In the spirit of Gitameit, the Yale Spizzwinks are working with the Gitameit Music Center in Rangoon, Burma to bring a choir to the United States in 2008. It will be the first ever visit of a Burmese choir to the US.

Who is involved?

So far our major supporters are the Yale Spizzwinks and the Yale Spizzwinks Alumni Association, but we need your help too! We’ll need to purchase plane tickets, set up home-stays, find performance opportunities and secure visas for the performers.

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The Spizzwinks(?) visit Gitameit

Visits to Burma (Myanmar) by American performing groups are extremely rare. In what Gitameit founder, Kit Young, described as "one of the most important things to happen in Myanmar in the past 5 years," the Yale Spizzwinks(?) visited the Gitameit Music School in May of 2007. During the 5-day visit, the Spizzwinks worked with several choirs from the school, including Gitameit Voices and Gitapella.

The Spizzwinks(?) and the Gitameit students worked together in musical workshops and presented a Gala Evening Concert together at the Inya Lake Resort in Rangoon (Yangon). The Gitameit students also graciously hosted the Spizzwinks(?) during the visit, showing the group the cultural and historical landmarks in and outside Rangoon. For both the Spizzwinks(?) and the students of the Gitameit School, it was an unforgettable experience.

Why Project Gitameit?

This project is about cultural exchange. During their trip to Rangoon, the Spizzwinks and the Gitameit students, though separated by a lifetime of vastly different experiences, felt a musical camaraderie. This project is intended to enhance that camaraderie, exposing the Gitameit musicians to a broader array of American musical culture and giving Americans their first opportunity to see a Burmese choir.

About The Trip

In fall 2008, 16 singers from the Gitameit Music School in Rangoon, Burma (Yangon, Myanmar) will embark on a 2-3 week tour of the United States. Exact travel dates will be determined in the near future. We are tentatively planning for the last several weeks in October, 2008. The Gitameit Voices choir will make stops in San Francisco, Washington DC and New Haven, CT. They will also take a day trip to New York City. While in the United States, the choir will put on gala evening performances in San Francisco and New York, as well as combined concerts will choral groups from Yale University in New Haven, CT. The Gitameit students will interact with American audiences at their concerts and in churches and public schools. The Gitameit students will also fit in some sightseeing in each of the cities they visit.

Watch videos of the Yale Spizzwinks and Gitameit Voices performing:
Thekyin So Mei | Accidentally in Love