All wonderful ideas/thoughts.

Cant' wait to spend some time reading over that other thread that I (somehow) missed.

A couple of thoughts about elementary schools:

Sure there are 'pros', and they're wonderful. James "Sparky" Rucker is one not to be missed at a school near you.

But there are folk musicians in most communities who are NOT pros, and would love to be asked to play. Many would play for free, for the love of sharing the music. Some who are wonderful might want someone with them to hold their hand, introduce, facilitate, whatever. Some are seasoned performers.

I guess what I want to say is, I don't want to take away from any of these wonderful musicians and performers, but if we ONLY invite people who sing for their supper, so to speak, we miss out on a whole other way for people to experience community.

We need to do both.

Our children had the neat experience of having one of the librarians come to school with his instruments and songs, games and tales from the NC mountains. When they next saw him at the library,he had with him his friend Clark Jones, a wonderful old man who sings from his considerable store of American and Appalachian folk tunes and ballads.

One thing to consider is that even when a school has no $ there is very often grant money out there for exactly this sort of thing. All it takes is a savvy parent to go between and arrange. Our elementary school has had FABULOUS programs, most at little/no cost to the school because we have an energetic, dedicated person to go out and find the money.

But what we have also had, and which is just as valuable, is for a parent to come, or to bring a friend, to a classroom and share something that they love. Whatever the tradition, whatever the song or instrument or dance you share, it will be welcome.

If you aren't already, make yourself familiar to the parents and teachers at a school near you, and make it happen!

Go Sean! We need more people like you.