A year has passed since our Music Therapy group returned from the service-learning experience in Kenya. The friends we met have stayed in touch and we are especially connected to the Shangilia Mtoto wa Afrika Children’s Choir in Nairobi. They toured in November 2007 with Songs of the Spirit tour with Hugh Masekela and Odetta throughout New York and many of us were fortunate enough to be with them. Shangilia CDs, entitled Rejoice Child of Africa that were produced by JD Steele (executive producer, Tony Micocci) and recorded in New York City when the children toured New York State in 2007 are now on sale at Java Houses throughout Nairobi.

It is also on sale on the internet at CD Baby at http://cdbaby.com/cd/shangilia. Individual songs are purchasable for digital download. This has been set up through the Shangilia Foundation, USA, so all proceeds net of the handling charges retained by CD Baby, will go to SFUSA.

Our work with Shangilia led us to Kimberly A. Gamble-Payne, Special Adviser, Adolescent Development and Participation Programme Division, who has been advising us on the next phase of development for Music Therapy in Africa. After many meetings, phone calls, and presentations, the next phase of our fact finding mission is bringing us to South Africa.

Brenda Stevens Ross, Manager of the Music Therapy Institute at Berklee and I will be traveling to South Africa to ‘explore possibilities’ of building a new experiential, service learning trip for students in the summer of ‘09.

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