Students Sing For Japan Relief Fund

The Natomas Middle School choir will hold a benefit concert for the Japan Relief Fund this week in Natomas.
The concert is set for 7 p.m. on April 19 in the school’s multipurpose room at 3200 North Park Drive. The event will feature “Let Us Rise” an original song written by the choir to help raise money specifically for Japan disaster relief.

Choir students debuted the song earlier this week for the Natomas Unified School District board of trustees, bringing many in audience to tears with their performance.

“The students of the choir have a thing for wanting to help others but didn’t know how or feel like they could really do anything,” said Jeff Galindo, music director at Natomas Middle School. “I suggested the idea of writing an original song just for Japan relief and selling it to raise money.”
The catch was Galindo’s choir students had never written a song before, just sung them.

So the teacher set out to teach his choir students about lyrics and how to write them including the components to a song such as verse, chorus, and bridge. Brainstorming of ideas for what the song should be about followed. Then melodic ideas were submitted along with rhythmic ideas and style.

“My role was to merely guide them through it so they had as much ownership and input for the final outcome of the song,” Galindo said. “Next thing we knew, it started taking shape really quickly and all of our excitement grew the more it came together.”
The end result is an original song “Let Us Rise” that is student inspired and will touch the hearts of anyone who hears it.
“Our talented choral students … want to help others who are in need,” said Carla Najera, Natomas Middle School principal. 

Suggested donation for admission to the performance is $5. CDs of “Let Us Rise” will be available to purchase at the concert or the school office for $5. All proceeds from the event and sale of CDs will go to the American Red Cross to support Japan disaster relief.

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