Air Date: March 1, 2018
Bob Cindric spends his days teaching music to students at Woodland Meadows Elementary in Saline. Five years ago, a 4th grader brought him a unique request.
Bob: She said to me I love to sing and I am wondering if we can start a little choir club outside of the school day and I said yeah if you can get some interest I thought maybe she would get a hand full of kids and so she emailed me the very next day and said well I have 26 kids (MITCH: Laughs) who would like to do it but I only talked to 60. By the end of that year we had 85.
And the group has continued to grow. Now 108 strong, The Saline Swarm of Voices practices two mornings before school each week. The kids pack onto the risers, start with a warm up and for the next hour – just sing.
Bob: Ever since I started teaching I will never ever make a child sing by themselves I encourage them and I love it when it happens and they have an opportunity in every rehearsal to sing by themselves and just about every rehearsal we get a new hand and the kids just cheer for each other when somebody does that.
The choir performs throughout the year at schools and nursing homes bringing joy to all who watch.
Mitch: This is extra curricular for the kids but this is also extra curricular for you to right I mean you are basically doing this on your own time.
Bob: Oh yeah
Mitch: There is no part in you that says if I am not getting paid for it why should I be doing it?
Bob: Oh no those are my two favorite days of the week. This is the only choir that I have ever had where every child is there because they love to sing.
Note by note, Bob Cindric and The Saline Swarm of Voices are creating joyful noise right here in the heart of Detroit.
