Envision Gives Back to Riverside Elementary Choir | Envision News

Envision Gives Back to Riverside Elementary Choir

By Beth Walker • Mar 25, 2024

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The Wichita Rivertones choir, a group of singers at Riverside Elementary School, were surprised by members of Envision when their morning choir class was presented with karaoke machines as gifts in honor of Music in our Schools month! The Wichita Rivertones have visited Envision on many occasions, singing for our Adult Support Group every year for the Christmas holiday, and visiting our manufacturing facilities to sing to employees. 

Envision also has an important relationship with music teachers in Wichita, as those who are getting their degree in music education at Wichita State University can complete their practicums by teaching music classes for children in our Child Development Center. Ada May, who is currently the Wichita Rivertones choir teacher, completed her practicum at Envision. There are also two children who participate in the choir at Riverside Elementary who attended our Child Development Center. 

Clarke Reynolds, the Blind Braille Artist from the UK who is currently visiting Wichita for his upcoming exhibition at the Envision Arts Gallery, was able to attend and speak to the children about the importance of music as someone who is blind. The kids loved him so much that they asked for him to sign his autograph on their karaoke machines! Envision members were also joined by a crew from KSN News, who covered this event as an appreciation and highlight for Music in our Schools month. 

"The karaoke machines were a fun gift obviously because the kids have come to sing for Envision on multiple occasions," says Hannah Christenson, Director of Community Services at Envision. "But the real importance of this gift was for us to encourage children to use their voices in a positive way, and to thank them for their gift of music and how it positively impacts people with vision loss. Music and other types of art forms are universal languages that can cross disabilities and cultures, and brings people together, which is a beautiful thing."

To view the coverage by KSN, visit this link or watch the video below.

 

Below are a few touching photos from our visit!


A child smiling as he holds a microphone.
The entire choir group posing for a photo.
A child striking a post while holding a microphone.