Hans Thomann Foundation Supports Children’s Musical Project

pro chor has been organising events for fifteen years, putting on various musicals as well as gospel and praise concerts.

It has always been the aim or our projects for children and teenagers that participants should have the opportunity to discover their talents and experience fun and joy while trying out a wide variety of arts (music, dance, singing, acting).

As part of our latest musical project, “You are unique”, the first written entirely by the pro chor staff, we wanted to professionally produce a CD in addition to the traditional rehearsals and performances.

The performers took part with great enthusiasm, and their participation was made possible by a donation from Musikhaus Thomann, which equipped all the members of the choir with headsets for recording the CD.

The 110-strong choir, made up of children and teenagers aged 4 to 16 recorded the CD over several weekends, after the band had previously laid down their tracks in a home studio.

You cand find further information on our work at: www.prochor.de

A newspaper report on the opening night, and video clips can be found here:

Newspaper: http://www.fraenkischer-anzeiger.de/archive/4017

ROnair.TV (Rothenburg Television): http://www.ronair.tv/klangwelt.php?ID=673

There are additional images available at: http://www.acdseeonline.com/share-view/Juergen-Foto/KEkryhKgHwFL9mFS8gDW/

 

PROCHOR project

The music band HSW “HalbSoWild“ is made up of young adults with disabilities who live and work in the Himmelkroner Dienste of Diakonie Neuendettelsau, an assisted living facility.

The participants‘ ages range from 18 to 26. The band “HalbSso Wild” was founded in March 2013. At the time, none of the members knew how to play an instrument.

The musicians are Asley Burzick/ guitar, Benny Hauk/ drums, Felix Karl/ guitar, Joseph Papp/ bass guitar, Jürgen Götz/ keyboard and Christina Will, Cindy Allrich, Katharina Streit/ vocals.

Musical supervision is carried out by Olga Hübner, Martin Brendel, Edgar Zuber and Sebastian Schuberth, dedicated staff of Diakonie Neuendettelsau.

Our inclusionary work with clients with mental and multiple disabilities enables them to lead independent and autonomous lives. Organized leisure time activities make room for self-realisation. Making music together as part of a band is particularly enriching for people with impairments. It encourages creativity, exercises motor skills, and strengthens clients’ self-confidence while nurturing a sense of community. This is lived inclusion!

The first performance, where the band played the song “Vom selben Stern” (From the same Star) by the band Ich und Ich, took place as part of an open day at our Himmelkron facility in July 2013. The musicians’ great motivation, their joy of playing and rehearsing, and the dedication of the support workers all ensured that further pieces were taken into the repertory.

The performance at the 2013 cultural festival included 3 songs already (among them, the self-penned song “Hald so wild” and the well-known “Ab in den Süden”).

For 2014, the band is planning further performances on the “Day of Encounter”, on inclusion day, at the cultural festival and on the Lindenallee street party. The repertoire of songs is growing constantly.

Musikhaus Thomann’s “musical” donation was instrumental in making the HalbSo Wild band project work and thereby gave young people with multiple disabilities the opportunity to grow together as a band. Fun and joy of making music are key, but there is also a sense of pride in owning your own instrument.