These fifth graders tell you what the future will be like – in song

Fifth graders from Huntington Park Elementary have spent the past few weeks imagining the future of health, artificial intelligence, communication, homes and food, travel, and the environment – then working in small groups to write songs about those possible futures. 

It's all part of a program offered by the Los Angeles Master Chorale called Voices Within.

But, at a recent dress rehearsal for a performance of those songs, before the students sing a single note, they first review the rules of collaboration that they've practiced over the past few weeks: treat everyone like they're your best friend, listen actively, speak your ideas clearly and strongly, be brave, and say yes.

Pedro Sainz, 10, said working as a team was the most important part.

Keep up with LAist.

If you're enjoying this article, you'll love our daily newsletter, The LA Report. Each weekday, catch up on the 5 most pressing stories to start your morning in 3 minutes or less.

Subscribe

"Without a team, we'll be struggling for a long time," he explained. "But with a team, it actually makes it a lot quicker."

At first, he said, he would argue with the other students in his group. But, working together, they were able to create a better song.

"I never knew the song would sound this good, so I started to agree with them," he said. "Because the golden rule of music is saying yes."

He said he wants to go to college and become a music teacher so he can teach students to work together to write songs, just like the teaching artists who came to his school did. 

https://twitter.com/carlamjavier/status/930561787434377216

Teaching artist Doug Cooney said even if the students don't grow up to become musicians, they still learn valuable lessons through participating.

"Being able to collaborate with other people is going to improve their academic performance, and it creates a life skill that will be valuable in their work lives and in their professional lives," he explained.

When the students perform their six songs, professional singers from the Los Angeles Master Chorale will join them.

Teaching artist Alice Kirwan Murray, who will be the conductor, said even after the songwriting process, the students still have to collaborate to have a successful performance.

"All of the 'he wrote, she wrote, I wrote' stuff is gone," she said. "It's now all of us singing the same words together."

Here's an excerpt from Pedro's group's song, "Whatever You Plant." It's about what his group thinks the future of the environment might be like: