Have you ever heard a boychoir sing? The purity and honesty of the young voice is angelic. It provides the listener with an undeniably uplifting experience. So what happens when a group of young boys since the words of other children, particularly those of kids facing a life-threatening illness? You get songs that channel the triumphant spirit of kids facing challenges and told through the voices of those serving as angelic messengers.
The Houston Boychoir, www.houstonboychoir.org, provides a vocal creative space for boys between 8 and 12 years of age. They have stringent schedules for rehearsals and performance, but are committed to being a part of such a creative group. They are devoted to their art and are able to tell the story of others through song.
The choir went to a summer camp designed specifically for children going through dialysis. The camp is set up with all the needs for these kids and in this arena they can have a “normal” camp experience given all the time spent receiving medical care during their stay.
It was during this time that the choir decided to engage in a program where they would get the campers to write poems about their experience. These poems were read and some given to songwriters for the start of a creative collaboration. The songwriters became partners with the campers and a song was born. The end result was the boychoir would sing these newly created songs in concerts.
The dialysis inspired songs were inspiring. The ability to have songs that were so true about the camper’s experience, and to hear that they were positive was encouraging. The songs showed the resilience of these campers and the power of sharing those experiences with others. The songs give us insight into the importance of creating a sense of normalcy when going through treatment for a chronic or life-threatening illness.
You would be amazed at how powerful the poems/songs were when performed. The boys voices coupled with the words of the campers were a transformative experience. It gives us hope that resilience is possible following the diagnosis of an illness. It provides us with a peak into the importance of kind, caring and loving people such as medical providers who provide compassionate care.
We all have stories to tell, would you tell yours through poetry and song? How do you get your story told?
Looking for education, inspiration, and support following the diagnosis of a chronic or life-threatening illness visit, http://www.survivingstrong.com
Time to Live Creatively 