The GV Approach
Welcome to Global Voices!
Global Voices is the outcome of my ten-year quest to build bridges of tolerance and understanding from my classroom to cultures of the world. My journeys led me to conclude that learning songs and dances from diverse cultures is a uniquely powerful means of building these bridges.
The multimedia approach is based on the belief that through the process of learning the music and developing an understanding of how, where, and when people sing these songs, learners will come to sense the spirit that led these musicians to create them and repeat them over time. This goal is reached best when, in addition to learning about the culture and context, learners make a sincere effort to match the vocal style, timbre, pronunciation, and movement, and to understand the meaning of the words. Through singing and moving, learners come to know something of the culture through their senses and by empathizing with the emotions expressed through this music.
I hope you enjoy the richness that these cultures will bring to your classroom and your world.
Mary Goetze