We had another thread that touched on this awhile back. I said then that the LAST place I learned songs was in school. My Mom sang all the time and we sang in the car, the kitchen, around the piano; she was an excellent musician with a wide taste range and a beautiful voice. Although she gave me that same love, sadly the voice was not passed on. In church, at family gatherings, singing was not an activity but a natural part.

School, on the other hand........since that last thread I haven't been able to think of anything that was remotely fun in vocal music classes.As others point out, the teacher makes all the difference. Like many of you, I do school programs. Six years ago, I went to an elementary for the first time, where I did the program by classes. It works for me a lot better because more kids get to participate and are closer to the instruments. I generally talk about the thread of folk music in America and focus on one instrument. At the end of the day with the fifth graders I was already impressed with what this teacher had been doing for "the Cause." A little girl asked me while I was talking about guitars (although dulcimer was the focus) if I knew "Lily, Rosemary, and the Jack of Hearts." Taken aback a bit, I said that I think I remember all the words and yes I can play it. The whole group is acting antsy and said they knew it too....AND...only fifth graders got to sing it. The vocal teacher played piano, I played guitar...and we sang it!!! Turns out that several years before, she had played it for a class and they loved the "mystery" and "whodunit" of the thing so much, she let them try it at the spring concert. Now it's tradition. I love going to this place because the kids are all interested and know songs from Ireland, Italy, Africa, and the Appalachians. They know Seeger and Guthrie and Leadbelly ...and Neil Diamond and Barry Manilow. I now only focus on instrument history and contruction and such at that school. What a great place...and I get to go again next month!!! Moreover, what a wonderful teacher!!!

catspaw