Week 3 - Chengdu Concert and Video July 9 and Beijing National Early Development Conference July 11,
Finally here's the link to one of the concerts. This is the Chengdu concert.
Enjoy!!
click link (there's a few ads but concert starts eventually)
Chengdu is a lovely place to visit if you are every considering visiting China with your family. The vibe is very relaxed and there are some lovely foods, people and places to visit. This was my third visit to Chengdu but it's a big city..15 million I think and I was staying in a new part of Chengdu because GymAngel in Chengdu is expanding and quickly. They are about to open another 2 new centres and we were rehearsing in one of the newly opened centres in a new district of Chengdu. The size of the population and the numbers involved in this project are mind blowing.
We did our Christmas concert in Chengdu just 6 months ago in December so I was thrilled that they wanted me back again so quickly. As a result I had worked recently with the teachers so it was easy rehearsing this new concert with these teachers. The great news is that the Chengdu started running BLMF after Chinese New year around 4 months ago. One of the gorgeous teachers Cherry gave me some lovely footage of two of her little students singing our Bonjours Mes Amis hello song from Walk and Talkers. they are both doing such a great job with lovely in tune singing for their age.
Rehearsals third time around were so much easier as I head already worked with several of the teachers before. Patricia (pictured below) is one of my favourite teachers in Chengdu and she is playing the role of Zhang Zhang we're rehearsing the Hansel and Gretl dance where I teach how him how to dance in order to receive the magic wand. It feels so nice to get to know the Chinese teachers and staff some more as I visit places more times. We all certainly share a love for teaching and nurturing little children.
July 11: Back in Beijing after the successful concert to 700 families, I was lucky enough to be invited to participate in a National Conference on the Science of Early Childhood Education in Beijing.
GymAngel together with CCTV were hosting the conference with many speakers invited from across China.
I was asked to write a special theme song around 'exploring the world'. I immediately suggested 'It's a Small World" but they preferred to have a new song. I rewrote the lyrics to our "Drumming All Together song and sang the song with the mascots at the conference.
Here's the lyrics to be sung to the tune, "More We Get Together"
Off We Go Exploring – after the Tune “the More We Get Together”
Lyrics by Melanie Maslin Baby Love Music Fun
Off we go exploring, exploring, exploring
Off we go exploring
To see the world
From China to Australia to England and France
Off We Go Exploring to see the world
The people look so different, so different, so different
The people look so different
All over the world
Some dark skin some light skin, some straight hair or curls
The people look so different but still boys and girls
Off we go exploring, exploring, exploring
Off we go exploring To see the world
To India and Africa, South America and Laos
Off We Go Exploring to see the world
The food all tastes so different, so different, so different
The food all tastes so different
All over the world
There’s Noodles and curry and pizza and spice
The food all tastes so different let’s try it it’s nice
The more we go exploring, exploring, exploring
The more we go exploring
The happier we’ll be
We’re braver and stronger and more confident
The more we go exploring
The happier we’ll be and braver we’ll be
More confident we’ll be
Come explore the world with me
When I first sold a licence to GymAngel to run BLMF in centres across China back early last year GymAngel had around 80 centres. Now they are up to 120 and expect by next year for that to be 200. Exciting growth for an organisation that only started 6 years ago.
