The poor of South Africa have aru natual love for music. Their bodies sway with the rythmn of the soul. In the past their songs have been a reflection of their lives. Today many sing of Jesus Christ and his redeeming love. Every church in the Black African community vibrates with that music which is sung from the heart in freestyle everyone joining in with the part that is felt within.
When we have our Sacrament Meetings they are more structured than those of other Faiths. Our worship music is from the Hymn Book, is reverent in it's praise of the Lord and has the purpose of preparing our hearts and minds to be fed by the Spirit. There is little room for inturpretive music.
Their natural gifts and appreciation for music of all kinds still runs deep in these gifted Saints, so when piano lessons are offered to the poor of South Africa they are so excited they will do all they can to participate in such a program. These are the pictures I took of one such group. They are 16 young men who walk to a branch in Soweto from all over the area so they can have free lessons. They practice their home work, and they participate doing everything precicely as their instructor indicates; including sing their assignments and finger plays meant for younger children. Their is no moaning, wandering thoughts, or wishing they were some where else. They are dedicated, thankful and very anxious to learn.
I went hoping to pick up ideas on how to set up and run the classes I will be teaching.
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