COMMENTS FROM OUR STUDENTS

There are many life skills that these young individuals learned by being a part of the Evergreen School of Performing Arts' "Singing Strings" performance group. The educational opportunities have contributed to their well-rounded development/experiences. Their performances have positively contributed to the community as reflected in many of the comments below from former Singing Strings performers:

Eli Bissonet, Professional Musician. Graduate of the University of Minnesota, Minneapolis/St. Paul. Presently studying at Kaustinen, Finland to receive Masters in Scandinavian Folk music.

What life skills did you as a Singing Strings member learn by being part of the performance group?
Living in the moment. I played violin as a member of the Singing Strings from about age 13 to age 18. My stage performance experience with the Singing Strings challenged me to become more spontaneous and creative as a performer. Live stage performance is a type of "sink or swim" situation, and as a teenager my ability to become confident and decisive increased in proportion to my stage experience with the Singing Strings. I am deeply grateful to Singing Strings director, Helina Pakola for her priceless guidance during my formative years.

What positive contributions did we make for the communities?
Spirit and tradition. Most of the audiences I played for with the Singing Strings consisted of middle-aged and/or elderly people. The Singing Strings repertoire that was assembled comforted these audiences with traditional familiarity while simultaneously surprising them with youthful and vibrant arrangements. Ethnic folk music traditions are a source of strength and identity for many elderly people, and the Singing Strings have consistently honored audiences and communities throughout the world by keeping these traditions alive.


Sarah Pajunen, Professional Musician. Graduate of the University of Minnesota. Presently working on Masters Degree in Helsinki Conservatory, Finland.

What life skills did you as a Singing Strings member learn by being part of the performance group?
As a long-time member of the Singing Strings who can now look back with perspective, I have learned that my involvement with the group taught me some life skills: how to work with others, how to prepare well for an event, how to take direction, how to work under stress, and how to travel. It also taught me to appreciate many life-enriching ideas: music, culture, language - these have served me as well or better than the practical skills I accumulated.

What positive contributions did we make for the communities?
There is no doubt in my mind that the Singing Strings will always be a contributor to the community. The positive ideas and energy of the group affect the students and the families involved, and also the members of the community who attend performances. In addition to these tangible benefits, I believe the 'butterfly effect' is very much a reality in the workings of the Singing Strings. Those who have grown up in the program will pass along those humanitarian ideas (even subconsciously) throughout their lives. And those who experience a performance will in turn pass on the positive energy they received. My hope is through programs like this, the appreciation of art and music and humanity can reach as many people as possible.


Michael Sharp, Software Programmer. Graduate of University of North Texas, Denton, TX. BA in Computer Science and minor in Music

What life skills did you as a Singing Strings member learn by being part of the performance group?
As a member of the Singing Strings I learned many life skills. I performed with the group for over 5 years, touring Minnesota's Iron Range, Florida (including Disney Land), and Finland. Through these experiences I learned how to adapt quickly to new surroundings. I learned discipline and gained an appreciation for hard work. At times stress levels were high and the rehearsals long and tedious. Today I work as a software developer. I believe I am a better developer because of the time I spent working as a member of the Singing Strings. I believe I am better able to transition into work new work environments, meet new people, and work long hours because of this experience.

Our repertoire included folk music which we sang, danced, and played on our violins. We learned to sing the words in Finish. I gained a deep love of the Finnish people through this experience. Later, when we toured Finland, I was impressed by the generosity of the Finish people, the richness of its culture, and the beauty of its land. I believe that I am a more tolerant and respectful person because of these experiences.

What positive contributions did we make for the communities?
I believe that the Singing Strings did much to educate Americans, many of Finnish descent, about Finland and its culture. It was not uncommon after a performance to meet someone who had been touched, sometimes to tears, because of the memories that our music brought to them. I believe we also did our community a service by bringing quality entertainment to many events. While touring Finland we visited the sister city of our home town. It was our privilege at that time to serve as ambassadors. The Singing Strings has had a positive influence on its members and its community.


Michael ,Leonid Kantola , Musician/Actor. Graduate of Mountview Academy of Theatre Arts in London. BA (honors) in performance.

What life skills did you as a Singing Strings member learn by being part of the performance group?
Firstly, as far as what I personally gained by being a part of the group is difficult to put into words. Unparalleled experience - at that age - in working with professional performers. Ability to adapt to almost any eventuality, before and during performance and a truly unique and extremely efficient approach to music in both learning and performing the art.

What positive contributions did we make for the communities?
As far as the impact that Singing Strings had on the community, I would say is again much like the approach to music and performance, unique_ I am to this day not aware of any performance school that would offer the opportunities (performances in Disney World, The Olympic Games (Atlanta) and The White House and tours in Australia, Finland and The Former Soviet Union to name but a few) to young students whilst still making it inspiring, extra-curricular and involve the students parents. Only in hindsight have learned to really appreciate EVERYTHING I learned in The Singing Strings.