The child was crying out; ‘why will you not wait for me?’ I was driving yesterday and saw this lady walking with a child carrying a backpack. What touched my heart was the fact that the lady was walking 15 feet a head of the child as the child is dragging her school backpack trying to keep up with the lady.

Now as I sit here I received a phenomenal story from a friend of mine, which I would like to share with everyone.

From Karen Romualdez:

I got a call from the Music teacher in a public school nearby… she is panicking, her students refuse to listen and they refuse to learn a song. They were following a strict schedule and had to be ready for the Kiwanis Music Festival.

I set aside the movie script that I was working on and went straight to the class in my jeans, hoody, baseball cap and skater sneakers (I know teachers are always in their strict “madam” outfits).

My first question was, “what song are they singing?” Teacher answered, “The Water is Wide” (an English Folk song from the 1600s). I knew instantly what the problem was, because I myself, did not know exactly what that song was. In my mind, I only had these words, “what and why? I mean, WHY???” So we decided to first change the song to Josh Groban’s, “You Raise Me Up”. The teacher insisted on her personal favourite antique sounding song. So, we compromised (we can achieve anything when we practice the art of “compromising”). The kids were singing both songs.

After deciding what songs they were singing, I lined them up to determine who belongs to Alto, Soprano1 and Soprano 2. I asked them to sing… I couldn’t hear them. Louder, I said… still nothing. I realized, they were intimidated by me. So I asked them to take their seats. I was going to share two of my deepest secrets with them. Right there, I could see the enthusiasm in their big wide eyes. “Guess what guys (I never call them KIDS)… I CAN’T READ NOTES! Yup, you heard me, I C-A-N-N-O-T READ NOTES.” “How do you know what and how to sing then?” they asked. I went to music school when I was 18 but I did not learn how to read notes. Instead of singing with the use of music sheets, I used my heart instead. My passion for singing is so deep that I can find the solution to any of my problems in my heart.

I could tell, my “guys” were now warming up. They knew I wasn’t a GOD. I am as imperfect as they are.

The voices started coming out… one by one… then VOILA —– they were unstoppable! The strong ones I put on the first row, the weak ones, instead of maligning them and asking them to just quit (gosh, those voices were sooooooo painful!), were on the 2nd row, away from the microphones.

Festival day came…. The teacher wanted to be the leader… “By all means, the floor is yours”, I said to her. I sat as far as I could from my “guys”. When they started singing, they were all focused… ON ME! With those big wide smiles plastered on their faces. They sang “madam’s” personal favorite… they did great. Then it was “OUR” song, You Raise Me Up”… They were phenomenal.

In the end, they were given a special award for… OUR SONG! The judge said, “The Water is Wide is a very old song for children their age. You Raise me up was more suitable and the blending of the first and second voices were perfect.” The “guys” and I were beaming!

For two years now, I have been coaching/teaching the grade school choir. Instead of starting the session with vocalization exercises, we talk about where I get my shoes, purse, shirt or sweater from. We laugh and laugh and that to me is considered a warm up for “guys” their age.

The choir “guys” and I are now buddies… we now have the freedom to pick our songs. I download, make copies for each of them then we start working. And the best part is, I don’t even have to read notes!

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“When mentoring children, walk beside them, never ahead of them.”

 Fred Sarkari

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