Hello everyone,
We hope you’re all staying well during these uncertain and unprecedented times.
At a time when we need music to lift our spirits most, many of our choir programs have been forced to suspend in-person rehearsals due to COVID-19 concerns, venue closures and health risks to the more vulnerable members among us.
This has left us with a big challenge on our hands. Our members are faced with further isolation as they are forced to stay indoors. For some, weekly choir rehearsals are their ONLY other human interaction and we don’t want to risk them losing that. These life-changing programs provide a safe haven and sense of ‘family’ to those who have neither.
Luckily, our wonderful Founder and Chair, Tania de Jong AM built Creativity Australia and our With One Voice Choir Programs with creativity, innovation and collaboration in mind. Our passionate teams have been working around the clock this week to find solutions to keep With One Voice choirs running, members feeling connected and our specialist conductors in jobs. The good news? We have a great plan.
However, we really need your generosity and financial support at this time, to do this.
From next week onward, our With One Voice programs would like to move to an online platform until the time it’s deemed safe for everyone to be back in one room.
We have been trialling a number of different ways to do this and have put together a timetable where our 25+ Conductors across Australia can lead 30 minute sessions that our our entire member base can access from home, EVERY SINGLE NIGHT OF THE WEEK.
As well as the above, conductors will continue to lead their own choirs over the internet and will check in on their choristers via video conferencing, ensuring our communities stay strong and look out for each other.
To do what we need to do, it will mean a lot of preparation for our conductors and also support from staff at HQ to train them in online platform delivery and set up.
We ask you. please can you help us keep the lights on through these challenging times?
If so, please hit the DONATE button below.
Our programs genuinely change and save lives.
Thank you in advance.
As weekly in-person meetups become less and less, we are relying more and more on social interactions through digital means.
We will be using Facebook to hold LIVE sessions and sending out schedules to members letting them know how and when to tune in. During LIVE streams, viewers can interact with, ask questions and comment on what the conductor is doing there and then.
This week, our Conductor Kym Dillon experimented with a pre-recorded session created for his Geelong choir which they could watch and join in with at their leisure. He started with a vocal and physical warm-up, some tongue twisters and then went through songs they have been working on at choir, as well as some new pieces.
His video was so successful, has already been viewed over 100 times and he’s had fantastic feedback from members who can comment on the videos and make suggestions.
“That was great Kim. I also almost felt like I was at choir too. More fun than listening to the radio over my morning cuppa!” – Geelong member
“Hi Kym! Only got to listen and participate today and I loved it. With everything being cancelled I have been quite down, but you and your video have raised my spirits. Well done!” – Geelong member
Below right, you will see a screen full of smiling faces. This platform is Zoom. We can use Zoom (more commonly known for corporate business meetings) to check in with our members and give them some face to face contact. This platform isn’t great for holding group singing sessions due to a time lag but it’s a sure way to get people talking and laughing together.
Our plan is to use a mix of all these things which will be backed up by social media. Cool right? If this is something you’d like to support, please DONATE now.
The next step is to find a way to connect members who don’t currently have access to a device at home. All ideas welcome.
Above left: Kym Dillon delivering his Geelong session online. Above right: A Zoom session to check in with choir members.
Some inspiration from our Founder, Tania de Jong AM
You don’t have to look far these days to see how people around the world have turned to music and singing in times of hardship. Our social media feeds are flooded with videos of whole towns on lockdown, hanging out of their windows and balconies to join together in song. It’s a true show of solidarity.
WATCH our Founder, Tania de Jong AM’s TED Talk on how singing together can change the brain, which has now been viewed almost 100,000 times!
Singing in groups can improve mental health, bring communities together, develop and improve a range of skills and make you healthier, happier and more creative!
WATCH: Tania de Jong AM TED Talk on ‘How Singing Together Changes the Brain’
STAY TUNED
There will be more announcements, stories and celebrations
coming up in the next newsletter.
Thanks for reading!
