Monday, November 7, 2011

Gospel Singing

Guest post by Esteban Vinson

I was watching DirectTV on Sunday and saw something on Sixty Minutes that really sparked my interest. It highlighted a program started by a gospel singer in the Bronx. She recruits children who are interested in gospel music and gives them voice lessons. The teenagers train afterschool and eventually participate and compete in gospel competitions all over the US. They story was actually very inspiring. The program not only gave children more confidence but helped them build bigger, healthy social networks. Many of the children participating were being raised by their grandparents and knew little about their own parents. Some of the children reported having higher grades, higher motivation in school, and goals of furthering their education that they had not had before they started the program. All of the children were talented and just needed someone to foster their abilities. I hold the highest admiration for those who help our children. Sometimes something as small as gaining a little bit of confidence and having good social support can change your whole life for the better.