Miss Virginia shares power of music with McIntosh Elementary School students
Posted: November 25, 2024
Miss Virginia Carlehr Swanson visited McIntosh Elementary School to share her community service initiative Bridging the Divide: Music is Unity with students on the morning of November 25.
In partnership with the Sing for Hope organization, Swanson spoke about the power of music and how her lifelong interest in it led to her studying it and to her reign as Miss Virginia. Woodside High School senior Kodiak Kehoe, a senior in the Arts & Communications Magnet program, performed on one of Newport News Public Schools’ Sing for Hope painted pianos that's housed at McIntosh.
When she was in eighth grade, Swanson visited and sang to her grandmother during a rehabilitation stint in a nursing home. Noticing the impact on all of the patients, Swanson began performing in schools and nursing homes to help others feel more connected through music.
"It brings us together as a community," Swanson said, noting the various spaces such as music class, religious setting or concert where people can unify to experience the same song at the same time.
"Everyone at a concert is connected through that power and love of music. And it speaks without words; music has the ability to express feelings."
An accomplished pianist and vocalist, she went on to study music while earning a bachelor's degree and two master's degrees. Swanson, who grew up in Richmond, is currently a Ph.D. student at the University of Virginia specializing in critical and comparative studies in music.
Asking students what their favorite songs are, Swanson pointed out that music expresses feelings, tells stories, connects cultures and preserves history. Music also reduces stress, improves heart health and boosts memory.
"It also tells our stories," she said.
Students participated in a call-and-response type sing-a-long and got a chance to ask their own questions during the visit.
