The class from the year 2003-2004 was the most musical class I have ever taught. It seemed that almost every child in the room was interested in some aspect of music - singing, songwriting, dancing or accompaniment. As much as I could, I encouraged them to try things out and Friday afternoons were often spent learning chords on the guitar or a part on the xylophones or writing a parody to some song or other. The experience of writing their own words to music with Salem in the beginning of the year seemed to give them the self-confidence they needed to attempt new things throughout the school year.
Several times during the year, the principal came up to our class and asked us to get some entertainment together for a parent meeting or Principal's meeting or some such thing. The kids were able to pull a show together practically at the drop of a hat and were quite accomplished performers. We didn't use mics and expected them to enunciate well enough to be understood by people in the back of the 450 seat auditorium.
One of those times we entertained, Eileen's class and mine performed Terra Nova. Two of the boys ahd been practicing the chords with me for about a month. One young man was way too quiet and kept to himself most days. Extremely shy. The other young man has learning disabilites caused by sickle cell disease. They were supposed to play on stage as accompanists. The day arrived and Eric was absent due to illness. The shy one, George, had to go up on stage by himself. He balked at it and I ended up onstage with him, playing my guitar. He did so well! Didn't miss a beat and was so surprised at all the applause he got. It was well deserved, trust me. After that, he took a leadership position in the room and began to be a sought-out member of the class on Fridays, teaching other kids the guitar chords for Terra Nova. Eric also blossomed and interacted more with the kids in the class.
The class's interview with him after the East Coast Music Awards in 2004, can be found here |
