Truly, one of the highlights of my time here thus far has been a group of kids who sing in an a cappella group called K-VOX. (Kaili Voice bOX – Also, "vox" is Latin for voice.) The previous volunteer at my school, John Park, started this small group in the final months of his service, and I have inherited the great privilege of helping to keep it going. The group originally had 13 students, none of whom had 'traditional' musical training. They learn songs by listening to audio tracks, memorizing, and then singing together. I was sort of just thrown into this situation because I have singing experience and seemed to be the most likely candidate to continue the project, but it has really surprised me how much I love helping them out. I give them a few pointers here and there from what I learned in the Notre Dame Glee Club, I help to organize rehearsals and performance dates, and I just finished the audition cycle for new members. Now, the group spans 3 class years and looks to be sustainable well into the future. Working with K-VOX helps me out too. In a long week of classes and uniquely pedagogic activities, it is great to just stop, relax, and practice some a cappella music while also goofing off (in typing this sentence, I realize that the whole thing is a lot like college was.) Music seems to just make sense, so singing somewhat harmoniously definitely brings me a sense of familiarity/security that is sometimes difficult to find in China. We also do fun stuff together, like cooking large family style dinner at my oversized apartment, singing karaoke, and just messing around. We are about to start learning a new song with the new members, so this should be a good test of how perennial the group really is. They really are a fun group, and I hope to spend some more time making music with them.
