Close Harmony

This short film can be watched here: Close Harmony (1981) Amy Israel is the music teacher behind this amazing and inspirational collaboration between 4th and 5th grade students and the senior citizens from the local Brooklyn Jewish center. The early 1980s, when this film was made, and likely though much of modern history, the younger generation and the older generations find it difficult to relate to one another. Recently, the respect that the older generation has earned has eroded even more in the minds of the younger children. Music has an amazing ability to bridge gaps--and does so for all who participated in this program. We need more of this. At the school at which I work, we have held an yearly event called > Celebrates America. At this event we invited veterans from local groups to speak with, hang out with, and play games with our elementary students. It has been quite successful. A few years ago, we even had two WWII veterans--both over 90. I like to think that this program works in the same way as the Close Harmony project. This documentary was lovingly directed by Nigel Noble who was able to capture true emotional reactions and wonderful moments with both the children and the seniors. I LOVED that they chose Rainbow Connection as one of there songs--connections is what it is all about. This short film won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject in 1982.

This short film can be watched here: Close Harmony (1981) Amy Israel is the music teacher behind this amazing and inspirational collaboration between 4th and 5th grade students and the senior citizens from the local Brooklyn Jewish center. The early 1980s, when this film was made, and likely though much of modern history, the younger generation and the older generations find it difficult to relate to one another. Recently, the respect that the older generation has earned has eroded even more in the minds of the younger children. Music has an amazing ability to bridge gaps--and does so for all who participated in this program. We need more of this. At the school at which I work, we have held an yearly event called > Celebrates America. At this event we invited veterans from local groups to speak with, hang out with, and play games with our elementary students. It has been quite successful. A few years ago, we even had two WWII veterans--both over 90. I like to think that this program works in the same way as the Close Harmony project. This documentary was lovingly directed by Nigel Noble who was able to capture true emotional reactions and wonderful moments with both the children and the seniors. I LOVED that they chose Rainbow Connection as one of there songs--connections is what it is all about. This short film won an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Subject in 1982.