I have participated in the Chicago Children’s Choir since 3rd grade. The Choir, created by Reverend Christopher Moore in 1956 — the height of the Civil Rights Movement—is a racially, ethnically, culturally, and economically diverse arts education program. Currently, the Choir has nearly 75 in-school programs that provide a music program to Chicago Public Schools’ whose arts education funding has been cut, an after-school program in 10 Chicago neighborhoods, and a top, accumulative performing ensemble, the Voice of Chicago. The nonprofit is nearly 3,500 voices strong, including eight- year-olds, as well as eighteen-year-olds. The strong voices ensure a strong mission: to create a better world through the power of music.
The Choir is diverse in its membership, as well as repertoire. Thus, for many years, the Choir has had a commitment and love for South African music, among many others. An alum of the Choir and conductor of a neighborhood program, Mollie S., travelled to South Africa and brought back numerous songs, as well as passion and love for South Africa (and its music). It was only natural that, for my public event, I attended a World Music Festival performance by Derek Gripper, a South African guitarist.
At the DePaul University Concert Hall, Mr. Gripper consumed the stage with a single chair, a slight scarf, and his guitar. Before my admittance to the the Voice of Chicago, I was in the Depaul Neighborhood Choir: we rehearsed in a building in the same corridor as the Concert Hall. I sat in the Concert Hall’s velvet-lined rows as an entirely different Ellory than the one that previously occupied the same space. However, one thing was the same: I was, and am, still confident that music has the ability to create universal, substantial change. As I watched Mr. Gripper and embraced the resonance of his mastery, the interconnectedness of my experiences reflected the potential music has to create a similar interconnectedness between humans. When differences consume our perception of each other, music has the ability, unlike anything else, to intervene. Music creates empathy and commonality, without denying the intrinsic value of diversity. My experience watching Mr. Gripper reinvigorated my commitment to music as a means for creating change, as well as made me question my responsibility to my own country’s challenges.
Ellory, how wonderful that the event engaged you at so many levels, tapping into your history and passions as well as your civic identity, which you express powerfully in this sentence: "When differences consume our perception of each other, music has the ability, unlike anything else, to intervene." My daughter plays World Music, and also played in the festival, and this is her experience day-in-day-out. Here's a music clip from a movie about the Roma and their music, that I think expresses your thought too: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLnZhJxAyoo. Hope you like it.
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