What If Children Were More Than Cute? | Mark Doerries | TEDxUND
good afternoon my name is Mark Doris and I'm here to tell you that I am a person of dedication I like to see things through to the end but as these singers behind me will tell you I am also an extremely anxious person right I like to be in control so then tell me why would I choose to work with children children are loud and noisy and they scream they're smelly sickly and dirty they cry and they're needy and what happens if one of them gets hurt and how what could they possibly learn about music from me anyway this job it was supposed to be temporary it was a hold over until Westminster Cathedral called or the Chicago Symphony or juliard I wasn't supposed to fall in love love with this choir with these singers Westminster Cathedral didn't call neither did juliard the Chicago Symphony so I decided to take a job here at Notre Dame and build a choir from the ground up I thought perhaps Westminster just needed to see what I was made of perhaps they could be a tool to show my excellence and then they'd call my friends told me Mark you Can't Fail you'll always have the cute Factor the cute Factor there's something incredibly disappointing about this phrase It's a feeling of well resignation anyway how could they show my Excellence if all they are is cute fast forward a few years and my original choir of 20 grew and blossomed into a choir of 120 singers of which 35 stand stand proudly before you this afternoon are they my tool no I am excited to tell you that I am their tool I I'm proud to say that I'm proud to be their nurturer and their guide on this adventure that we're on these are our future CEOs and athletes and Scholars teachers priests pastors sculptors biologist researchers uh you name it they're doctors and lawyers are they cute they have so much more than that I am not in control they are in control and I am still anxious every day because they lead me they are everything I want to be when I finally grow up a marine biologist a pop singer a Broadway star the president of the United States so are they loud and noisy yes are they smelly dirty and stinky of course do they cry and are they needy often but are they cute yes but they are so much more [Music] you [Music] steady [Music] [Music] you [Music] you [Music] [Music] quick [Music] SP my name is gwth landow I'm silly happy and adventurous and I am more than cute I am studious hopeful kind and sensitive I am a student an athlete a dancer a singer a violinist and a girl scout and I am more more than cute I'm curious creative imaginative and intelligent I'm faithful caring respectful and responsible and I am more than cute I am a daughter a sister a granddaughter a niece and a cousin I'm a friend a teammate a teacher and a leader I'm wonderful powerful beautiful special and and important and I am more than cute I'm the future president of the United States I'm the researcher that cures cancer I'm the next Taylor Swift I am your future I am gwth landow and cute doesn't even scratch the surface and I'm not alone people always say that kids seem cute or adorable and we are but in reality we have a lot more thoughts going on in our heads that people don't always see what if inside me there was a future author or a junior Picasso kids today aren't listened to even if we are kind of cute we don't always want to be treated like kids a child's ideas are often pushed aside because we are viewed as inexperienced when their ideas are trapped the children have no voice and just appear cute but we are really so much more we are strong talented and more than cute or precious we aren't just Ador we are just as much a part of this world as you are my future will be determined by more than my looks but by my intellectual resources and my want for Success so let them go for it all their creativity is just waiting to escape it is more than cuteness that will win the race let us impress you if we help children find their voice the world would be a happier place we are ready to speak please listen to us we are more than cute we are more than cute we are more than than cute we are a new generation we are going to form the world but first you need to listen [Music] tears to cry heaven [Music] [Music] soul [Music] [Music] [Music] of for a day a day [Music] [Music] [Music] you [Music] of angry [Music] Godel of of the inoc on [Music] again [Music] the pr of children about thank you