{"id":24126,"date":"2015-11-23T02:00:08","date_gmt":"2015-11-23T07:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/?p=24126"},"modified":"2015-11-23T15:06:19","modified_gmt":"2015-11-23T20:06:19","slug":"despite-losing-grant-choral-group-still-teaching-miami-students-to-sing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/2015\/11\/23\/despite-losing-grant-choral-group-still-teaching-miami-students-to-sing\/","title":{"rendered":"Despite Losing Grant, Choral Group Still Teaching Miami Students To Sing"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Natural<\/a>

John O'Connor \/ StateImpact Florida<\/p>

Natural Bridge Elementary School students sing "Amazing Grace."<\/p><\/div>\n

As soon as the fourth and fifth graders at Natural Bridge Elementary were handed the lyrics to Amazing Grace, they were ready to sing out.<\/p>\n

But first, they needed a lesson in the four voice types of a choir \u2013 bass, tenor, alto and soprano.<\/p>\n

One by one members of the group added their part while the students waited to sing the melody. Finally, it was time to add soprano Sara Guttenberg<\/p>\n

\u201cI really hope she sings the melody,\u201d tenor Patrick Muehleise kids.<\/p>\n

The students are ready. They join in before the conductor gives them their cue.<\/p>\n\nhttps:\/\/stateimpact.npr.org\/florida\/files\/2015\/11\/stateimpact_seraphic_fire.mp3<\/a><\/audio>\n

<\/p>\n

Natural Bridge Elementary has maintained its music classes even as schools across the country have eliminated them.<\/p>\n

In Miami-Dade those decisions are made by each school.<\/p>\n

For this school in North Miami, music is important. Many of the students are Haitian or Caribbean immigrants and still adjusting to school in the U.S.<\/p>\n

\"Tenor<\/a>

John O'Connor \/ StateImpact Florida<\/p>

Tenor Patrick Muehleise, soprano Sara Guttenberg, alto Luthien Brackett and bass James Bass of Serpahic Fire. All have worked as teachers.<\/p><\/div>\n

And principal Frank MacBride says he can connect with almost every student through song.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe kid may not be straight As,\u201d he says. \u201cThe kid may not speak English, but he may know \u201cAmazing Grace\u201d from sitting in church. And he can sing. And he may want to try to sing.\u201d<\/p>\n

In past years, MacBride encouraged dozens of Natural Bridge Elementary students to join the Miami Choral Academy. Seraphic Fire taught choral music and theory to Miami students through the program.<\/p>\n

Students rehearsed after school and put on a performance at the end of the program.<\/p>\n

MacBride says all different kinds Natural Bridge Elementary students joined the Miami Choral Academy.<\/p>\n

\u201cEvery kid that was in MCA that took these standardized tests showed growth,\u201d he says. \u201cSo it\u2019s a fact that children that are musical, that read music\u2026do better on standardized tests.\u201d<\/p>\n

And he says they became better students in general.<\/p>\n

But this year the Miami Choral Academy lost their grant — and the full-time staff that helped students rehearse and put on a concert.<\/p>\n

So the two-time GRAMMY-nominated group figured out a way to keep working with students.<\/p>\n

\"Natural<\/a>

John O'Connor \/ StateImpact Florida<\/p>

Natural Bridge Elementary students snap along with members of Seraphic Fire.<\/p><\/div>\n

They plan on giving lessons to about a thousand Miami-Dade students — which is actually a lot more than could join the Miami Choral Academy.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not their first time in front of a classroom. All four Seraphic Fire members visiting Natural Bridge Elementary have been teachers \u2013 from elementary through college.<\/p>\n

Bass singer James Bass taught a year in elementary school.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe one thing you learn right away when you teach that age,\u201d he says, \u201cis you can\u2019t have dead air. You must keep the activities going.\u201d<\/p>\n

The four Seraphic Fire members run through songs with the students for more than hour.<\/p>\n

They start with some call and response sounds to warm-up the vocal cords.<\/p>\n

\u201cKUH! KUH!\u201d Bass starts.<\/p>\n

\u201cKUH! KUH!\u201d the students respond.<\/p>\n

\u201cTSH! TSH!\u201d Bass leads.<\/p>\n

\u201cTSH! TSH!\u201d the students call back.<\/p>\n

They lead the students through more call and response to a summer camp tune before moving to the harmony lesson of \u201cAmazing Grace.\u201d<\/p>\n