"Share the World" Concert

The Temporary Choir Saga continues. The recording of the CD* was only the first part. Since then, the kids have practiced every day for an additional 2 weeks, re-learning the original 2 songs in Japanese and sign language, AND learning an entirely new song, half in English, half in Japanese. And FINALLY, last weekend was the 2005 World Expo promotional event in Tokyo. So..

*By the way, in the 2nd photo, Noodle's on the right side of the photo, wearing a white shirt and jeans, standing between a girl in a black shirt and a girl in a red shirt.

On BOTH Saturday and Sunday, Noodle and I dragged ourselves onto a schoolbus with 50 other kids and parents, which then hauled our butts over 2 hours each way to Tokyo, amid chatty, mouthy, whiny, bouncy, stinky, loud, misbehaving kids.

No, REALLY, I love kids...

Saturday, we went up for a rehearsal with the Japanese kids from Nara. They passed out "Share the World" sweatshirts, which all the kids would wear. Our kids sang 4 songs. FOUR. Walked to the stage once, and then we drove back home in the nasty, sleety rain from whence we came. It was a nightmare. And the entire 2 hours, a sweet little girl behind me jabbered at Noodle and I, despite our earphones. I was getting really annoyed with her and feeling crappy about it the whole time, because she really is sweet, just WAY to chattery for our sensibilities.

Then on Sunday we did it all over again. Up at 6am, at school by 7:15 and back on that hateful, hateful bus. But his time was The Real McCoy. The reason for all of those hours and hours of practice. The excitement of the kids was palpable. They behaved the entire bus-ride. No standing up, no screaming, no eating (and the jabbery girl was far, far away from me)... We got off the bus in Tokyo and walked through Roppongi Hills shopping mall, past Prada and Armani, Kate Spade & Gucci, to the outdoor arena, where the concert was to take place. Though the sun made a special appearance for us, the temperature was still a brisk 50 degrees. It didn't matter. They had on their matching sweatshirts and the Japanese kids had just spotted them. When our kids walked into the prep hall, they were immediately surrounded by the Japanese students. Most of them were older and enchanted by the younger kids. Rachel's long blonde hair, Noodle's curly mop, tiny Alexis, breakdancing Jerome...They tried communicating, them not speaking much English and us not speaking much Japanese. But it didn't matter. They smiled at each other and sang songs that summed up the experience:

"Share the World", in which children of the world pray for peace and happiness; to make our hearts beat as one. FIrst as a Ballad and then in a High-Tempo version, and "Yes, I'm In Love", a whimsical, bouncy song that just makes one smile.

They were beautiful. Singing the same song and laughing at the same jokes, from different cultural and language perspectives...and the difference was irrelevant.

Photos.