amazing opportunity. Thanks to the many adults who volunteered their time to help make this possible. I am deeply grateful to Laurie Enos and Dave Maccaferri for taking and sharing such wonderful photographs. To view more pictures visit: http://gallery.me.com/dmaccaferri#101454

Federal Furnace Treble Chorus Sings at the Providence Bruins Hockey Game

2010-12-19T06:58:00.000-08:00

On Dec. 17th, the Federal Furnace Treble Chorus traveled to Providence to perform at the start of the Bruins Hockey Game.

Students stayed after school to practice and to have a pizza party.

Parent volunteers helped serve pizza and chaperoned the trip.

Pizza!

While the singers took the ice, the Bruins were skating and warming up.

Federal Furnace performed "America the Beautiful" in two part harmony and sign language.

After performing it was time to party!!!!

Many thanks to all of the chaperones, parents, and the Federal Furnace community for their support throughout the entire concert season!

Federal Furnace Treble Chorus at the Plymouth Philharmonic Holiday Pops Concert

2010-12-19T06:05:00.000-08:00

Photo compliments of Darcy Salwak

On December 11th and 12th, the Federal Furnace Treble Chorus joined ranks with the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra and the Pilgrim Festival Chorus for the annual Holiday Pops Concert. A nearly sold-out Memorial Hall was buzzing with excitement as the orchestra took the stage and performed festive holiday song.

Treble makers busied themselves "back stage" while waiting to sing

Shortly before performing they warmed up their voices.

Even though Mr. Karidoyanes had a lot to do before the concert he took time to meet with the young singers and give them a pep talk.

The following photos are compliments of Dave Maccaferri

Federal Furnace performed "When You Believe" from the Prince of Egypt in the first half of the concert accompanied by the orchestra.

Emmie Kelly sang a solo

A standing ovation!

In the second half of the concert, Federal Furnace joined the Pilgrim Festival Chorus to sing "In the Bleak Midwinter", "Angels In The Snow", and "Silent Night". This was an experience these young singers will never forget.

Many thanks to the Plymouth Philharmonic for giving these children such an amazing experience!

Federal Furnace Gym Show-"Sweet Moves"

2010-11-16T16:59:00.000-08:00

The Federal Furnace fifth grade gym show is collaboration between Physical Education, Art, and Music. The theme of this year's annual gym show was CANDY. Students worked from September to November learning song with "sweet themes" and working on movement education routines.

The walls were decorated with pictures of giant candy and lollipops created in art class. Thanks to the PTA, students were even dressed in "sweet" colored T-Shirts.

Students performed various routines on the gym floor while the chorus sang about all things sweet.

Even Cookie Monster made an appearance.

Each year, one of the highlights of the show is the hand stand contest.

The finale included dancing giant pieces of candy, a unicycle, scarves, hulahoops, skip-its, juggling, and a band of students handing out candy to the audience.

Pure Treble performs in Hansel and Gretel

2010-11-06T19:20:00.000-07:00

On November 6th and 7th, members of Pure Treble joined Opera By The Bay in a performance of "Hansel and Gretel" by Engelbert Humperdinck.

Singers arrived early to warm up, paint on their rosy cheeks, and wait for their cue to line up. Since their part was over an hour into the opera students were kept busy with crafts,

and games.

At last, it was time for the gingerbread children to come to life.

For many of these children this was their first experience with opera. And what an experience it was!

South Shore Conservatory's 40th Anniversary

2010-11-06T10:36:00.000-07:00

Members of Pure Treble were among hundreds of students and faculty members who were brought together to perform "Music Is...." a commissioned piece by John Kramer at the BaYS concert on November 3rd.

This tremendous finale was in honor of the South Shore Conservatory's 40th Anniversary.

Click this link to read more and to see a video montage: www.boston.com/news/hingham/2010/11/music_is_celebration.html

SSC Pure Treble Sings for Vice President Biden

2010-11-05T17:57:00.000-07:00

October 30, 2010

After little more than a month in existence, South Shore Conservatory’s new children’s chorus Pure Treble enjoyed their unexpected premiere performance when they entertained a crowd of nearly 500 at a political rally in Quincy Saturday for candidate Bill Keating. Amongst the honored dignitaries were U.S. Vice President Joseph Biden, Senator John Kerry and Representative William Delahunt.

Singers had the added pleasure of meeting Siobhan Magnus, American Idol Finalist.

After his speech, Vice President Biden came down from the stage to shake hands with members of the crowd. Pictured here, Pure Treble member Sophie greets Vice President Biden and gets some advice...."don't date until you are 30."

Summer-2010 South Africa

2010-11-05T15:43:00.000-07:00

South Africa July 21-August 9, 2010

This year I returned to Komatipoort, South Africa to continue working at the Music for Life Centres and School. My days were filled with the two things I love most, kids and music.

My welcome committee-Music For Life Centre

I was able to work with the staff again. After my last visit I had a sense of what their needs were and it was lovely to return and pick up where we left off. This year, we focused a great deal on warming up a choir. I was also able to work a bit on keyboard skills with the them.

This year I spent more time with the African Children's Choir. This is always such an honor for me. We worked our way through excerpts from Godspell and held a performance for the nearby village. It was such a pleasure to work with such a talented and enthusiastic group of singers and I hope they enjoyed it as much as I did.

In addition to Godspell I also had the privilege of working out a few kinks in three of Choir 33 songs. They had a few problems with timing, blend and intonation and were very easy to work with and eager to polish up their songs. Again, a great honor for me.

And yes, we found time to go on safari...

I could never tire of this!

Music for Life-South Africa 2009

2009-08-29T12:35:00.000-07:00

On July 31st, 2009 I returned to South Africa.

This posting is not about my trip, although I visited beautiful places and had amazing experiences, but to tell you about a program that is changing the future of Africa one child at a time.

(information taken from a Music for Life brochure)

Music for Life is the parent organization of the African Children's Choir. It facilitates community outreach programs which are funded by the work of the African Children's Choir. Resources are directed to Music For Life Centers and teams into areas of urgent need. Their main objective is to reach out to orphans and vulnerable children uplifting them and empowering them through the stimulation of performing arts.

Music for Life began working in Nkomazi in 2004 and their work has expanded to ten rural schools from several villages.

Music for Life objectives:

To use performing arts as a vehicle to improve children's confidence and self-esteem.

To meet children's spiritual and emotional needs by regular contact in a caring and stimulating environment

To empower children through the development of their learning social and interactive skills

To transform children's lives one at a time.

Currently, orphaned or vulnerable children are selected in consultation with the school. Fifty children from each of the ten schools are chosen to attend weekly after school programs.

The children:

The Music For Life Teams

Three teams offer these after-school programs once a week.

The Music for Life teams take a great deal of time to prepare for the after- school programs. This includes practicing keyboards and learning songs and dance steps that they will teach the children.

The After-School Programs

Warm ups...

Proper singing technique

Dancing

Life skills lessons

Prayer

And a snack

It was my honor and pleasure to work hand-in-hand with these talented teams of young adults providing professional development training throughout my visit.

African Children's Choir

Members of the African Children's Choir 2, who recently toured the UK are now living at the Music for Life school in Komatipoort. A bonus to me was that I was given the opportunity to work closely with them in several areas. I helped the staff at the school teach Arts and Culture lessons and after school keyboard lessons. In addition, we rehearsed a special version of "The Lion King".
During my last week in South Africa, the children of the African Children's Choir put on a performance of "The Lion King" for an audience of about sixty people. It was great fun!

ACC Auditions:

In my last three days, I assisted the Music for Life staff in holding auditions for the next South African touring choir. These are some of the most vulnerable children in the Nkomazi region. In order to meet the criteria, children must have one deceased parent and be able to pass a simple singing and dancing audition. They will then be sent on to the final selections to take place later in the year. This had the most impact on me. If these children are selected it will be life-changing for them.

Having the opportunity to help select children brought things full circle. I found myself at the end of my trip becoming part of a new beginning.

Mrs. McKay's Farewell

2009-06-19T14:56:00.000-07:00

Students at Federal Furnace said "Goodbye" to Mrs. McKay... or rather, "See you later". After six years as principal of Federal Furnace School, and 35 years in education, Mrs. McKay is retiring.
The children surprised her with a send-off concert and celebration in her honor. Each grade level prepared a song, as well as a class presentation and took turns performing for each other.
At the end of the celebration, the entire student body sang and signed "An Old Irish Blessing". (turn volume down when you view the video)

Music Immersion Finale Concert

2009-06-12T16:27:00.000-07:00

On June 9, 2009, more than 2,000 Plymouth students in grades 3, 4, and 5 attended a concert given by the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra. This was the final concert of a year-long program called "Music Immersion". Throughout the year, four small ensembles, representing the four main instrument families of the orchestra visited the elementary schools to give students an up-close and personal introduction to the instruments. Students were then bused to Memorial Hall where the orchestra performed a program created specifically for them. Each piece of music was chosen to help students explore different aspects of music and to encourage them to get excited about the orchestra.

Music Immersion Sponsors

Federal Furnace School is seated and ready for the concert to begin.

Students waiting for the concert to begin.

Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra performs for students in grades 3, 4, and 5 from Plymouth schools.

A student from West Elementary School conducts "Washington Post March" while the audience claps along.

Steven Karidoyanes answers questions at the conclusion of the concert.
Plymouth students will never forget this experience. Many thanks to those who made if possibly. Special thanks to Steven Karidoyanes, Chris Ford, Mary Ellen Barr, Debbie Cox, Paula Harris, members of the PPO board and of course, the musicians!

Plymouth Phil Percussion Demo

2009-05-02T09:17:00.001-07:00

On May 1st, students in grades 3, 4, and 5 were treated to a percussion demonstration by Dan Hann, a percussionist from the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra.
This is the fourth and final in-school performance of the year-long program called "Music Immersion". Students have now had the opportunity to learn about the four families of instruments through performances by a string quartet, a brass quintet, a woodwind quintet, and a percussion demo. In June, all Plymouth students in these three grades will be bused to Memorial Hall to see a full orchestra concert.

Students learned about the science of sound while Dan demonstrated a large collection of "toys" that are commonly used in the percussion section of the orchestra.

Students enjoyed the 'silly' sound of the flexitone, which is often heard in cartoons.

They compared the different sounds that a triangle can make.

They discovered that the material used to make a shaker has a lot to do with its sound.

Dan demonstrated the many ways a tambourine can be played and told us that it is his favorite "toy" of the percussion family.

Students were amazed at the coordination it takes to play a drum set.

He showed students that the difference in the sound of cymbals has to do with the different sizes, shapes, and the metals used to make them.

Dan demonstrated how to play a glockenspiel

Students were encouraged to ask questions. Federal Furnace fully enjoyed the percussion demonstration and are eagerly awaiting their trip to Memorial Hall on June 9th to hear the Plymouth Philharmonic play.

"Pirates"- The Musical

2009-04-19T06:30:00.000-07:00

On April 14th and 15th, 2009, students in grade four performed "Pirates" for friends and family in Federal Furnace cafeteria. Students began rehearsing in January for this musical extravaganza which included singing, dancing, acting, and of course, silly pirate humor.

Federal Furnace Performs at Town Meeting

2009-04-04T05:56:00.000-07:00

On April 4, 2009, fifth grade students from Federal Furnace School opened Town Meeting with a South African dance called "Woza".

After this rousing can dance woke up the town meeting members, a color guard processed and led everybody in the salute to the flag. Students from Federal Furnace Treble Chorus then sang the National Anthem to complete the opening ceremony.

Thank you to all students and parents who got up early on a Saturday morning to make this possible.

Plymouth Children's Chorus Performs With the Phil

2009-03-19T14:58:00.000-07:00

photo courtesy of Laurie Enos-Old Colony Memorial

On March 1, 2009 120 fourth and fifth grade students performed in concert with the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of Steven Karidoyanes. This is the third year that the Plymouth Children's Chorus has performed at the Phil's annual family concert.

These talented students who are selected through the recommendation of their music teachers, rehearsed once a week for eight weeks to prepare for the concert.

The Chorus performed:

"Shaker Hymn: Simple Gifts"-arr. S. Karidoyanes

"Dry Your Tears, Afrika" from the movie Amistad- John Williams/arr. Snyder&Lavender

"I Dream A World"- Peter Boyer

"Double Trouble" from Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban- John Williams/arr. T. Chinn

"Let There Be Peace On Earth"- Sy Miller and Jill Jackson/arr. Hawley Ades

For more pictures, please visit: http://www.wickedlocal.com/plymouth/homepage/x1959834469/Stars-rising

You may also wish to read the articles about this concert: http://www.wickedlocal.com/plymouth/fun/entertainment/arts/x82780379/The-Phil-s-Family-Concert-features-local-children

and:

http://www.patriotledger.com/entertainment/music/x844645739/Budding-stars-Plymouth-Philharmonic-looks-to-the-future

Plymouth Philharmonic Woodwind Quintet

2009-02-05T14:24:00.000-08:00

February 5, 2009

Members of the Plymouth Philharmonic Woodwind Quintet visited Federal Furnace School on their tour of the Plymouth Elementary Schools. This is the third small ensemble to perform for Plymouth's third, fourth, and fifth grade students as part of a year-long program called Music Immersion.

Students learned about the tone color of each instrument. The musicians took turns demonstrating the members of this family and acquainting students with the sound each one makes.

First, students met the clarinet.

Next, they were introduced to the oboe.

Students were amazed by the
size of the bassoon!

Phyllis demonstrated flute and piccolo.

Anne explained how the french horn can play with both brass and woodwind ensembles.

After playing several pieces of music which demonstrated how composers use tone color, the musicians gave the students a chance to rearrange the instrumentation of a piece and to experiment with different combinations. They could hear how changing the instruments changes the entire sound of a piece.

Federal Furnace Students thoroughly enjoyed the Woodwind quintet!

Federal Furnace fifth graders perform for the Rotary Club of Plymouth

2009-01-28T17:44:00.000-08:00

On Monday, January 26th, Mrs. McMinn was a guest of the Rotary Club of Plymouth to share the story of her visit to South Africa and to bring a little piece of Africa to Plymouth. The members of the Rotary Club were very welcoming and hospitable. After a lovely lunch, Mrs. McMinn presented a slide show and explained the different programs she had participated in during her three weeks in South Africa. While she was finishing her presentation, twenty fifth graders snuck quietly into the back of the room. At the end of the presentation Mrs. McMinn introduced "Woza", a South African can dance that the African Children's Choir had taught her and the fifth graders stepped forward to perform the dance. They received a standing ovation and rave reviews.

Federal Furnace Holiday Chorus

2008-12-21T14:46:00.000-08:00

On Dec. 18, Ninety students in grades four and five performed a holiday concert for parents. The program consisted of:

1. We got a lot for Christmas!
2. Hot Chocolate
3. Candle in the Night
4. You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch
5. Deck The Halls With Jingle Bells
6. Audience Sing-Along

Students repeated the performance at the all-school sing-along on Friday, Dec. 19th.

Federal Furnace Treble Chorus sings at the Plymouth Philharmonic Holiday Pops

2008-12-21T14:25:00.000-08:00

On Dec. 13 and 14, twenty eight fifth grade students performed with the Plymouth Philharmonic Orchestra and the Pilgrim Festival Chorus at the annual holiday pops concert

Singers kept themselves busy by playing games and working on word puzzles as they waited "back stage" to perform.

Warm ups....

Visit: http://www.wickedlocal.com/plymouth/fun/entertainment/music/x1009173109/Merry-music

to see more photos of the concert.

Music Immersion - Brass Quintet

2008-12-18T16:43:00.000-08:00

Plymouth Philharmonic Brass Quintet

In December, the PPO brass quintet visited nine schools to perform for students in grades 3, 4, and 5. This is the second ensemble of four that will tour throughout the school year to introduce students to the instruments of the orchestra.

Musicians explained how each instrument is played and demonstrated their sounds. Each piece of music made reference to the historical period in which it was composed allowing the students to make connections across the curriculum.

Students were encouraged to clap along, sing, and ask questions. One of the highlights was when one student was chosen to be the conductor and given a mini conducting lesson on the spot.

Students also enjoyed when the musicians demonstrated antiphonal playing by encircling them and playing music in surround sound.

Read about their performance by visiting:http://www.wickedlocal.com/plymouth/fun/entertainment/music/x1435862133/Immersed-in-music

Music Immersion - String Quartet

2008-12-18T16:12:00.000-08:00

Plymouth Philharmonic String Quartet

During the month of October, members of the Plymouth Philharmonic String Quartet traveled to nine schools in Plymouth to perform for students in grades three, four, and five. Children were treated to an up-close-and-personal introduction to members of the string family of an orchestra. The program was interactive and educational, teaching children the characteristics of string instruments, demonstrating different techniques of playing ,and including many different genres of music. Children were even asked to sing a round to help them focus on what a canon is before they listened to a piece in which a canon was woven throughout. Students were engaged and entertained, but most important, they learned a great deal.

Africa 2008

2008-08-20T03:25:00.000-07:00

It’s difficult to know where to start to tell my story of Africa. Do I tell it like a journal? Do I just hit the highlights? Or should I tell of what I learned, of the people and their suffering because of hunger, disease, and poor living conditions? No, if I told just that, I’d be missing an important part, what I experienced when we started to dance and sing. Music and dance are such a part of the fabric of the African culture that in spite of the fact that there is such a high incidence of Aids, starvation, unemployment and orphans raising themselves and their siblings, there is also a certain feeling of joy when they begin to dance and sing.

When I arrived in Africa, I met my team and began an orientation. We received our schedule–one that proved to be quite busy—and discussed our responsibilities. Part of that orientation included meeting the Music for Life African staff which became important in getting my first glimpse into the culture there. They discussed the do’s and don’ts, which included everyday housekeeping things, such as remembering to wear bug spray and a warning to never drink the tap water, and gave us a quick overview of some of the things we should know before getting started. Of these tips, the one that stands out in my mind is: Don’t let your “Englishness” get in the way of enjoying a culture that knows how to celebrate and enjoy life. I remember wondering what that meant—but I was soon to find out.

Some of the cultural frameworks they encouraged us to adopt were:
Always greet people with a sincere handshake and a hello—everybody. When strangers approach each other, they almost always greet each other. This is something westerners don’t practice, in fact, if we greeted everybody we pass we’d never get to where we are going and would probably be considered strange.

I learned that elders are highly respected.

If you promise something, even lightly in conversation, they will expect you to deliver. In other words, if they ask you to bring something the next time you go and you say, “I’ll try”, they will expect that you will deliver. There are no maybes.

In Africa religion is diverse. There are Muslims, Jews, and many other religions, but Christianity is prominent. There are also people who practice witchcraft.

There are many households in which grandmothers are raising their grandchildren and children are raising their brothers and sisters because an entire generation is dying of Aids. In fact, the area in which we were working has almost 40% Aids. Nearly half the population is made up of children. The life expectancy is 48 years old.

The children are highly disciplined and respectful and it is mainly the women who are responsible for raising them, yet anybody can offer a child a scolding if necessary. I learned what is meant by “It takes a whole village”.

Time is a different concept in Africa. You must be very flexible as people live more in the moment and less in a schedule.

Finally, there is a spirit of “umbuntu” which is a concept that is difficult for westerners to understand. It is a sense of taking care of each other, sharing that which is yours with others, of concern and kindness for all of humanity. One day, we were giving a snack to an afterschool choir and we noticed a boy hiding his roll under his shirt. We asked the MFL staff if he knew why. He told us that he would most likely be taking it home to share with his family. This was probably one of the only things that child had to eat that day. Umbuntu. I also learned that if someone has something you need, it is perfectly fine to take it if they aren’t using it and it isn’t considered stealing.

In a society in which children have nothing, simple things are appreciated. Children light up when you smile at them. They love being touched, a handshake, a pat on the back, or a hug. When you pick up a child and hold them in your arms, they settle in close and receive that hug with a craving that is insatiable. And if you hug one child or shake their hand, you’d better be prepared to hug or shake everybody else’s hand too. There are no expectations; things are accepted with a sense of gratitude and appreciation. In our “much wants more” society of entitlement, this is foreign to us.

As far as music is concerned, since music and dance are at the core of everyday life, everybody, youngest to oldest dance and sing any chance they get. As a result, I discovered that African children sing beautifully, on pitch, with a tone that is different from children in the states. They sing more in their head voice and their projection is incredible. It was difficult to find a child who could not sing in tune. They learned songs very quickly, even if they weren’t in their native tongue. And they were eager to learn! I worked with children as young as two years old and as old as 15 and I saw the same willingness to learn in everybody. Even the staff, who were as old as 25, wanted to learn more.

This was also true for dance. From the youngest to the oldest people danced with abandon, without judgment of each other, and with a sense of joy and celebration. I danced more in three weeks than I have in my entire life.

Week One
In the first week, the schools were still in session so our schedule consisted of visiting one school a day and leading an assembly for the entire school. We sang and danced with them and performed a skit, which required them to be involved. We did the story of Noah’s Ark and I was responsible for leading the children in providing the rainstorm using body percussion. Then their chorus performed for us. I discovered that MFL runs after school programs and these children were a part of that program. The assemblies were very different from those in the states. The children were a part of the performance. Everybody, principal, teachers, even the cooks who were preparing pap and beans in large kettles outside were dancing. It was not unusual to have the entire school join a conga line and dance around the perimeter of the assembly. When it was over, the principal would say, “That was fun, let’s do it again!” The whole school would jump up and the conga line would start again.

I discovered that the assemblies give all of the children a chance to enjoy time with Music for Life staff. It provides much joy with singing and dancing and gives the children a sense that they are important and worth spending time with. This is the best way for Music for Life to become familiar to all of the children in each school that they service and build a sense of trust with them. This then helps when they are providing after school programs and camps.

After each assembly, the children would line up with their plates for lunch. We’d say our goodbyes and get in the van to travel to another school, often an hour away. Along the way, we’d stop for a picnic lunch, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, and then on to see one of the after school programs.

Music for Life is presently providing programs in eight primary schools. They begin by finding out from the teachers and principal (headmaster) who the 50 most vulnerable children are and provide them with an after school music and dance program once a week. This gives the children an opportunity to stay after and learn songs and dance in a safe and loving environment. What’s more, it provides a sense of belonging, a bit of music and dance therapy, and a place to be after school. The children are a part of this program for a year or two and the MFL staff keeps close tabs on them. These children will eventually be culled down from 400 to 50 and sent to audition for the African Children’s Choir. From there, 25 will be chosen to tour with the choir for six months. After rehearsing, children are given a short lesson in life skills, followed by a snack, which included a protein drink and something to eat. The Music For Life staff who work on the ground in Africa are invaluable in implementing the assemblies and the after school programs.

During the first week, we were also given the opportunity to make home visits and bring food parcels. These were families of the children who were in the afterschool program, thus, they were the neediest. We brought parcels that we purchased for 140 rand (less than 20 US dollars) which would provide food for the family for up to 2 weeks. The main staples are maize (which they use to make a starchy porridge called pap) and beans. We often visited grandmothers who were raising as many as 8 of their grandchildren, and in one home an uncle and aunt were raising 12 children from several of their family members who have passed away The houses are small, made out of brick or mud. Some have thatched roofs and some have clay tiles. There is no running water or plumbing, no electricity, and often very little furniture. People sleep on mats on the floor and spend a lot of time outside, where they cook their meals and clean their clothes. They get their water from large tanks that water trucks visit once a week. It is common for women to strap babies to their backs to keep track of them and keep them safe as they go about their daily business. Everybody carries things on their heads.

After our last assembly, we traveled to Thembalethu. This is a home visit organization which takes care of orphans in their homes. This is also the area from which the first South African Children’s Choir came. I asked why the children aren’t put in orphanages and was told that South Africa doesn’t recognize orphanages and that the children are living in their family homes and if they are removed, their family will lose all that they own. In Thembalethu, we visited workshops in which people were making many different crafts, pottery, glass beads, embroidered linens, to name a few, which they sold in a shop on the property. The money goes towards helping orphans learn to live in their homes and take care of themselves by learning how to grow crops and cook and feed themselves. This was totally foreign to me. Children are living alone and caring for themselves!

Our evenings were spent preparing the craft materials for camp. We cut enough ribbons for two camps, thousands of hearts, crowns, Joseph coats, and paper plate maracas. It wasn’t unusual to work well into the night.

The first weekend in Africa was dedicated to getting ready for the upcoming week. Choir one would also be arriving on Monday night and would spend the next 10 days of their school vacation at the school. We would go to camp by day and spend evenings with them. We were finally able to get to an internet café. It took 45 minutes to send a quick email to tell everybody I had made it safely and was alive. We had no land line phone service, no internet nearby, and were at the mercy of the staff to drive us to where we had to go. We were also busy most of the time. Needless to say, I had very little contact with the outside world. I decided that was best because it allowed me to become immersed in the culture there.

We spent Saturday afternoon shelving books in the library in preparation for Choir 2’s return from tour in December. After touring, the Music for life Institute will become their boarding school as they go through their primary school years.

On Sunday, Di and Clive (MFL staff) took us for an unscheduled trip to Kruger Park. Our first safari was exciting, enjoyable, and very lucky as we saw many different animals. It was a much needed escape from all we had been through and followed by a braai (barbeque) at their house, gave us a rest in preparing for the up and coming busy week.

Week Two
On Monday, we began our first three day camp at Masibegela. We began each camp day with a general assembly full of song and dance and a skit. Children were grouped by grade and given colored ribbon bracelets to keep them organized.

Then they were put into four large groups to begin their rotation through music, dance, arts and crafts, and sports classes. Joy, Pat, and Claire were in charge of crafts. They helped the children make wonderful crafts full (really full) of glitter. We could tell when the kids had come to music from crafts because they had glitter from head to foot. Bob, Jason, Kenny, and Aaron ran the sports. Zethu and James were in charge of dance. Jesse made sure we all rotated on time. Everybody was flexible and worked well together so things ran smoothly.

After two classes, children were fed a lunch of pap, beans, cabbage and/or chicken.

Then they would return to their groups and finish their rotation through the other two classes. Camp ended each day with an assembly.

Lisa and I taught music. Since we had double classes, we would have anywhere from 45-100 kids at a time. We began each lesson with a warm up and then taught several songs which often included phrases that were repeated, a good beat, and actions. Nomvula was our interpreter. She was amazing! Some of the favorite songs were: The Freeze Dance, Put Your Finger in the Air, and The Stick Game. We taught this to the older group only, because it requires them to tap a stick in patterns, then pass them around the circle while the tempo gets faster and faster. As each day passed, the children grew more used to us and what we expected and their countenance became more animated and the classes more enjoyable.

By the end of the third day, they were singing and dancing with abandon and ready to perform a couple of the songs they had learned with the rest of the groups at the final assembly. We were sad to see it end and they asked if we would be coming back the next day. We sadly told them that we couldn’t. The principal thanked us for giving them three days of joy and for keeping them safe during their holiday. He went on the describe their home life which might entail neglect, sexual abuse, and other dangerous situations. He said he was grateful for the three days we had given them. That speech left an impact on me. I remember wishing we were going back on the fourth day.

On Monday night, the African Children’s Choir arrived at the school for their ten day camp. The staff would run day camp activities while we were working in the village camps. In the evening, we had the opportunity to spend time with the choir.
On the first night I was in my room writing in my journal and I heard the most beautiful harmony coming from the down the hall. The choir was having devotions and they were singing in Siswati. I ran to listen and record, but ended up joining their circle. This became one of my favorite interactions with the choir because the songs were impromptu and always sung from the heart. After devotion, Lisa and I took them to the library to pick out reading material. I have never seen kids get so excited about books!

On Thursday and Friday, we helped Service International provide a camp called “ZUBA” (“jump” in Siswati) on the Music for Life campus. It was very different from the camp we had just run. It also began with an assembly, but the music and was very western in nature. There were jumping castles, games with prizes and crafts. The children were also given a lunch of pap, chicken, and vegetables. The atmosphere was very much like a carnival. Lisa and I helped with the crafts which was actually a welcome change from singing and playing guitar. The choir kids helped out as well, so it gave us more time to spend with them.

On Saturday morning I worked with the choir. I wondered what I would be able to teach a group of kids (ages 11-14) who had toured the UK for a year. Their tour included meeting Paul McCartney, Annie Lennox, and Mariah Carey. I decided to take them through a typical chorus rehearsal and began with warm ups. They found the warm up routine fun and some of the girls asked that I repeat it during our break. Too funny! I taught them to sing Dona Nobis Pacem, Bought Me a Cat, Simple Gifts, and Swing Low Sweet Chariot/All Night All Day (partner songs). The biggest challenge was finding keys that suited the boys voices which have changed since they toured. They were quick learners! I recorded each song and had them listen to how they sounded. They seemed to enjoy this a lot. At the end of their lesson I asked them to perform for me. They did two songs which have drumming and dances. Amazing! We ended with them singing “Steal Away” in three part harmony. This session was definitely something I will always remember!

In the afternoon, we tutored the choir in math. It was a bit frustrating since they all go to different schools, are in different grades, and have learned different ways of solving problems. We broke them into four groups and managed to make some progress. I don’t think they really wanted to do school work during their holiday, but since they are so polite they worked with us.
On Sunday, Di and Clive took us to White River for our weekly get-away. We visited shops and had lunch there. It was a restful day with great company, food, and some of the best chocolate I have ever eaten. In the evening, the choir put on a performance for us. They blew my mind! Not only can they sing, but they can dance so well that I can’t begin to describe it. I took lots of pictures and video so I will always be able to remember this night, although I’m sure I will never forget it.

Week Three
On Monday morning we headed to Schulzendal for our second three-day camp. We had our work cut out for us because this is a fairly new school to the Music for Life program and the kids didn’t know what to expect of us. The assembly didn’t seem to gel as well as the prior week’s and our lessons were somewhat reminecent of deer in headlights. But we persevered and the children began to warm up to us as they began to understand that we were not only safe, and maybe even fun, but that we would be feeding them lunch every day as well. By the second day, they had loosened up quite a bit and were smiling in anticipation of what we would be doing in class. The assembly was better too.

That evening was the choir’s last night. They put on skits and sang songs for us. We laughed and cried. Our goodbyes were heart wrenching. We had become close in such a short time.
By day three of camp the kids were having a blast and so were we. During the final assembly, they were all dancing and singing and laughing. The end of camp brought more sad goodbyes. I think the kids would have loved a couple more days. But our time in Africa was coming to an end.

After camp, our team went for coffee and to say goodbye to Heather, Tamsin,and the boys. It was hard to believe the time had gone by so fast.

We went to Di and Clives for dinner and a long discussion about our weeks there.

Our last day in Africa was spent on a long and glorious safari. Once again we were lucky and saw many animals, including zebra and a leopard which we didn’t see on the first safari. I would never tire of these safaris, even if I went all the time.

We ended the day with a sunset ride. I don’t know what was the most memorable, the sunset or seeing a lion.

Friday morning brought more tearful goodbyes. We parted ways and promised to keep in touch. I will never forget Africa! The faces of the children

And the sound of their voices.

The places and

The people I met

are etched in my heart forever.