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Voco Novo spreading the love of music into school campus

Author:Vocal Asia Editors
Translated by : Jay Gao

Recently Voco Novo were invited by Ting Hsin Foundationto conduct A Cappella music promotional education seminars to three Mainland China primary school which housed those children who are left-behind by their parents. At the same time, they were also invited by the Quanta Arts Foundation to perform at the opening ceremony of Beijing 77 CulturalPark. This trip was packed with exciting events and the team members benefited tremendously.Voco Novo group leader Christine shared her experience with us.

The A Cappella promotional education seminars started with Zhongying Complete Primary School located in the remote areas of Xiaying, Ji County, where students seem more innocent. After realising that the kids didn’t even recognize popular cartoon ‘Pleasant Goat and Big Big Wolf’, Voco Novo demonstrated how to sign the main chorus of the theme song first and then tried to encourage the students to sing along. Christine expressed that she feels the school did not arrange any music curriculum. Therefore, she is concerned about how can the students continue to learn and be exposed to A Cappella or even other music under such an environment.

The second and third schools visited were city-based Jingshi Experimental Primary School and LongquanPrimary School. They had higher quality third andfourth grade students and the school had significantly more advancedequipment and facilities. Voco Novo used simple notationand microphone to sing and the kidswere able to keep up and learn very fast. Although there were occasionally somearguments amongst the students, but team members such as Nora who is already a mother and Daniel who has a lot of society teaching experience were able to quickly take control of the situation and led the students back into learning mode. Christine said that this three-day journey has not only allowed her to try out the amazing local dishes, but also the teaching experience has taught her a thing or two.

After finishing the school promotional education seminars in partnership with Ting Hsin Foundation, Voco Novo finally arrived at 77 Cultural Park which was modified from Beijing Offset Printing Factory to participate in the opening ceremony of 77 Theatre.They were delighted to kick off the‘2014 Cross-StraitTheatreFestival’ with their hour-long performanceinside a ‘metal box’ (special detachable venue). The audience were quite excited as the venue were in a contemporary setting, giving everyone a relaxed environment.The atmosphere allowed Voco Novo to sing happily amongst the chattering and kids running around. 77 Cultural Park’s mission is to foster cross-strait cultural exchange, by inviting Voco Novo to perform it symbolises the Taiwanese voice is singing its way into Mainland China.

In the end, Christine talked about other feelings she had from this trip; as someone who had been to Orchid Island and Taichung for promotional seminars, it made her to rethink about the methods and focuses in which we conduct music education. She thinks that, through these concrete promotion and education, planting little seeds of ideas in children’s heart, allows them to see some new things or try to leave them a message, these interactions and experience willbring them diverse ideas or changes in the future.

Related Links

News Article -‘Life,Money’Cross-Strait Theatre Festival in Beijing
Video – Voco Novo singing seminar with Beijing Longquan Primary School student

 



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