(I'll dae..ahem, DO my best not tae wricht..er, WRITE this in my usual Braid Scots, since this topic is educational and I don't want to limit accessibility... bear with me if it creeps in.)

Third grade was the magic year in our public school system... the four third grade teachers devoted every friday afternoon to "third grade sing-along," teaching us all manner of Broadway songs, folk chestnuts, novelty songs, and the occasional foreign-language bit. They always took care to encourage and praise the "difficult" kids the most, and bestowed general praise frequently, liberally, and earnestly. They plunked out melody lines and simple chords on the piano until we "got it," and gave us mimeographed lyric books which we rarely even needed a single glance at. (Sometimes my teacher, Mrs. Eggleston, had her daughter come and accompany us on guitar. Her name was Kat, and she had a beautiful voice...)

At the end of the year, we put on a huge program, full of self-made props and pageantry, and every single kid got either a solo or small-group performance piece. Mine was "Wouldn't it be loverly," complete wi' an excruciating attempt at a Cockney accent. But didn't I belt it out, and count myself a genuine SINGER!!! Although all but one of those teachers have now retired, the new teachers keep it up, and the third grade program is always a featured event in our town's social/entertainment calendar. The songlists change, of course, but all those lucky third graders still get introduced to a grand musical heritage, and they all benefit from the glorious discovery that they CAN SING!!!

Sae, there are plenty of frustrations, but some schools--and dedicated teachers--have "done to folk music" some wonderful things. Almaist twa decades later, I'm still hummin' those tunes, and voraciously feedin' a musical appetite that was well-whetted early on. My Cockney accent, however, has not improved. No matter...I switched o'er tae Braid Scots an' Gaelic!

Gabh spors,

--Cuilionn