Thursday, June 29, 2006
A Night to Remember in Suzhou
Before we get on the bus to drive to Shanghai, I have to let you all know we had a night to remember forever last night!
We arrived at the Suzhou Technical University around 6:30. Our bus was stopped at the gate, and two professors got ON our bus and escorted us to the music building!!! They were dressed to the NINES, smiles, and handing out small gifts!!! Small children and their mother greeted us as we departed the bus, and helped usher us into the building. When we began walking through the door to the small auditorium room, many students rose, clapped, and cheered... OH the smiles... OH the head nodding. I've never had a more proud moment than when all our kids knew exactly how to respond and clapped and head nodded right back! The grown-ups (we're the teachers, in case you forgot :)....) were ushered to the front row. Then our students sat in the row behind us. We were given more gifts and rousing applause.
The woman professor (we've exchanged emails because she'd LOVE to bring a group to the US) spoke the entire program in English for us. It’s obvious that the school is working very hard to teach their students to communicate in English. Our group did their program first... rousing applause... Then we got to witness the most amazing display of Chinese recital instrumental and choral music we've heard. You know those twangy sounds and twangy instruments westerners think of when they think of Chinese music???? Well these were the same instruments, but OH MY,... THAT was some of the most beautiful sounds I've ever heard in my life. The kids sat speechless, mouths agape, and OH what a treat. Their choir also sang... this time with men's voices, too! Chinese men are really rather gorgeous, I must say, in their Ming design white tuxes!!! Wow! Girls were in sequined pink gowns. We are SO under dressed..... But that's OK, and they understand. OH... They had three cameras rolling, a whole sound set going, and it was obviously being recorded for who knows what at the university!!! The tech crew was about 7 people...
The most amazing encounters came with the 'formal' part of the evening was over. Picture this: Brett Lucas with 5 short porcelain dolls hanging on him, giggling, getting their picture taken. Graham all smiles, posing in the middle of many girls flexing his muscles, girls giggling, getting pictures taken. MANY email exchanges, many handshakes, many of our girls being photographed with their young gentlemen. Alicia is a long dark hair, but BLUE eyed westerner, and the boys seem to be enthralled with her beauty. Morgan's long dark hair, John's 'yellowish' hair, and Connor's tight curls are all of interest. Mike Vigilante did his absolute best to talk with some of the tech crew who approached him. I joined their conversation a little bit to help find out that they were musicians, too, but of support to the performers. They were the tallest of the Chinese men, and were amazed by Mike's height (I'm thinking 6'3").
Of course we gave pictures and whistles, and are going to try to be sure to keep up with the email connections as best we can. Unfortunately, they will have to meet us on our language, as we are unable to meet them on theirs. But they are just so happy to have an English speaking group of musicians to communicate and help their English become better!
Oh, picture this: Kate Shealy on her first ever director's tour, speaking in English, a Chinese interpreter at her side, smiles all the way... She said all the right things, about how excited we are to be here, what an honor it is to be at their school and in their beautiful city. She did her best to describe American spiritual music, but somehow we can't find a translator to do that for us!!!!! Go figure. :) We've now started to describe it as music written by American slaves who were looking for hope. Of course, once again, Johnny Schmoker brought many smiles, and some of the children even tried to do the gestures with them!
OH it was a night to remember... We are so grateful to Allie, our guide here, to arrange this for us. She is impressed with our music, and appreciates the effort we are making with the language barrier. I have Allie's email, and am dreaming about the possibility that we can arrange a visit from them to our country sometime!!! Charlie (Moll), you've really started something BIG here! These kids are fired up! You've changed their lives forever, and as a parent, I'm grateful to you forever, too!
We're departing for Shanghai, where we were disappointed to hear that the high school we were to visit is on vacation right now.... BUT!!!! Wonderful Emily and Allie have arranged for us to go to an elementary school (we'll see the 4-6 year olds) instead, and the kids are trying to think up children's songs to sing with them today on the bus. I hope we have enough whistles left!!!! Surely today will be another day to remember forever!!!
Gwen
