VOA标准英语2011--US Students Spread Musical Message in Ke

US Students Spread Musical Message in Kenya

A group of university students and alumni has returned to the United States after three weeks in Kenya, where they were part of a cultural exchange program which aims to transform lives through music.
The group, from Berklee College of Music in Boston, taught music, performed, donated instruments to a local community center and learned about traditional Kenyan music.
Music is an integral part of life in Kenya.
“Growing up, I sang a lot in school. And we had competitions and choir¹ and music every year,” says Sam Lutomia, a staff member at Berklee College of Music. Born and raised in Kenya, he now lives and works in Boston. “When I moved to the States, I got exposed to a higher level of music and I was like, 'Is there something I can do now that I'm in the States?'"
He co-founded Global Youth Groove², with the goal of exposing Kenyan young people to Western music and encouraging them to pursue a career in music.
“I started talking with students at Berklee College of Music and faculty³ members and they all responded positively," says Lutomia. "And we started collecting instruments. After that, we traveled to Kenya last month to start a community center.”
Thirteen Americans made the trip, including four high school students from the Boston area. Among them was 17-year-old Marina Miller⁴.
“We started out in Nairobi,” she says. “We got a chance to meet with local musicians and listen to them play."
In Kakamega, in western Kenya, the Americans presented a gift.
“We’ve gathered like 20 instruments,” says project coordinator⁵ Aaron Colverson. “They include acoustic⁶ guitar, electric guitar, acoustic violin, flute⁷, clarinet, saxophone, also a trumpet⁸ and a trombone. We had some recorders and also an entire drum kit⁹, lap tops and recording¹⁰ software."
Dozens of young Kenyans, between the ages of 15 and 30, took workshops offered by the group.
Berklee student David Chapman says, for some of the Kenyans, it was their first time seeing and touching¹¹ such instruments. “Their music classes would just be them reading books about western instruments.
The workshops offered a more hands-on approach.
"We would lecture for a while and teach, everything would be very interactive,” Chapman says. “If anyone had any questions or wanted to play with instruments, we would always welcome that.”
The group also held workshops in orphanages¹² and performed at a national music festival.
“When you put music in front of kids, it seems that their minds open up,” says project coordinator Aaron Colverson. “Music gives them a chance to express themselves through songs and writing the songs.”
Throughout the trip, the group met with local musicians and listened to them play. They also learned about traditional Kenyan instruments, dances and songs.
The short trip has had a lasting¹³ impact, according to Nairobi native Wambura Mitaru, who studies at Berklee.
“Up until today, kids are talking to one another,” she says. ”There is one young man, his name is Scott from Kenya, and he plays violin. He met with Aaron Colverson from Berklee. They really got to jam with each other and play the violin and Scott got to learn about different things. He now plays everywhere, when he can."
Trip leader Sam Lutomia is happy with the enthusiasm generated by the exchange program. He hopes the trip becomes an annual event and would like to expand it to neighboring countries.

1 choir   

n.唱诗班，唱诗班的席位，合唱团，舞蹈团；v.合唱

参考例句：

• The choir sang the words out with great vigor.合唱团以极大的热情唱出了歌词。
• The church choir is singing tonight.今晚教堂歌唱队要唱诗。

2 groove   

n.沟，槽；凹线，（刻出的）线条，习惯

参考例句：

• They're happy to stay in the same old groove.他们乐于墨守成规。
• The cupboard door slides open along the groove.食橱门沿槽移开。

3 faculty   

n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员

参考例句：

• He has a great faculty for learning foreign languages.他有学习外语的天赋。
• He has the faculty of saying the right thing at the right time.他有在恰当的时候说恰当的话的才智。

4 miller   

n.磨坊主

参考例句：

• Every miller draws water to his own mill.磨坊主都往自己磨里注水。
• The skilful miller killed millions of lions with his ski.技术娴熟的磨坊主用雪橇杀死了上百万头狮子。

5 coordinator   

n.协调人

参考例句：

• The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, headed by the Emergency Relief Coordinator, coordinates all UN emergency relief. 联合国人道主义事务协调厅在紧急救济协调员领导下，负责协调联合国的所有紧急救济工作。
• How am I supposed to find the client-relations coordinator? 我怎么才能找到客户关系协调员的办公室？

6 acoustic   

adj.听觉的，声音的；(乐器)原声的

参考例句：

• The hall has a fine acoustic.这个大厅的传音效果很好。
• Animals use a whole rang of acoustic, visual,and chemical signals in their systems of communication.动物利用各种各样的听觉、视觉和化学信号来进行交流。

7 flute   

n.长笛；v.吹笛

参考例句：

• He took out his flute, and blew at it.他拿出笛子吹了起来。
• There is an extensive repertoire of music written for the flute.有很多供长笛演奏的曲目。

8 trumpet   

n.喇叭，喇叭声；v.吹喇叭，吹嘘

参考例句：

• He plays the violin, but I play the trumpet.他拉提琴，我吹喇叭。
• The trumpet sounded for battle.战斗的号角吹响了。

9 kit   

n.用具包，成套工具；随身携带物

参考例句：

• The kit consisted of about twenty cosmetic items.整套工具包括大约20种化妆用品。
• The captain wants to inspect your kit.船长想检查你的行装。

10 recording   

n.录音，记录

参考例句：

• How long will the recording of the song take?录下这首歌得花多少时间？
• I want to play you a recording of the rehearsal.我想给你放一下彩排的录像。

11 touching   

adj.动人的，使人感伤的

参考例句：

• It was a touching sight.这是一幅动人的景象。
• His letter was touching.他的信很感人。

12 orphanages   

孤儿院( orphanage的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• It is Rotarians running orphanages for children who have no homes. 扶轮社员们为没有家的孩子办孤儿院。
• Through the years, she built churches, hospitals and orphanages. 许多年来，她盖了一间间的教堂、医院、育幼院。

13 lasting   

adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持

参考例句：

• The lasting war debased the value of the dollar.持久的战争使美元贬值。
• We hope for a lasting settlement of all these troubles.我们希望这些纠纷能获得永久的解决。