Monday, March 8, 2010

The Choirs report on the amazing experience of the 8 - 80 Concert

I have held the two focus groups and the children and the Glee Club have all reported positively about the whole experience, including unanimously wanting to do it all again next year.

When I asked the girls, as a final question, if there was anything that they didn't like, it was the heat. Nothing to do with their buddies in the Glee Club:

here are some responses from the Rotokauri Tuis

"I enjoyed getting to know just one person in particular which made me feel comfortable any time I saw them.

“ They made me feel really comfortable, I enjoyed their kindness, and they were basically complimenting our singing every minute.”

"I enjoyed going to see where they lived, getting to know about them and about their lives"

when I asked the Tuis if they thought differently about older people now that the project is completed, they said:

“ They don’t sing like old people” “ I like how they were being kind”
“They’re really talented” “ I liked talking to my buddy and answering her questions”
“They sounded great singing” “ I liked hearing about their life and stuff, and about their place”
“ I Liked hearing the songs that they sang”


S0 what did the Glee Club think?

“Talking about the relationship between the children and us, it was the most wonderful experience, I enjoyed it immensely.”

“I think there was a remarkable rapport between the children and us, it was a most memorable experience for all concerned, the Tuis and us.”

“I thought that it would be chaotic, but in the end I found it to be quite something, to be matching our older voices with the young voices. I liked it”

“I thought it was a very profitable experience. I enjoyed seeing their conditions and them seeing us. I like the way the children adopted us and looked after us. One of them after the concert brought her mother to meet me.”

“I felt, at first, that it was going to be a bit of a shambles with the children so excited, and they were going to be, you know, dashing around madly with great excitement, but when it came to the actual time, they just pulled themselves into line. And I think their exuberance, really. We took up their exuberance with our singing”

“My personal opinion about going out to the school and singing with them, on the day we made the concert was: It helped me as far as breathing goes. I learned to breathe a little faster and better with the children, to keep up with the children. I found I was dropping back a bit in the slow state, so those children gave me a little bit of extra ‘oomph’, and nothing but delight in having them with me anyway”

I am receiving email responses from the parents, so that will be a future post.

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