WHAT ARE PEOPLE SAYING?
“I am very thankful for having participated in the Chords of Courage project. It was one of the highlights of my high school career, no question! This unique experience, to be able to lead a film project like the one Claire and I directed at our age, taught me leadership, organization and time management skills I needed to carry out this project. I have already benefited from it in other film projects I’ve directed since. Plus it has helped me significantly in areas unrelated to film like school and sports. Lastly, it was wonderful to work with such passionate and imaginative people from Chords of Courage, Susan and Caron, who made this opportunity possible!”
“I really like what we did with Chords of Courage because it was something special. It was something we had to work with a group, to work together and listen to each other, to find out what we really wanted to say. And we made a really great song about a man who made a difference. And I like how I got to do this with one of my closest friends and I feel like we made a difference.”
“I loved this program because it was so fun to make. When I was singing everybody was encouraging me. The chorus did really well. I just want to say thank you for being here to help us write the song.”
“Odetta was inspiring because it is really hard to get over discrimination and she turned that discrimination into something extremely positive and made others feel good about themselves which is really hard to do. I am really impressed. She was very influential and I want to be like her.”
“Before this I did not know who Odetta was but then I learned that she was fighting for freedom for African Americans and I also learned that she didn’t use violence at all, that she used singing. She was really good at singing. I learned a lot about music and how it can change a lot of people’s minds about stuff. I had a lot of fun and would like to do it again.”
“Students who participated in this experience not only forged a lifelong appreciation of Odetta herself, but they were able to transfer the beliefs and ideals that she stood for to their middle school surroundings. The students who completed this program became much more globally aware and communicated that awareness with their peers. Caron, Susan and Steve worked diligently to create a positive, creative and educational environment for our students and ensure their success.“
“I am impressed with the knowledge Chords of Courage brings regarding our core standards, and their innovative teaching methods, including the presence of an award winning songwriter and exciting group leaders. The students were thrilled to be involved.”
“Through this program, my students have engaged important, higher order thinking skills. They have been guided on how to turn their thoughts and emotions into a thought provoking and inspired song. As a result of this program, the students participated in meaningful conversations on discrimination and how one can effectively deal with it. They identified a way in which they were inspired by their person of courage to do something in their school to address the issue that caused her pain – discrimination. At the conclusion of the project, they had the opportunity to sing their song before the entire grade and introduce their Fight Discrimination Campaign. ”
“My students have been enriched by this unique song writing experience and were thrilled to be involved. I am delighted to recommend Chords of Courage.”
“The students performed their song for the entire school, so a new level of courageousness was added to their experience for the students as well! Students were inspired to start an anti-bullying campaign following this experience. ”
“Simply wanted to let you know that we launched the Jerry Gault unit on Monday. It has birthed some great conversation and sparked new interest when it comes to integrating Music and Writing.“