THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 1, 1996 TAG: 9603010443
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JON GLASS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: HAMPTON LENGTH: Long : 105 lines
Chris Gillott, a Pheobus High School sophomore, has struck a harmonious chord for relations between the United States and Russia, composing a song that has become part of a burgeoning effort to expand cultural and educational exchanges between the two countries.
The song, ``Steppin' Out into the Unknown,'' is about astronauts and space. In January, the tune was piped aboard the Russian space station Mir for the listening pleasure of Russian cosmonauts.
The music bespeaks a universal language, and is an example of the type of exchange that can bring the countries together, educators and Russian officials say.
``Your music, played in space, will unite our great nations,'' cosmonaut Vladimir Soloviev, who works at the Space Mission Control Centre in Kaliningrad, wrote to Chris in a Jan. 17 letter. ``It will show the people all over the world that our future is in good hands.''
Alexey Cheremnyk, vice mayor of Kaliningrad, visited Hampton in December as a result of the song, the first official link uniting the two cities. In a letter to city administrators dated Monday, Cheremnyk proposed that the two cities become cultural exchange partners.
``I think that music like you have composed is music of (the) future,'' Cheremnyk wrote in a separate letter to Chris. ``It will help people from many countries to show their friendship and culture and to share with each other.''
Chris, 16, an athlete and honor student who has the third-highest grade-point average in his class, was recognized Thursday by city school officials.
``I was elated,'' Chris said of having his song played in space. ``It was really incredible.''
And if it has helped open doors with Russia ``that would make the situation even better and more worthwhile.''
Chris actually wrote the song two years ago, when he was an eighth-grader at Spratley Middle, inspired by his fascination with space and a music teacher who showed him a new way of approaching music.
The teacher, Connie Soles, who has taught music in Hampton schools for 28 years, was responsible for making the connection with Russia, Chris said.
Two years ago, Soles launched an innovative ``interactive-learning'' program that links computers and keyboard synthesizers and allows students to compose songs on computer software. She calls the copyrighted program ``Music, Macs and MIDI.''
Chris, who plays piano but does not read music, was recruited to participate in the inaugural class. Soles said she uses music to teach across the curriculum, and she wanted a science component.
``I said, `You know, kids, there is no national astronaut theme song. Wouldn't one of you like to write one?' '' Soles recalled.
Chris took up the challenge. He is the son of Bernie Gillott, who works with the Youth Challenge Hope Center in Hampton, a nonprofit group helping young men and women overcome problems with drugs, alcohol and crime.
Soles traveled to Russia last spring after being invited to participate in an international education conference to share her teaching technology. She brought Chris's song to the attention of Russian officials while there.
Soles was ushered into Russia through the West Virginia Department of Education, which in 1993 became part of a nonprofit partnership with Russia to exchange ideas for business, education, culture and communities.
``Governments can talk to governments from now on, but until you really understand people to people and until you build the trust and links between people, nothing is ever going to change,'' said Virginia Simmons, an education and partnership official in West Virginia. ``This is how change is going to occur.''
This summer, Soles said several Russian students are scheduled to travel to Hampton to work with students to compose a series of songs that will be played during a planned link-up between Mir and a U.S. space shuttle. One of the Russian students is a 13-year-old who has won international piano competitions.
``This kid may not speak English, and I don't know much Russian,'' Soles said, ``but we're going to speak music.'' MEMO: ``STEPPIN' OUT INTO THE UNKNOWN''
Steppin' out into the unknown, doin' things never done before
This mission to space is for the whole human race.
We're gonna find out so much more.
The astronauts we send into space, Just stare disaster right square
in the face.
The chances they take, and the discoveries they make, NASA does it
for you and me.
Steppin' out into the unknown, doin' things never done before
This mission to space is for the whole human race.
We're gonna find out so much more.
The things we read every day, make space seem so far away.
But it's right here in our backyard.
You may say it's too hard, but
NASA's goin' so far.
We can do it just you wait and see.
Steppin' out into the unknown, doin' things never done before
This mission to space is for the whole human race,
We're gonna find out so much more.
- By Chris Gillott ILLUSTRATION: Photo by RICHARD L. DUNSTON, The Virginian-Pilot
Chris Gillott, a sophomore at Phoebus High in Hampton, wrote
``Steppin' Out into the Unknown,'' about space and astronauts played
on Russia's Mir space station. His teacher, Connie Soles, left, runs
``Music, Macs and MIDI,'' which lets students compose on computer.
by CNB