It was a night to remember – the first performance in the new Arena at Mary Carroll High School done by the international band Gen Verde together with the participants of the Youth Performing Arts Camp. A performance full of colors, hope, and joy mixed with grooving beats, Latino rhythm, and lyrics that reveal the band members' remarkable discovery. In every action, every day, we can choose peace and make a difference by reflecting God’s love.
Around 600 people listened to the energetic concert featuring songs not only in English but also in Spanish, Portuguese and Italian. Introducing the songs, the band members' experiences are relatable: when confronted with hate, you can choose revenge or forgiveness; when society imposes beauty standards and shallow pleasures, the true meaning is found in the Gospel and God’s love.
This message was transmitted through choreography and music: the piece “East to West” brings piano, guitar and percussion together with a Chinese harp (guzheng) and an ancient Korean violin (haegeum). Without words, the music explains how differences can evolve into harmony.
Another song, “Stars on the Sidewalk,” features the choice songwriter Nancy Uelmen made as a teenager growing up in Los Angeles: Everyone pretends to be happy, trying to make it to the top. Instead, looking inside, “deep down in your heart, you hold the key to be happy.”
Colomba Bai, from South Korea, grew up always feeling that she was not pretty enough and that she would not fulfill the high standards that were expected of her until she found the courage to believe that she was beautiful and precious just as she was.
Inviting the participants to build bridges with those who are different (“Idea louca” – a crazy idea), Gen Verde challenged the audience to think of reaching out to others at a time when many people look only for affirmation of their positions.
Four pieces in the concert were unique – the band performed with the participants of the YPA Camp. In Street percussion, the high school students used buckets of different sizes for a rhythmic performance with stunning precision. On top of that, the only girl in the workshop played a solo on a Chinese mandolin, switching from bucket to her instrument and back.
The Drama workshop featured a scene in a subway – people on their way to work, the physician afraid of germs, the soccer player, the nerd who hides behind her books, the man who drank too much – and how different their commute is when connecting with one another.
The Singing workshop differed from a classic choir where everyone had to stand still. Instead, the participants (who learned the words by heart) were swinging and dancing on stage, overcoming shyness and stage fright.
The Dance workshop joined Gen Verde in the last song, “Turn it up!” and the girls showed that they learned how to express joy and confidence besides knowing all the moves and steps.
The concert was the culmination of the YPA Camp that took place in St. John Paul II High School. In a feedback session, the teens who got up early during their Fall break shared how it helped them to be confident, open up, and connect with one another. They found that something more Gen Verde was singing about – hope and faith.