What does it take to create a school song? An excellent musician who is also a composer and poet, a great creative team and a fantastic venue. Since the János Garay Primary School in Szekszárd fully possesses the listed features, there was no obstacle to the creation of the special composition. Singing teacher Krisztián Siklósi gave information about the beginnings.
I suggested to the children that we write a song together
– Bernadett Pekari, the director of the institution – with whom we have known each other for many years – asked me to teach experience-based singing lessons – said the teacher, who is also the leader of the Csurgó band. – On Singing Tuesdays, we gathered during the holiday and sang hits with piano accompaniment. Everyone really liked these occasions. That was the inspiration. I suggested to the children that we write a song together. Our most inspiring common topic is, of course, school. I promised them that I would come to the next class with the beginning of a song and a chorus. Since I am a folk musician, I searched in this genre.
I chose a simplified version of the melody of a very atmospheric folk song as the chorus. Afterwards, together with the children, we collected good experiences, great things about school and school life. We wrote these on the board and arranged them neatly in a row. We tried to involve all classes in brainstorming. The enthusiasm exceeded all expectations, so it was easy to choose between the best ideas and lines.
After all, the Garay song was born at the end of last school year. Bernadett Pekari added to the above that a long creative process took place, in the framework of studio work, until Krisztián Siklósi and the children composed, sang and played the song.
The children were already humming the chorus in the corridors
– I am grateful to Krisztián for the idea, for the great energy he put into its implementation – added the director. – When they were finished, the fifth graders presented the composition to the other students on Singing Tuesday. It was such a success that the children were already humming the chorus in the corridors. After that, we knew we couldn’t stop here. Krisztián continued to manage the song. We agreed to turn it into a video clip!
– The filming is not far from the nature of our institution, since during the pandemic we were the first to make a short film with the future primary teachers, introducing the school as well. This has since become a tradition every school year. Studio manager Tamás Pomsár and his team took on the new challenge the song required, and Krisztián and I organized the shooting plan. We had to wait until the following spring, then the camera was rolling and the drone was flying for three days, because we also used this technical solution. Summarizing everything, we recorded many hours at fifteen locations with the involvement of hundreds of young students from Garays. Krisztián and I were not only responsible for the implementation, but we were also responsible for the atmosphere.
If necessary, we twirled and rotated in order to attract the children’s smiles even during the many recordings. The helpfulness, humor, and attitude of the colleagues, the children’s concentration, aptitude, and sometimes accomplice smile meant a high school of cooperation for us. We didn’t leave the song Garay alone before and during the spring break. Krisztián and I traveled to Bátaszék several times, and we also helped Tamás Pomsár with the cutting. This is where the video clip came to life from the many hundreds of clips.
Applause demonstrated the resounding success of the clip
The institution held the school premiere of the work on April 11. After reciting a poem together on Poetry Day, both junior and senior students watched the film. The little ones were already singing along at the first chorus. At the end, loud applause from both teams showed the resounding success of the clip. A high school student summed up his thoughts like this: – I gladly took part in the filming, it was an honor for me, we laughed a lot. The clip perfectly presents our school, the good community, the atmosphere of the school. Creative, fast-paced, attention-grabbing. A junior student added: – Dancing was my favorite. It was good to be together, we were united. Anyone can watch it, even those who don’t visit here. Maybe that’s why someone will choose the school. The clip turned out very well. I am proud to go here.
– During the presentation of the clip, I sat across from the children and watched their faces – Krisztián Siklósi. – In their eyes, there was the experience of togetherness, the joy of joint creation, pride, and I could list more signs that evoke an uplifting feeling. There is no doubt that all the fatigue was worth it for these moments.
The photos have been submitted.
