Crossing age, language and learning barriers
Over the years we have done many sessions with kindy and pre-school kids and had the privilege of working in special needs schools. Often we get told “you won’t get a song out of them” or “they are too young or won’t understand”. We have found that Music is art that speaks to the emotion and the intellect, so many of these moments are our favourites; it’s the wonder of bringing something to life that makes these sessions so exciting.
The joy on the faces of the children and staff in special needs schools when the children are on the microphone, singing with all their hearts, their thoughts and their words. No barriers, this is their time to shine
The tiny, shy children we have to tread carefully with. We sit quietly on the mat and sing twinkle little star, then slowly they tells us the small things they like to do and one child will pipe-up with a sing-song word or phrase and slowly and gently the song comes together.
Writing songs in many different aboriginal languages is a challenge but once again there is always a desire to make it work from both us and the students. It is this desire and the passion for music, to sing and dance that carries the day. The disconnections and mispronunciations only add to the laughter and fun shared by all.
Time and again we see young people who everyone said are the worst students (academically or behaviourally), who can barely read or sit still come out with the best line or melody in the song and sing passionately on the microphone… this is the power of expression at it’s finest…gold.
There is always common ground within the language of music.
