Saturday, June 8, 2019

The One With We Are The World


Last week (May 29 to be exact) I had an experience that has never happened before at our middle school. During the 5th grade chorus concert, I was invited to take part in one of the songs. Mr. G, who knows of my beloved fondness for "We Are The World" invited me to sing the song with the fifth grade if I wanted.

Now, I have a long-standing grudge with this song that dates back to over-analyzing it in 7th grade back in the 1980s at the same school I teach. Sure, the song is wonderful, and has a great message, and the story behind it is truly amazing. However, that being said, we studied the song so much, that it has ended up on my "NEVER TO BE SUNG AGAIN" list.

However, when students started showing up to my classroom singing it after I joked how much I disliked it, I decided I had to find out if it was going to be part of the 5th grade chorus. Indeed, Mr. G decided to add it to the sing list.

Well, one thing led to another, and students asked if they could sing it well, would I be willing to join them on stage singing it. It actually sounded like fun (and motivational).

It was awesome! I sang that first song on stage (Bri, Kiff, and Emmie were there to see it, as was one of Emmie's former partner teachers from the Brown School in Peabody). And, I have to admit that I really had a blast, enjoyed being on stage with the students (who cheered when I walked in the room before we went out to sing), and even liked the song.

Who would have thought that 30 years later, in the same school that I learned to dislike the song, I would learn to like it.






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