Wednesday, December 7, 2005
The piano begins to play a slow melody and 28 voices can be heard coming from the Murphy Hall practice room on Thursday evenings.
The voices are not from college students, but from children grades fourth to seventh who make up the new KU Youth Chorus. The group, organized by the music education and music therapy department, allows students to gain experience working with children and the children the opportunity to expand their musical skills.
“It lets us learn different songs better,” said 12-year-old Yami Simpson-Banda, who’s in the group. “I think it’s fun.”
Courtney Williams, Lawrence senior, is a student conductor. She said up until this semester she didn’t have an experience working with children. Now, she starts the rehearsals by leading warm-ups and explaining different musical concepts to the children.
She said as she prepared to graduate next semester, the opportunity to work with children would better prepare her for teaching children after graduation.
“We actually never get to get in there in the trenches and work with the kids,” she said. “This is really putting me a step forward from where I would be.”
Debra Hedden, associate professor of music education and music therapy and director of the KU Youth Chorus, created the program to help graduate and undergraduate students gain rehearsal experience with children.
The group meets on Thursday nights and has rehearsals until its final performance in early May, she said.
She said two students helped her now but next semester she would require undergraduate students to work with the chorus. She said this would allow students to find out what methods worked with children and which ones didn’t when teaching music.
She has tried to get the word out to children’s parents by sending information to different elementary and junior high schools across Lawrence and Topeka. She said unlike other youth musical groups, this one does not require an audition or extensive musical knowledge.
Hedden said while the choir has already started rehearsals she continued to look for more children to participate. She said she could add 52 to 57 more students.
“We are accessible to all children in the area,” she said.
Williams said the experience has been great as parents and students ask her questions. She said it made her feel like a teacher.
“Knowing they are there having a lot of fun and they are helping me learn and I’m helping them learn,” she said. “It’s very gratifying.”
— Edited by Kellis Robinett
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