feel good?

This was a perfect day for me to see this video. It lifted me up pretty darn high! I bet it will do the same for you.

Monique, an accomplished musician and fabulous teacher from the Netherlands, was a member of Change the Truth Team 5 and has returned to St. Mary Kevin several times since then. (She has even established her own foundation that provides music education to our kids in Uganda and kids at an orphanage in India.) Monique has taken what we started with the marching band and raised it up to a whole new level. Over the years, she has replaced some of the original instruments we purchased (destroyed by wear and tear) and added many instruments to the cache, the most recent of which was a drum kit.

A friend of Monique's, Simon, went to SMK last month to teach jazz to the young musicians, something Monique had begun during an earlier trip. The musicians have taken it and run with it. You can certainly understand that playing marching band tunes gets old after a while, and if you are getting into your mid to late teenage years, "I Feel Good" is a lot more appealing than "When The Saints Go Marching In."

So, take a look at this awesome video (shot by Melissa) that features many of our sponsored students and friends. At the mic are Rachael and Rose (the latter usually plays the sax… she's multi talented). On drums is Melissa's son, Antwain. Nicky plays guitar. Rockin' out on trombone is Tonny. Brian is playing the trumpet. The swingin' sax players are Claire, Emison and Oscar.

Kudos to Monique and Simon! And to our young musicians and singers, I say: BRAVO!!

the five stars

The Five Stars: Emison, Tony, Rose, Claire and Oscar

I just realized I have been blogging for seven years. My first post was 9/23/06. Man oh man.

But the really cool realization of the day is that over the course of these seven years, a lot has changed for the children at St. Mary Kevin Orphanage. A LOT.

Here is a guest post written by Monique Udo, a talented Dutch musician/teacher who first contacted me two years ago after she found out about Change the Truth via the internet. Monique became a member of one of the CTT teams and has returned on her own several times. She is one of the most dedicated and hard working teachers I've ever met, and she has worked wonders with the young musicians at SMK - primarily the horn players.

This is her account of the rise of five shining stars, two of whom are CTT sponsored students (a third will become a sponsored student when he graduates from primary school this December).

I love this story. I love that it is a true story. And I love that I can share it with you because of this whacky, wonderful world of blogging.

Emison

Rose

Tony

Monique

The story of The Five Stars.

It’s hard to believe that is was only August 2011 when Tony, Oscar and Emison blew their first tones on the saxophone and even more difficult to believe that Rose and Claire started only one year ago…

This is how it all started: in 2011 I came to SMK for three weeks and taught the three boys the basics of saxophone playing and note reading.  How these guys were eager to learn! In the morning they would show up early at my door, ready to play, and only when it became dark, we would stop. After three weeks, it was clear that I planted seeds in fertile soil and that we would be on a journey together.

In December 2011, I came back, together with CTT Team 5, and took it from were we left it in August. That Christmas, at the talent show, I played Hava Nagila with Tony and Oscar and I could feel the power of these young players very clearly as they went into playing the song faster and faster. Some time after this visit, I suggested to Tony, in a telephone conversation, that it would be nice to form a bigger saxophone group. I mentioned the names of Rose and Claire as potential members. Later I heard that Tony went ahead, stepped up to the girls and told them that I said that they had to join the saxophone group. Not only did he do that, he started to teach them how to play the sax, with the help of Oscar and Emison. When I came back in August 2012 I couldn’t believe my eyes and ears: Rose was playing the saxophone and sounded like she had been my own pupil for a few years!

Claire was still an absolute beginner at that moment; she needed something to trigger her more.
It came in the possibility for them to go on a trip to Rwanda and join me there in a music week at the Kigali Music School in October 2012.  Again, I was flabbergasted with what they had done, preparing themselves for this trip without me and without much help from anyone. Together they had helped Claire to raise her level, and once settled, Claire was very, very convincing.  Actually, the girls lifted the group to another level with their dancing movements and radiant stage personalities. In preparation for the trip to Rwanda they had chosen a name for themselves: The Five Stars.

And that is exactly what they are. Five shining stars, rising and rising.

During my visit last month, the rollercoaster built up more speed when I introduced them to the famous Ugandan saxophone player and TV personality Isaiah Katumwa. Through him, they got the opportunity to join the boot camp of the Ugandan Talent search, Talent XP. They were introduced as guests (they were too young to enter the competition) of Isaiah Katumwa who is a judge on the show, and they stayed for 5 days in a big mansion in Kampala with the other competitors. On their last day, they performed together with Isaiah before the cameras, the judges and other participants.

I’m sure that they will have more and more beautiful opportunities coming their way, because these five teenagers have got it all: talent, dedication, team spirit, courage and belief in themselves.

- Monique

[If you are a sax player or know a sax player or had a parent who was a sax player or you long to be a sax player or you love jazz or you love young, aspiring musicians or you simply want to lend a helping hand, please contact me ASAP. We have some plans in the works for The Five Stars that involves a bit of a financial investment. If you would like to help (and I guarantee it is the coolest plan ever, and you will love it) please get in touch. I will fill you in. Please email me at gbfeinstein(at)aol(dot)com.]

And now, please enjoy The Five Stars playing "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy":

concert

The concert organized by our very own Monique Udo (CTT Team 5) from the Netherlands was a huge success! The much heralded performance (it was widely advertised in the Kajjansi community, and tickets were sold) was a terrific opportunity to highlight the talented young painters, jewelry makers, dancers, drummers and marching band musicians who are part of the St. Mary Kevin Orphanage family.

This was Monique's third trip to the orphanage. She has accomplished an unbelievable amount of good work there, and for that we are most grateful. She has been responsible for providing a plethora of additional instruments. She has added an entire set of recorders for beginning music students. She has taught the children (and more important - their Ugandan teacher) how to read music. Monique has ramped up the horn section (she's a sax player) in a big way. She has instilled confidence in the kids as performers. And last, but certainly not least, she purchased brand new uniforms for the marching band!! The kids feel smart (that's the word used in Uganda for stylish) and look smart, and this makes them feel pretty darn good about themselves.

Here are some pictures (thanks to Melissa and Monique) from the big day. I only wish we could find a way to bring this event to the Kauffman Center in Kansas City. Just imagine!

Paintings, tie-dyed fabrics and beaded jewelry for sale outside the venue.
All items were made by the kids from SMK.

The musicians arrived and posed in front of the concert banner

Ivan has been the music teacher at SMK for many years and has worked with the
marching band from the very beginning. His dedication to the kids is admirable, to say the very least.

The SMK dancers!

Special focus on everyone's darling, the amazing Claire Faith

The very smart members of the SMK Marching Band

Monique with the horn section

the smk marching band has come a very long way

"During this holiday break, the sounds of music, singing, and drumming constantly provide background noise. From morning until evening, the performers of SMK are training to prepare for a special public concert event.

Music programming has really blossomed at SMK over the past few years. The school has always had an outstanding vocal choir and traditional dancing/drumming troop. But Mama Rosemary also had visions of a school marching band, which would provide both musical training for the children and a small income for the school. Little did she know that when she whispered her vision to Mama Gloria that CTT supporters would respond by fully funding and purchasing musical band instruments and uniforms.

I distinctly recall the day that the musical instruments were unveiled during CTT’s Team 3 trip. It was highly amusing to watch the children try to figure out how their mouth should form to make the trumpet blow or get the flute to tweet. The children were quick learners, though, and before long musicians were born. They loved learning to play strange new instruments like the trombone, trumpet, flute, and saxophone.

Fast forward a couple of years under the outstanding musical direction of Sir Ivan, who has taught the marching band since its inception. The band of young players had a playlist of several marching songs where the same couple of stanzas could be played repeatedly.

Just last summer through CTT’s website, Monique Udo learned about SMK's marching band. As a music educator (and very talented saxophone player), she displayed great interest in traveling to Uganda from the Netherlands to teach the band members to read sheet music and train the saxophone section of the band. Working alongside Ivan, Monique has been an invaluable resource and friend to the musicians in the marching band. She has offered teaching, encouragement, new instruments and uniforms, as well as fabulous jam sessions! She is currently at the orphanage for her third visit.

And now the excitement is about to culminate with SMK’s special public concert, which will be held at a local secondary school in a large hall that holds over 300 guests. Local community members, family and neighbors have been invited. There will be a little of all things musical that day: the band will showcase its vast repertoire of musical selections; Monique will astonish the crowd with her own solo saxophone performance; the vocal choir will serenade with their songs containing messages that uplift, sadden, and give pause for the plight of the African child; the dancers/drummers will delight with traditional Ugandan dances from every region of the country.

On August 26th Come one, come all… You won’t want to miss a minute, and everyone is most welcome!"

- Melissa Mosher, CTT/SMK Social Worker and Liaison

guest post by monique udo

Monique, who hails from the Netherlands, is just about to complete her month-long volunteer stint at the orphanage. She has worked very hard teaching the children how to read music and how to play a lot of new instruments. It's funny - I've never met Monique. We planned her trip solely through emails. In fact, it was an internet search of non-profits active in Uganda that led her to CTT in the first place. That said, I do feel like we've gotten to know one another through our shared love for the children at SMK. (The fact that her two star sax players just happen to be Tony and Oscar... well, anyone who has ever seen me at SMK knows these boys have a very special place in my heart.) Here is a note I recently received from Monique. She, working alongside music teacher Ivan, seems to have worked music miracles this past month in Kajjansi. Thank you, Monique. I know the children have loved having you become part of their lives and will be sorry to see you go.

"Music at SMK!

I’m at SMK since three weeks and a lot of music is going on here. Apart from the music lessons I give, there is the marching band, the dance groups with drums and African harps, and a choir. I’m adding saxophone lessons, recorder groups, sheet music to learn how to play from staff notation, melodicas, guitar playing and the popular ‘cup game’. Imagine happening all of this at the same moment (which happens sometimes…). It sounds like band camp at SMK these weeks. I have some amazing saxophone students (Tony and Oscar) who can play for hours and hours. They learned how to play the saxophone and read notes so incredible quick, they’ve set a new standard for my pupils at home. Since CTT has been purchasing more saxophones with donated money, there are six saxophones at SMK now so the marching band can add a new flavor to its sound.

From the recorder groups, I scouted a few younger children who are starting to play the trumpet.
It’s fun to see those kids blowing, they are doing better than me, so they have fun too, when I give it a try. It’s interesting to see that different children have a talent for different instruments. It’s a good thing that we have all kinds of instruments around so everyone can find the instrument that fits him or her best.

Last week we organized an informal ‘music meeting’ where several groups and individual children performed songs that they had learned. It was a very nice gathering and another one is on schedule for the coming week.

So far, I am looking back on a very productive and fulfilling stay where I’ve come to know many talented, sweet and kind children and the wonderful and inspiring people around them. It’s been a great stay!"

- Monique

monique

Gotta love the wonders of the internet.

You've read in previous posts about a woman from the Netherlands who discovered the story of hearing impaired Moses (on this very blog) and who made it possible for him for receive donated hearing aids.

This same woman, Monique, will be traveling to the orphanage later this month! After a flurry of emails, some q & a, and the ironing out of some logistics, Monique will be spending her holiday (late July to late August) teaching music to the children at St. Mary Kevin. How lucky they are. How lucky she is!

It's time to introduce this special woman. I have never met her; we've only communicated online. But already she is a member of the Change the Truth family, and soon enough she will undoubtedly navigate her way into the hearts of the kids at SMK. Monique will not only help begin to teach the marching band members how to read music, she will introduce the recorder to younger kids, she will introduce her beloved saxophone to the band, and she will (if she can find a big enough box!) also introduce the tuba. She will also give the keyboard CTT purchased a good workout.

August will be the month of music at SMK. I am so grateful that Monique found us. There will be much more to come as she begins her month-long adventure - but for now - please meet Monique:

"Hi, my name is Monique Udo and I live in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. I am a saxophone player and music teacher and the last 10 years I have dedicated myself more and more to music projects with children who grow up in less privileged circumstances.

I have worked in so called ‘black schools’ and with children in a centre for asylum seekers. It was there that I met very gifted children with a hunger for expressing themselves through music and dance. I loved working with them and started to realize fully how music can make a change for these children.

In December 2008 I accompanied my mother to Tulip Garden, an orphanage for children with HIV/AIDS in India. I took some flutes with me and for 10 days, I made music with the children: playing the flute, singing and drumming on buckets. After that, I knew I wanted to continue doing this. The joy that the music brought to this children and the eagerness they embraced it with was wonderful.

In 2009 I started the foundation “Muziek voor Kinderen” (Dutch for “Music for Children”). I organized a benefit concert with my Dutch pupils to raise money to buy instruments for the children in India, took a sabbatical from my job at the music school and went to Tulip Garden to stay there for four months. I bought keyboards, guitars, a saxophone, more recorders, melodica’s (blowing piano’s), and a small drum. I taught the children to play on the instruments and formed a music group of 18 children. With that group we give performances in other orphanages or hostels for children in the neighbourhood every time I’m there. I try to visit them at least once a year to keep them going. Luckily, I found a student who comes to teach keyboard every week, so now, after one year of playing the keyboard, some boys are playing the latest hits from the Indian movies!

Since I started these music projects, I’ve been searching the internet to find organizations who are doing something similar to what I’m doing. I came in contact with several organizations and orphanages where the children are brought up with music. I visited several of them and we are exchanging experiences, instruments and we help each other to realize projects.

When I came across the website of CTT during one of my surfing sessions, I immediately was very enthusiastic of what I read. I felt I would like to come over and give my share of changing the truth for the children at SMK. Soon after mailing with Gloria and Melissa it became clear to me that I would travel to Uganda in my summer holiday. From Melissa I got many good suggestions of which music activities could be done with the children so I know I will get busy over there. I’m looking forward to it!"


These are pictures from some of Monique's past projects. Soon we'll see our own kids in her photographs!