TOMODACHI Goldman Sachs Music Outreach Program Hosts Workshop

On August 24, 2024, the TOMODACHI Goldman Sachs Music Outreach Program held a one-day workshop for children from care facilities. A total of 72 participants, ranging from first graders to high school seniors, joined the event from Tokyo, Chiba, Kanagawa, and Ibaraki.

In the workshop, participants collaborated with 29 cast members from the HEART Global, a U.S.-based nonprofit, to create a musical performance. The goal of the workshop was to allow participants to experience the joy of embracing new challenges, discover the excitement of working together with people they have just met, and expand their horizons by interacting with people of different ages, nationalities, backgrounds, and cultures. This workshop also served as a volunteer program for employees of Goldman Sachs.

 

At the start of the workshop, participants were initially surprised by the energy of the cast members, who came from seven different countries. However, as the workshop progressed, smiles increased, and they eagerly took on the challenge of singing English songs and performing complex dance routines. One third-grade participant remarked, “I had so much fun. I never thought I could dance.” Another fifth grader shared, “I feel like I could’ve talked more if I knew more English, but I still had a great time.”

After the three-hour workshop, the participants performed the completed show for the facility staff. One staff member, who watched the performance, commented, “The children were able to open up and challenge themselves, allowing them to discover new aspects of who they are.”