On Tuesday, December 9th, eighteen students had the chance of a lifetime! They were able to go and record a song at the Mayne Stage in Chicago created in honor of the work that McCracken has been doing for the past five years to help A Better Life for Kids.
When Wendy Morgan heard Ms. Ciok talking about A.C.T. and A Better Life for Kids last spring on NPR's Worldview, she was inspired by what she heard. She emailed Ms. Ciok and asked how she could help. Upon hearing that Wendy was a musician and a part of a popular singing duo called Wendy & DB, Ms. Ciok asked if they would be interested in writing a song for A.C.T. Wendy jumped at the chance to be a part of it and asked for the students to brainstorm words that they would use to describe the work being done at McCracken and in Ghana. From there, "Shine A Light" was born. This song is a great reflection of all that is being done to make the world a better place.
In November, the task of raising money for the actual recording was underway! Through Donor's Choose, many people gave money to this project, as they saw what an impact it could make. From local community members to people in Spain, 37 different donors came together to make this project happen. Paige from Georgia said, "I gave to this project to contribute to a cause greater than myself. I wish you all the best of luck!" The Lu Family, who are community members, said, "Thank you for providing our children with opportunities to help children around the world hav ea better life. The stories you share about the children in Ghana have made my own children feel like they are not just helping a face, but now rather helping a friend. You are teaching empathy and compassion to us all. It was amazing and so touching to watch this project get funded.
Then rehearsals began. Wendy and Dean Rolando, her pianist, came two times to rehearse with the kids. Amy Keipert, the McCracken music director, gave up countless lunches to help the kids get ready. Here are some pictures from the after school rehearsals.
Then
And then came the big day! Upon arrival at Mayne Stage on December 9th, everyone realized that this was different than just being at school. It was a real stage with real sound equipment. Many people were running around doing sound checks, videotaping and making sure things were ready to go! Then the recording began. For two hours, the students sang Shine A Light over and over again. They took different parts, sang lines again and again. Everyone learned a little bit that day about what going into making a song perfect for a record!
And then, suddenly, the recording was finished! A celebration of pizza and cake was had by all, and at the celebration, Wendy & DB made the announcement that 5% of their next album sales will go to A Better Life for Kids! All in all, it was a wonderful day! Look for the release of the single very soon!
Here's a sneak peak of the song:
Thanks to Mike Isaacs for another wonderful story in the Skokie Review! We so appreciate your support!
