Thursday, September 13, 2012
Standing Together as Individuals but in Unison
BCC has hit a milestone of 10 years in educating Boston youths in musical excellence. Of course the story goes beyond music, and milestones are about stopping, reflecting, taking stock, and it's that process that fuels our future. A series of articles will tell to you the BCC Story from stakeholders who have had the BCC experience at their fingertips.
This week, we have ELIZABETH L. MCGRATH, from Premier Choir. She is a junior in high school.
I started BCC when I was eleven years old and ever since,
I've never regretted it. Music has always been a big part of my life, but the
way the Boston Children's Chorus presented it was different and interesting in
a light of how it can actually impact the way we communicate with each other.
Music has such a rich and deep meaning in culture around the globe, and when
one person starts singing a catchy tune, you can't help but join in.
"...music is the language of the soul... "
The mission of BCC
is to inspire social change through music, and it wasn't until my third year
in, that I actually started to think about what that meant. I never stopped to
realize how much people need social change, and how much injustice has been
done by this cruel "status quo" that's thankfully been on the rise
since the 1940s. But even so things aren't as tragic as they were, there are still
times when you hear things being said about others because of their race or
religion or social status, whether they be black, white, Asian, Hispanic--you
name it. I never realized how important this is, that we continue to inspire
social change. There is no color to the soul and that is something that can
make whole nations stop and rethink actions. Social change is an important
message, but how can you speak Spanish to someone who speaks French? Or English
to someone who speaks Gaelic?
There is one
language that we can use that no matter
where you are from, no matter who you are, or what you've been through or the
color of your skin, we all know this one thing; Music. Music is the language of
the soul, and what better way to share an important message like that?
I have met the
most amazing people on earth through BCC, and all are amongst my most treasured
friends and connections. Being able to reach that special place by singing,
especially with those dear to me, it is one of the best feelings you can ever
image. BCC has made me stop to think about what's going on in the world, and
has made me become a better person who stands up against racial slurs and
insults to religion and gender.
"...we actually learn how to better ourselves in our education and our passions. "
Another thing
about BCC, is that it's not just about singing and making connections, we
actually learn how to better ourselves in our education and our passions. We
are taught music theory, giving people chances at making a career out of what
they love and another way to bond through our shared interest. There are times
when getting to a rehearsal twice a week are tough, but once we're all together
again, singing, all our troubles seem to melt away.
Being committed to BCC is
challenging, but equally enjoyable. We are given amazing opportunities around
the globe to perform and show our stuff to the world, and say "this is us,
standing together as individuals, but in unison". It's a breath taking
experience, and not only do I mean that as in it is awe-inspiring, but also by
we work very hard to get to where we want to go to with such determination. We
have many extra "retreats" in which we practice music from 6-12 hours
in a day, at first this sounds overwhelming, but to be a part of it is
definitely a great way we participate.
Premier Choir
started our season off last week on Tuesday, and by that Sunday, we were
already in concert at the Pine Street Inn! A packed schedule is the norm in
BCC, but it's one happily carried out.
BCC is honestly,
one of the best programs I've participated in, with a great staff and students,
and a great message that we all carry around even when we've left practice. BCC
met their mission goal with me, and now, they've inspired me in turn.
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