On the phone with Stevi.
“I’ve been teaching my 6th graders syncopated rhythms. No matter if we are clapping, speaking the rhythm, looking at the syncopated notations, they are NOT getting it,” I said, with a bit of frustration and hopelessness.
“Okay, Cynthia. Why don’t you try this. Why don’t we just scratch all the lessons you prepared for your students with syncopation rhythm for now because it is so tricky to teach it. Instead, just talk about the words. Talk about the meaning of this poetry. Why does it say “How Can I Keep from Singing?” What does it mean to keep on singing? Why does it say “through all the toils and endless strife, I hear the music ringing”? Remember, singing is all about the words, the literature, don’t worry about the music and rhythm, just focus on the words and let your students be able to connect with their own lives.”
said Stevi.
Even though it was scary to scratch everything and start all over again, little did I know that this decision would make a huge impact on myself and my students. The day we began analyzing the text was the day that I was going through personal difficulty. I remember that even when I was singing with my kids, my eyes would start to water. But it was a chance that I had to share with my students and encourage them that life isn’t going to be easy and there will be moments in your life that will be hard to get through. However, through the song, I could encourage them to find something that keeps them going, keeps them hoping, keeps them believing.
A week from the day I taught, I received the news from Dr. Bartolome that Dr. Demorest had passed away over the weekend after a long battle with cancer. At the memorial service that was held in the next month, there was a congregation song to end the service. I flipped my program to the back and there on the top it said: “How Can I Keep from Singing?” I was sitting next to Stevi and we held our hands together as we sang.
In the following week, one of my sixth graders ran to me and said: “Ms. Chou! Ms. Chou! Today I ran a mile and it was so hard! But I started singing “how can I keep from singing? and I was able to finish the mile!”
How can I keep from singing? How can I keep from teaching? This was a big moment for me as I remembered why I chose music education in the first place. It’s not because I want my students to know syncopation rhythm. It’s because music has the power to connect with someone’s life. In other words, I have to teach music in a way that connects with the life that my students experience.
I’m so thankful for Stevi and the impact that she had in my life. This is an unforgettable story that I will always hold onto.