Miss-Delectable
New Member
- Joined
- Apr 18, 2004
- Messages
- 17,160
- Reaction score
- 7
VSDB show choir shares a message | The News Leader | newsleader.com
On Monday afternoons the sounds of Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, trash can drums and many voices rise from the basement of Byrd Hall at the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind.
Before the elevator doors even open the rehearsal location for the school's newly formed show choir is obvious.
The choir room is packed with students, musical instruments and teachers watching.
The students in the blind department press themselves against the far wall signing along to "Born this Way."
The deaf department students occupy much of the room dancing in unison, stomping, jumping and waving their arms.
Ten-year-old Ibn Muhammadali's fingers flutter over his heart as he sings the last few lyrics: "I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way."
Show choir status in schools has seen an upswing due to the popularity of the hit show "Glee," about a fictional Ohio high school glee club.
Music teacher Laura Di Puma was trying to think of new club ideas for the school. She came up with a music club for the blind students and a dance club for the deaf students. Both garnered support from students and then it occurred to her to combine them.
"The idea was to use the strength of each group," Di Puma said.
Di Puma also saw the opportunity for the students to work together as a valuable exercise, especially with the combining of VSDB with the School for the Deaf, Blind and Multi-Disabled in Hampton in 2008.
But it hasn't been easy.
"There is a big communication gap between the groups," Di Puma said.
The students' willingness to work together has been helpful.
"We talk a lot about combining the schools and working together," Di Puma said.
A number of the blind students know some sign language and sign when they can.
Twelve-year-old Shyanne Racey, a usually quiet and soft-spoken student, stands in the back of the room during rehearsal and belts out a solo during "The Star Spangled Banner."
She's never had lessons, but loves to sing.
"It sounded interesting," Shyanne said of her first impression of show choir. She said what she enjoys most is working with students from the deaf department.
"The schools are going to be one school," she said. "We need to work together."
For the deaf and hearing impaired students the greatest challenge lies in achieving the right beat.
Di Puma pats out the beat of the music on the students' arm and has them clap to get a feel for the music.
While Di Puma played "Born this Way" and the "The Star Spangled Banner" Chris Alexander walked up to the piano and put his back against it and said that he could feel the beat.
For many of the students dancing is something that comes naturally, or something they've been doing for years.
The 14-year-old watches YouTube videos of Michael Jackson and Chris Brown to emulate their moves.
"It keeps us busy and out of the dorms," Alexander said of show choir.
Eighth grader Antwon White-Giddens he grew up jerk dancing, a type of street dancing that the students use in the show choir.
He said it reminds him of dancing with his friend when he lived in Virginia Beach.
The choir is preparing for a performance at the Naval base in Norfolk next week. They will sing "The Star Spangled Banner," "God Bless America," "Born this Way" and a song called "Positive."
The show choir will also be performing in the Staunton holiday parade and Di Puma is working on booking a number of other performances throughout the year.
Di Puma said she hopes the students use the opportunity to work together and hopes the community sees another example of how these students are just like any other.
"Just because they have these impairments they still do what other kids do too," she said.
She said each students' impairment is complemented by their talents and the talents of their classmates.
"It makes a whole piece."
On Monday afternoons the sounds of Lady Gaga, Justin Timberlake, trash can drums and many voices rise from the basement of Byrd Hall at the Virginia School for the Deaf and the Blind.
Before the elevator doors even open the rehearsal location for the school's newly formed show choir is obvious.
The choir room is packed with students, musical instruments and teachers watching.
The students in the blind department press themselves against the far wall signing along to "Born this Way."
The deaf department students occupy much of the room dancing in unison, stomping, jumping and waving their arms.
Ten-year-old Ibn Muhammadali's fingers flutter over his heart as he sings the last few lyrics: "I'm on the right track, baby, I was born this way."
Show choir status in schools has seen an upswing due to the popularity of the hit show "Glee," about a fictional Ohio high school glee club.
Music teacher Laura Di Puma was trying to think of new club ideas for the school. She came up with a music club for the blind students and a dance club for the deaf students. Both garnered support from students and then it occurred to her to combine them.
"The idea was to use the strength of each group," Di Puma said.
Di Puma also saw the opportunity for the students to work together as a valuable exercise, especially with the combining of VSDB with the School for the Deaf, Blind and Multi-Disabled in Hampton in 2008.
But it hasn't been easy.
"There is a big communication gap between the groups," Di Puma said.
The students' willingness to work together has been helpful.
"We talk a lot about combining the schools and working together," Di Puma said.
A number of the blind students know some sign language and sign when they can.
Twelve-year-old Shyanne Racey, a usually quiet and soft-spoken student, stands in the back of the room during rehearsal and belts out a solo during "The Star Spangled Banner."
She's never had lessons, but loves to sing.
"It sounded interesting," Shyanne said of her first impression of show choir. She said what she enjoys most is working with students from the deaf department.
"The schools are going to be one school," she said. "We need to work together."
For the deaf and hearing impaired students the greatest challenge lies in achieving the right beat.
Di Puma pats out the beat of the music on the students' arm and has them clap to get a feel for the music.
While Di Puma played "Born this Way" and the "The Star Spangled Banner" Chris Alexander walked up to the piano and put his back against it and said that he could feel the beat.
For many of the students dancing is something that comes naturally, or something they've been doing for years.
The 14-year-old watches YouTube videos of Michael Jackson and Chris Brown to emulate their moves.
"It keeps us busy and out of the dorms," Alexander said of show choir.
Eighth grader Antwon White-Giddens he grew up jerk dancing, a type of street dancing that the students use in the show choir.
He said it reminds him of dancing with his friend when he lived in Virginia Beach.
The choir is preparing for a performance at the Naval base in Norfolk next week. They will sing "The Star Spangled Banner," "God Bless America," "Born this Way" and a song called "Positive."
The show choir will also be performing in the Staunton holiday parade and Di Puma is working on booking a number of other performances throughout the year.
Di Puma said she hopes the students use the opportunity to work together and hopes the community sees another example of how these students are just like any other.
"Just because they have these impairments they still do what other kids do too," she said.
She said each students' impairment is complemented by their talents and the talents of their classmates.
"It makes a whole piece."