Its Christmastime!
The children await this time of the year when gifts adorn Christmas trees. Young and old write down their wishes. It’s a time of good cheer. It’s a time for Christmas carols, cantatas, concerts and caroling. Music fills the air!
All sorts of Christmas lights, decorations, lanterns and events are presented to delight the eyes. Children dress up to mimic their favorite Disney characters. Adults do the same. They dress up to commemorate bygone eras.
And so, this year, there are a lot of children presenting their own musical compositions and instruments
On Dec. 13, nanays at tatays, lolos at lolas, titos at titas, kuyas at ates, kamag-anaks, kaibigans at kapatids all went to watch the “Play a Song for Peace” of Balay Sofia at the auditorium of Baguio City Hall. Great loloKidlat Tahimik (National Artist for Film) and lolaKatrin were also there to watch apos Kalinaw and Amihan perform.
Nanay Lissa Romero de Guia was proudly watching. It was Balay Sofia children’s first flute and violin recital.
Balay Sofia’s School Administrator Edna Velasco welcomed the audience. Children and mentors played together. Some mentors played solo to the delight of the children. You can clearly feel and see the love between mentors and children. Other schools have also lined up their own music performances in their particular schools.
According to Balay Sofia web introduction, “It is a parent-initiated, community-driven, non-stock, non-profit Steiner/Waldorf- inspired school that uses Waldorf methodology. “The heart of the Waldorf method is that education is an art — it must speak to the child’s experience. To educate the whole child, his heart and his will must be reached, as well as the mind.” ~ Rudolf Steiner. Its main goal is “to bring healing through education, patterned in the main objective of Waldorf education.” “Education should be dynamic, active, and well- balanced. What is important is that children are developing every aspect in their life. So that when they graduate in college, they are free and equipped with all the necessary skills,” said Athena Masilungan, proprietor with Cocoy Palma, another founder who put up the institution as a parent- toddler playroom way back in 2008. – Stella Maria L. de Guia
