School’s Day Out! Musical Celebration of Youth and Cultural Diversity
Last Thursday night, I felt like I had stepped back in time when I approached the Charleston Music Hall for a musical performance to benefit the School’s Out! program. I had been in a number of musical performances back in my day, and I remember being a nervous wreck. I purposely got to the venue a little early so that I could catch a glimpse of the groups rehearsing to see if those pre-show jitters still existed with today’s generation. To my surprise, these kids were ready to put on a show. The Ebenezer A.M.E. Praise Dance Team were primping in compact mirrors, while their mothers and the program director made final costume adjustments. When I asked them the age-old question, “Are you guys ready?, they replied in unison, and with supreme confidence, “We are always ready!” Before the start of the performance, Schools Out! executive director Samuel S. Singleton Jr. wished all of the kids good luck and welcomed some very special guests. Mayor Joe Riley and his family were in attendance, along with YMCA CEO and president Paul Stoney and his wife. A group of College of Charleston Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity brothers were very energetic lending a hand as volunteers. They were excellent host and very helpful with keeping the kids organized. The concert began with a theatrical and soulful performance by the Ebenezer AME Mime Troop. These talented young men entertained the audience by visually bringing a gospel song to life through pantomime. And Anne Cai, a junior at the Porter –Gaud School, wowed the crowd with a solo performance on the violin. All of the performances were inspiring, and guests, I am sure, walked away feeling uplifted and proud.
School’s Out! program raises money to forge partnerships and unite existing resources to transform local schools into community learning centers.
