Volunteer projects

Music Connects A Special Chorus with Senior Citizens

Submitted by LaVoyLyrics on Fri, 03/28/2008 - 11:01.
Last updated on Tue, 09/09/2008 - 23:00.

Vital Stats

 04/01/2008
 04/25/2008
People Impacted:  180
Money Raised: none yet

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The LaVoy Lyrics Chorus Club includes students with moderate to severe disabilities, with the majority economically disadvantaged. The club rehearses twice a week during the school day. They perform for school functions and take walking field trips in the neighborhood to perform in the community. The LaVoy Lyrics Chorus Club wants to participate in National Youth Service Day in April by performing a sing-along concert at the Westshore Senior Center. They want to raise awareness of the the disabled and the elderly. The disabled are frequently shunned and the elderly are often forgotten in the community where they were once productive members of society. Like the elderly, the special needs students at LaVoy Exceptional Center are often forgotten members of the community. Due to the nature of their disabilities, some of the students reside in group-homes. Others are limited to a homebound lifestyle, except when they ride in a handicap accessible school bus, which is just another daily reminder to them that they are different. Our students face many obstacles when participating in cultural events. For example, our two choristers who are visually impaired often have physical barriers when performing that could keep them from reaching their full potential. Most students at LaVoy have little or no opportunities to interact with people outside of their normal daily routine at school and home. “Music Connects A Special Chorus With Senior Citizens” will benefit all of our choristers by developing better communication skills, improved social skills and life skills as they prepare for the Alternate Assessment for Special Diploma. In addition, this project will empower the LaVoy Lyrics Chorus to engage their audiences through a sing-along concert. The LaVoy Lyrics Chorus wants to give back to the Westshore Senior Center community for previous invites by providing refreshments and flowers for the seniors. In addition, they want to present a student-created banner in celebration of the day and later send a photo collage as a thank you. After the concert the choristers would like to present hand-crafted gifts (created by our school art classes and art club) to members of the audience. School aides and chaperones will assist choristers. Then the chorus will interact with the senior citizens after their sing-along concert. Prior to the trip choristers will role-play to use acceptable social skills during the reception. Upon our return to school we will show a video of the event to share with the students at our Center and for them to sing-along.

Project Updates

09/9/08
Update: The LaVoy Lyrics Chorus returned to school three and one half weeks ago and began rehearsing two weeks ago. To kick-off the fall semester chorus provided a community service to the seniors at Westshore Senior Center on September 5th in celebration of Grandparents Day. The chorus helped select and prepared songs in which the senior citizens could sing along. In addition the chorus sang a selection they are rehearsing for our school Veterans Day program on November 10. For this concert choristers were pleased that, Mr. “B,” a new faculty member at our school, participated in the field trip by accompanying the sing-along concert on his guitar. Funding from the Dosomething.Org Plum Grant made this day very special for approximately fifty-five senior citizens and for our 13-voice chorus. We were able to use the money in many ways. The chorus purchased flowers for the Westshore Senior Center. The leaders club for girls at our school, which includes several chorus members, cut the stems and arranged the flowers in a vase the day before. The art club, under the direction of Holly Loy, our art teacher, created a two-part greeting card and fabric picture frames with magnets, which the choristers presented to the senior citizens as they wished them a happy Grandparents Day. With the grant money the chorus also provided refreshments consisting of an assortment of berries, grapes and melon for the senior citizens. The choristers walked and were pushed on wheel-chaired to and from the Westshore Senior Center. We were going to have a picnic in the Loretta Ingraham Park on the way back to school, but the weather looked like rain. Instead, the chorus enjoyed a picnic in the music room back at school and were treated with bag lunches, fresh melon and oatmeal chocolate chip cookies as they listened to their favorite music. The next day Ms. Adair shared photos from the sing-along concert with our school and with Westshore Senior Center. We are grateful to the Dosomething.org Plum grant for providing a wonderful opportunity for students with moderate to severe disabilities to connect with senior citizens through their music. Furthermore, both groups of individuals will remember this occasion where they were made to feel worthy and appreciated.


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