Iwicki: XI Meetings with the Song in Grudziądz, or something very optimistic

In my first words, I owe readers an apology for a longer time of absence in my home department or Culture. I promise to improve myself and go back in the next issue to the topics already started, but present I must share something truly optimistic with you.

It is crucial that my fresh reflections on the condition of the taste of society as a full and the analysis of the “displays” of our Eurovision candidates cast a long shadow on my beloved field of art, which is music.

The momentum of the local scale in December

When my despondency about it grew more and more due to the fact that I was gathering material for further texts on the subject of cultural demolition which is taking place present on a mass scale and erstwhile I was beginning to lose hope by analyzing more pop culture products, I had to participate in a local event and absolutely wonderful.

XI Meetings with the Song is simply a cyclical vocal competition organized by the Outer School Work Camp in my beloved Grudziądz. For the second time, I had the large honor and the unhidden pleasance of sitting in the jury of the competition. It is simply a local event that has taken the form of an open competition for any time, where children and youth from Grudziądz and the surrounding areas are present. The fact that we were given to interrogate almost 70 young, talented performers deserves peculiar attention! We're talking about a local competition at the OPP!

Grudziądz culture

The organizer of the event is the directorate of the facility, and the full coordinates for many years Maciej Gburczyk – large musician, guitarist of Reggaeside band, producer, animator, teacher, city councillor, excellent educator, who has released countless musicians from his wings during his years of work, and privately my good friend. It was Maciej who invited me to the jury competition.

Author (first left) in the jury of the competition.

The chair of the jury was Dr. Alexander Drozdeck – singing teacher, conductor of many well-appreciated choirs Boni Cantores and The G Singers, teacher in “Shrinks”, voice emanation specialist, cultural animator and an extraordinary treasurer of music knowledge.

Next to my humble individual was the doctor. Daniel Grzybowski – singing teacher, educator, cultural animator, vocalist of the band File Corrupted, professional choir player, maker and sound engineer at advancement studio, which he has been moving for many years – besides my good friend and top fan of Queen I know. In specified a line-up, we sat in interrogations at 10 a.m., knowing that we had a challenge ahead of us, but not realizing that the level would exceed our wildest expectations...

Professional categories

Young performers were divided into 5 age categories: kindergarten, I-III, IV-VI, VII-VIII and secondary schools. As I wrote above, the competition was open, so representatives of public, private, various institutions and pupils of individual singing teachers stood in it. A very interesting situation – it was apparent that the consequence of the ability to sing can be achieved by various methods.

The participants were assessed in criteria divided into 4 items: intonation, repertoire selection, voice issuance and general expression. This is very crucial due to the fact that 2 of these categories are typically method – intonation and emissions, meaning purity, color, ability to drive and hold a voice, control over sound. The next 2 are about the reception of the performance – the selection of repertoire is highly important, but about this in a moment, while the general expression is specified matters as the ability to interpret text, charisma or contact with the audience. All of these things are very important, all of them require work, all of them can be learned, but above all, there is simply a talent that no of the participants lacked.

Youth and Hitchment

Young vocalists besides had to deal with the issues inherent in phase performances – confrontation with the audience, stress associated with the presence of another participants in the room, pre-show fright, control over the microphone, sometimes emerging method problems. any of the participants performed in public for the first time, any did not master the emotions, especially younger performers needed to be encouraged, as did teachers, guardians and Maciej Gburczyk, who led the full event with a commitment worthy of a actual educator – each kid was decently announced – a presentation, an explanation of who he represented and the song. Coping with specified situations is an highly crucial skill for phase artists, especially vocalists, who are usually leaders, and already at this phase it was seen from any kids that they were just born on stage.

10-year-old songwriter

Even in the youngest age categories, i.e. in kindergartens and I-III classes, there were children who tried to interpret! The very crucial issue, which Dr Drozdeck stressed in the summary - is highly crucial and sometimes even crucial is the selection of repertoire. Children should sing children's songs, at an appropriate level of executive difficulty. There are songs for children (e.g. from popular cinema stories) that are not easy to sing!

Here the most crucial function falls on the singing teacher, who should decently guide the kid and aid to choice the repertoire according to age and skill. While there was no problem in the kindergarten group, songs from the repertoire of “adult” or besides hard were already appearing in the older category, which unfortunately translated into the quality of the performance in combination with stress. What was interesting was besides among these “adult” songs specified performances, where the kids managed perfectly. There was besides a 10-year-old girl who sang a song his by author! I assure you that it was a song better and better sung than “English” performed by our “Eurovision Bejba” (serio)!!!

No disco-polo

The next age category, or Class IV – VI, is actually just a "adult repertoire", which was completely dominated by Sanah songs. I admit I had a immense problem with that. Not only due to the fact that I personally simply hatred the manners of this Polish singer. I appreciate that she writes good songs and has large lyrics, but her way of singing is completely not my musical sensitivity and very rapidly she bothers me. Of course, it is better for kids to perceive to Sanah than disco-polo or any pato-rap or moronic “radio hits” series “I have a face, You have a face, ohohohoho.” There are at least interesting harmony, real instruments and good lyrics in this music... That's right – good lyrics, but children from primary schools become unauthentic. Don't get me incorrect – of course we assessed the performance honestly and even 2 children singing Sanah received distinctions, but a thirteen-year-old singing about “monotony of life, work and loans” necessarily makes this grotesque text... Unfortunately, most children besides tried to imitate their distinctive manners (protracting) Sanah, which may later interfere, for example, in learning appropriate diction and accents. However, it is cosmetic, due to the fact that in this age category the level was truly very high!

The counter closed here. Hanna Walczak The singing song of David was subdued by “The Stranger”. Despite her young age, she sang practically professionally – intonation, emission, diction, text explanation – all at the level of a mature singer. Interestingly, Hani's sister Olga won second place in the lower age category, and besides last year the girls won in their categories – highly talented!

Anna like Anna German

In the next age category (VII-VIII) there were only 5 participants, the girls themselves, and the level was almost entirely professional. We thought it would be a immense problem to delegate first place, but our doubts were dispelled by last year's winner Anna Kminikowska. She sang "Back to Sorrento", 1 of the most celebrated Neapolitan songs written by the De Curtis brothers in 1901. The first Polish performance of this song was celebrated ongiś Anna German. Believe it or not, the young name of our legendary vocalist has performed this hard song equally bravado! First of all, with a immense culture of singing – pure, beautifully held the voice, large diction, explanation and appropriate elegance for this repertoire combined with lightness. Something wonderful! I admit that I was moved by this performance due to the fact that I love this "old" way of singing...

High-school professionals

The category of advanced school was truly crazy! There were 7 performers, each performance was great, and 5 of them were absolutely professional in all respect! 3 moved me especially.

Catherine Werner in an English-language track "IDK You Yet" from the repertoire Alexander 23. I'll admit I didn't know any performer or song, even though YouTube has over 9 million views. Kasia herself accompanied on the acoustic guitar, which made the performance of this minimalist part completely consistent. A beautifully sung, touching lyrics that the girl understood, felt into it and sang perfectly in English! Interestingly, it was her first public performance, so she besides had to overcome the utmost anxiety! “She bought us” full with this performance, which was surviving proof that in music, as in life, the fact will always defend itself. Kasia is simply a parent of Maciej Gburczyk and OPP Grudziądz.

Two more performances were the biggest challenge for us – both full, completely professional, absolutely sensational in all respect and highly touching. I must admit to my readers that I shed a teardrop over both of them...

Julia Pietkiewicz "Be My Inspiration" – a part from the repertoire Andrzej Zauchy composed by Antoni Kopff. Well... Everything was played here – the song, or selection of repertoire (although highly difficult), intonation, emission, general expression – all in point! And the value added in the form of extraordinary musical sensitivity. Julia sang this song lightly, dancing with a voice after sounds with fantastic grace. All in point, all sound sung clean and with the right swing Feeling falling into a somewhat jazz interpretation. You can see that Julia feels free in specified a repertoire, and everyone in the jury has heard that there is inactive a immense supply of voice. truly wonderful performance! Julia's a parent. Dagmara Cichocka..who I besides hosted in respective singing classes.

Matilda Ciborowska She's this year's postgraduate student who's already got quite a few phase experience. She sings, plays guitar and is the leader of the Grudziądz band Melis. First of all, Matylda is endowed with an extraordinary charisma and I admit that I had the chance to perceive to many of her performances, but this time she swept me off the board (like the another jurors). She chose a truly different song, which in 1961 for Cline Pastes wrote Hank Cochran, that is, I was taken musically where I love – south of the USA (yes, yes, I know – I can't aid it – I love country and culture rednecks). Interestingly Matylda sang this song with Polish lyrics, which she translated. In general, I am not a supporter of country or blues in Polish, but these words by a young artist were absolutely poignant! The performance is besides technically excellent and with large emotional load. Matilda is an OPP educator in Grudziądz and Maciej Gburczyk, who accompanied her on guitar.

Formation is possible

"Meeting with the Song" in Grudziądz, in addition to making me feel better, provided quite a few affirmative emotions, it showed a fewer things.

First of all, culture, art, the taste of young people can only be "bounced" from the bottom, and there is something to fight for! At “eurvisions”, large festivals, tv and radio stations are frenzied by general stupidity and savagery – women with beards, pathology, simple art, disco-polo, Anglo-polo and universal stupidization. Yes, it's true, but not all is lost due to the fact that it is local We can fight for our children. There was no mediocrity, stupidity, and easyness in this contest! There were plenty of talents, quite a few engagement of children, their teachers and parents – hard but pleasant work!

We request to return to a good tradition of local initiatives – cultural centres, facilities, centres, clubs, youth houses, etc. The past of the Grudziądz OPP dates back to 1957, erstwhile the home of Culture and Youth was established at the Stalingrad Defendants Square. Since then, the facility has continuously operated under different names, but has the same goals and has successfully achieved them. The Directorates, all instructors and another akin institutions deserve large congratulations and admiration.

Here I will return to the subject taken in the column about tastes – colleagues from the widely understood national camp – this is simply a task for us! The formation of young Poles is not only a promotion of historical and political knowledge. Children should interact with culture and thus form imagination! Without this, they will later not realize either ideas or political doctrines.

Let us act locally in culture

It was a large honor for me to be able to perceive to so many wonderful performances. To be honest, any of them made me uncomfortable to judge. The girls I described gave complete performances – consistent, excellent method and true. They are ready for large scenes, where I hope they will hit and what I want them with all my heart. Look out for these names – these are large artists.

Poland is full of specified young people. There are besides wonderful teachers, educators, instructors or cultural animators. Then I have a large request to our Readers. Take an interest locally – everyone in their city, village, village – or where are specified facilities? compose down your children there and see how you can aid with specified places and people working there? Nobody will do that for us, ladies and gentlemen, and this is simply a truly large task, which is part of a long march topped with a "reflection of Poland".

I'm truly glad I could compose something optimistic...

Bartosz Iwicki