There is hope for the future...

[Steve DeRosa]

I want to hear these kids again in ten years...

[Acousticado]

That was great! You’re right, and the future is bright with kids like these! Thanks for posting!

[imwjl]

I guess my optimism is ruling me again. The future is bright with all kids. They'e still kids but have tools and information available past generations didn't have. Quite a few kids shine more than ever.

One hope or concern I have when I see kids in a very polished performance is wondering how coached or pushed they are. I hope they truly enjoy what they're doing.

[Earl49]

I miss being around folk festivals like the one in Anchorage. I got to watch some amazing groups of kids grow up physically and musically. Some have become professional touring bands now, or are in local bands. The closest I can easily get to now is the National Old Time Fiddle Festival in Weiser, ID every June, about a 75 minute drive away. Lots of amazing young talent there too.

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by imwjl

...One hope or concern I have when I see kids in a very polished performance is wondering how coached or pushed they are. I hope they truly enjoy what they're doing.

I was a teacher in the public and private sector since 1970, until I retired in 2016; for the greater part of my career I worked with upper-elementary kids - same age as those in the video...

About a decade ago I taught three girls in my fifth-grade class - all members of the school chorus, by their choice (and ability) - how to do a spot-on performance of the Rankin Family's "North Country"...

I wrote the vocal chart and we rehearsed daily during lunch hour - on our own time - to learn and tighten up the harmonies...

Kids tore the house down at that year's Spring concert - I'm just sorry I don't have a video to share...

Coached - absolutely; even we adults, as experienced musicians, don't master intricate vocals like this without extensive practice - how much more so a bunch of kids, for whom non-unison singing is a totally new concept...

Pushed - hardly; in my own case these girls had heard the song as part of a Social Studies lesson on Canada, and had started playing around with it on their own - all I did was give it structure and direction - and there's a local elementary school here in S.I. whose chorus kids not only do this all the time but performed at the Oscars a few years ago, as well as the 2013 Presidential Inauguration (search "PS 22 Chorus" on YouTube)...

For the uninitiated, one of the defining characteristics of students this age (for better or worse) is their often brutal honesty - they're as real as it gets, and won't hesitate to tell you (again, for better or worse) in no uncertain terms...

Their facial expressions (especially the trio that opens the clip - that little Latina girl is priceless ) tell it all; I've seen the so-called North Korean "prodigies," and you can't fake what these kids are showing - both in their faces and in their music...

[Heroditus]

Looking at when this was recorded, it looks like it was about 8 years ago. Would love to know what those kids are up to today. I'm sure they've only gotten better if they chose to carry on with their music.

[imwjl]

Originally Posted by Steve DeRosa

I was a teacher in the public and private sector since 1970, until I retired in 2016; for the greater part of my career I worked with upper-elementary kids - same age as those in the video...

About a decade ago I taught three girls in my fifth-grade class - all members of the school chorus, by their choice (and ability) - how to do a spot-on performance of the Rankin Family's "North Country"...

I wrote the vocal chart and we rehearsed daily during lunch hour - on our own time - to learn and tighten up the harmonies...

Kids tore the house down at that year's Spring concert - I'm just sorry I don't have a video to share...

Coached - absolutely; even we adults, as experienced musicians, don't master intricate vocals like this without extensive practice - how much more so a bunch of kids, for whom non-unison singing is a totally new concept...

Pushed - hardly; in my own case these girls had heard the song as part of a Social Studies lesson on Canada, and had started playing around with it on their own - all I did was give it structure and direction - and there's a local elementary school here in S.I. whose chorus kids not only do this all the time but performed at the Oscars a few years ago, as well as the 2013 Presidential Inauguration (search "PS 22 Chorus" on YouTube)...

For the uninitiated, one of the defining characteristics of students this age (for better or worse) is their often brutal honesty - they're as real as it gets, and won't hesitate to tell you (again, for better or worse) in no uncertain terms...

Their facial expressions (especially the trio that opens the clip - that little Latina girl is priceless ) tell it all; I've seen the so-called North Korean "prodigies," and you can't fake what these kids are showing - both in their faces and in their music...

Yes on that age. I'm a leader in an institution with 600+ kids in programs, lessons and teams. It's great to see how often the kids know when adults are behaving poorly. Better yet when they call the adults on it. I like to think we're also in an age where more of them speak up about it.

[llew]

That is just AWESOME! Thank you for sharing!!!

[619TF]

Originally Posted by Heroditus

Looking at when this was recorded, it looks like it was about 8 years ago. Would love to know what those kids are up to today. I'm sure they've only gotten better if they chose to carry on with their music.

Guaranteed the male voice is different after that puberty thing.

[KevWind]

That was pretty well done very cool

[Dirk Hofman]

Nice! Though can't say this affects my hope for the future, which has always been high based on the young people I know.

My main hope is that they've stopped singing tired old songs and get some good new material.

[Aspiring]

This does bring up an interesting point. My children have just started middle school and they have friends the same age.

I'm friends with the one girls dad and we play guitar together. His daughter is very much a natural at vocals and instrument and rhythm and loves it so practices a lot on her own.

However, the discussion comes around to how much should we as parents encourage in that direction?

The reality is that music as a career path is not a great future option from what we can see. His choice is to keep her interest and develop it as a hobby but it comes second to developing other career based skills.

[islandguitar]

Amazing video.....wow....just, wow!!

p.s. Steve.....by the way, I was a youth director at the S.I. YMCA (Forest Ave) and started there the same year you entered the school system!

[Steve DeRosa]

Originally Posted by 619TF

Guaranteed the male voice is different after that puberty thing.

Ask Neil Young...

Originally Posted by Dirk Hofman

...My main hope is that they've stopped singing tired old songs and get some good new material.

Um, don't know about you but when I was taking guitar lessons (and singing in the school chorus) at their age the "tired old songs" of the day ('30s - '50s pop standards, traditional American/international folk songs, light classics, 19th-century parlor music) were used to teach the basics of technique, theory, group cohesion, etc.; our abilities and tastes grew, and I'm certain theirs will as well - in the meantime I appreciate the handing-down of general musical heritage a performance of this type represents, and I think most of us can agree on Bob Dylan's elevated position in American musical history...

[marty bradbury]

That was amazing! Loved it, as I'm sure the kids did,