In 1976 and 1977, an inspired music teacher in a small school district in Langley Township, British Columbia, outside Vancouver, recorded elementary school students singing popular songs at the school’s gym. Two vinyl records were created over the course of two years, and the family was invited to pay $7 for a copy. The recordings were largely forgotten – another personal memorabilia stored in several homes in western Canada – until a record-breaking collector stumbled upon a copy of a thrift store in 2000.
Attracted by what he had heard, the collector sent samples to a disc jockey at WFMU, a radio station supported by eclectic listeners in New Jersey. The station began to play some songs on the airwaves. Listeners were impressed by the unforgettable, ethereal quality of the performance. In 2001, a small record company released an edit called Langley Township Music Project: Innocence and Despair.
The record became an underground hit. Washington Post He called it an album that appears to have captured nothing but the sounds of falling in love with music. spin The album said “it seems to summarise all the reasons why music is sacred.” and Dwight Gamer New York Times He wrote that the music was “Magic: A Type of Heavenly Pep Meeting.” Listeners were impressed by the originality of the young voices and the authenticity of the strange performances by too young children. Hans Fenger, the music teacher who made the recording, wrote in Reiner’s notes.
The kids knew what they like: emotions, drama, making music as a group. It wasn’t a big deal if the results were good, bad, or adjusted. They had Elan. This was not the way music was traditionally taught. But then I didn’t like traditional “children’s music.” These kids hated “cute.” They cherished songs that evoke loneliness and sadness.
You can learn the story of Fenger’s extraordinary musical projects in the 2002 VH1 documentary above. This includes interviews and reunions with some of the students. And listen below to some samples of that moving quality that Fenger of loneliness and sadness and others are talking about.
David Bowie’s “The Strangeness of Space”:
One of the most widely praised songs from Innocence and despair This is a 1976 recording of David Bowie’s “The Strangeness of Space.” In a 2001 interview with Mike Appelstein Scrum The magazine, Fenger, explained the sound effects of recordings. “When I first taught me the ‘strangeness of space’, he said,” he said. “The first part I taught after the song was that the kids would count down. They went loudly and loudly to zero, so I forgot this name. I started with his lunch and this (Imitation of a bottle running up and down the fretboard). I raised the volume and turned down the master volume, so it was really distorted. And that was the effect of “the strangeness of space.” ”
Beach Boys “Inside My Room”:
The kids recorded “in my room” with the Beach Boys in 1977. “It’s the perfect introspective song for a nine-year-old,” he said, “It’s a nine-year-old philosophy song, just like ‘Wind in the Wind’. Adults may think it’s stupid, but it’s a very heavy, profound idea for children. It is thought to be nothing, and it is expressed in such a simple way. ”
Eagles’ “Desperado”:
Some of the recordings feature soloists. In 1977, a young girl named Sheila Behaman sang “Desperado” by the Eagles. “In ‘Desperado’,” Fenger said. Who are they, they’re doing this music and they’re in love with it. ”
Note: An earlier version of this post was published on our site in 2013.
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Source: Open Culture – www.openculture.com
