Back in the studio... for new recordings!

During lockdown (and school closure) last year READ for Life staff took advantage of the extra time to focus on recording some new songs - phonics songs in Acoli to help children learn how to read in local language. We are still in the studio, but we have come a long way!

Meet Spark – master of the beats. Meet Reagan – Acoli lyrical genius. Together, Reagan and Spark have created a vast array of 28 unique Acoli phonics songs that correspond with the Acoli language sounds. It’s truly an incredibly creative process in so many ways. Several months back, we asked Teacher Reagan to start creating songs while under a quarantine of possible COVID exposure. Reagan began sound by sound and kept playing with different words with that sound until he formed the catchy lyrics. Then the second challenge is the melody to fit those lyrics. He says that sometimes, even as he’s just walking down the street, it just pops into his mind and he immediately stops in his tracks and writes it down!

Next comes Spark. Reagan sings the little melody a few times to Spark. Spark closes his eyes and puts on his thinking cap. In a few seconds, he begins madly clicking buttons on his computer and tapping keys on the keyboard. Then voila: he has laid down the exact melody Reagan sang AND added a full band to back it up (drums, xylophones, trumpets, guitars, bells — you name it!) Just when you think Spark is a magician with the keyboard, let me share with you another treat. Spark picks up a clutch purse sitting on the chair, marches into the studio and begins shaking out a beat using the moving contents inside the bag — amazing! Spark says that the computer may have hundreds of sound effects but it still doesn’t always have the right ones he wants, so he has to find a way to bring to life what’s already playing inside his head! Next up, water bottles, zippers and more!

This conglomeration of Spark and Reagan is also enhanced by Teacher Jenneth providing a strong female leading voice and the sweet innocent voices of a few local children. These tunes when translated literally into English don’t always sound quite so exciting without the alliteration of the Acoli sounds, but they sure are a hit with the local nursery children — "Auntie, come and see the bird!”, “Praying is good. Friends, come let’s go and pray!”, “My brother, who do you want to become after your studies?”

We can’t wait to hear these tunes being sung throughout the classrooms, school compounds and even on the streets!