My name is Christine Freeman, and I am a Fellow of The Institute for Healthy Singing and Voice Research. I am the Associate Music Director for the William Baker Festival Singers in Kansas City, and I teach sixth, seventh, and eighth-grade choir at a public school in Overland Park, Kansas. I have taught middle school choir for 18 years and specialize in the changing voice.
I first heard about the opportunity to travel to the village of Kapkemich, Kenya from the Director of the IHS&VR, Dr. Jamea Sale when she invited me to be the third teaching member of the team. I jumped at the chance.
I look forward to working with changing voices in another country, and I am humbled to be able to aid in the success of St. Anne’s Girls High School and its mission to provide education and opportunity to young women. Their purpose is close to my heart as a woman, mother, and educator.
This trip involves so many things about which I am excited, and there a many “firsts” for me to look forward to. For example, this is my first time traveling to the continent of Africa, the first time I have been a part of any educational outreach of this type, and the first time I will be working so closely with Greg Wegst, Jamea Sale, and Niccole Williams. Planning with Jamea and Niccole has been a highlight. We share mutual respect, and with the varied experiences and expertise we each bring, ideas have exploded. Together, we have assembled great resources, and I am excited to execute the plan to start music programs for the Kapkemich students.
Lydia Kageha is the administrator for the Virginia Wright Health Clinic which provides health education and services to the people of Kapkemich. She was in Kansas City, completing a master’s degree until recently, and her advice has been instrumental in understanding student needs. For me, her most important guidance was to communicate why studying music is worthwhile.
This advice prompted me to reflect upon my experience as a musician teaching in a public school. The music content area is not the highest-valued in US public school settings, and music educators often confront the need to justify programs, fight for funding, and defend our teaching methods. Why is music worth studying, and why is it worth having a music education curriculum in schools? I can list many reasons, but I think three vocal music ideas stand out: singing together, making music together, and learning about music.
Sharing music brings people together. Studying music and making music activates the brain like no other subject or medium can. Making music covers physical, intellectual, and emotional domains, connecting the body, mind, and soul. Ultimately, music connects people.
Connecting Through Music
While Jamea, Niccole, and I are traveling to Kapkemich to help the schools earn accreditation by adding music to their curriculum, the thing I am most looking forward to is connecting with people through music. I hope we can relate in a way that makes us appreciate our differences while showcasing everything we share.
It has also been great to share this experience with my students in Overland Park. During our third school quarter, my students have been learning about Kenya, their music, and their language. Each of my three choirs has prepared Swahili language choral pieces. We will perform the pieces in our spring concert shortly after I return home, but we have already recorded them for the Kenyan students to hear. My singers look forward to getting feedback about the songs from the Kenyan children. They also wrote letters for me to deliver to the Kenyan students. They loved sharing about their lives and are anxious for responses from the Kenyan students. They especially want to hear about how the Kenyan educational experience may differ from middle school life in Overland Park, Kansas. As Niccole mentioned in her blog entry, my students cannot wait for me to greet the students of St. Anne’s and make new connections across the world.
Changing Lives Through Music
Music changes the lives of people because it touches their hearts, something I have experienced personally. In 2006, I became a member of the William Baker Festival Singers in Kansas City after a friend who was passionate about singing encouraged me to audition. Auditions were that day, and It is hard now to imagine where I would be had that happened.
I am thankful that sharing music with others has brought me innumerable opportunities, many of which have been because of the William Baker Choral Foundation and Dr. William O. Baker. I fully expect this opportunity in Kapkemich to change my life and my heart, and I hope the music we share on our trip will also touch other hearts. I am so grateful to Greg Wegst for his connection and support of this trip, Jamea Sale for the invitation to join, and William Baker for his vision to create a foundation that has changed and will continue to change so many lives and touch so many hearts.