music in the schools

The summer is almost done, and I've had a last minute cancellation.  I want to go to one more summer camp and write an end of season song.  Who's up for it?

I loved this spirited little group of writers and rhymers from the Bethlehem, NY YMCA.  It was their summer camp, and it was raining cats and dogs, so they actually had no choice but to be in this room -LOL- but they were really patient and came up with a great song parody.

This was a special visit, as it was an invite from Griswold Heights Community Center in Troy  in association with Phil Fusco and the Academy for Character Education at the Sage Colleges.  Enough of the formalities - let's hear their Planet Song!

Let's give these kids their "props".  They sat there outside in sweltering heat to write a song about ....the HEAT!  What a great group. Let's hear what they came up with!

85 enthusiastic campers and counselors.  That's what I found on my visit today on the Reading, Writing and Rhyming school tour.  (Yes, it continues in the summer too!)

This was a very interesting and rewarding experience - traveling to the Marie Curie Institute  of Engineering and Communications in Amsterdam. (Sounds like a college, doesn't it?) Well, these kids were smart enough to be in one, and they were just second graders!

Very exciting times at the Reading, Writing and Rhyming Tour.  Thanks to a great long time sponsor, Hannaford Supermarkets, one lucky school is going to win a $200 gift card that they can use in any way they please.  (But I can't tell you how, cuz it's a secret)

Another first, ladies and gentlemen.  Through the use of magic teleconferencing technology at NERIC (Northeastern Regional Information Center) in Albany, I was able to pull this off.  This was a blast to try out.  You can see the results below.

Chalk up another fun and rewarding experience - this time working with students in Mrs. Bushey's class at Shaker Road Elementary School in Colonie.  Some extremely talented jingle writers were on hand, so I put them to work immediately to write a Countryfest song!

Now THIS is a great school.  Actually, they're ALL great schools to be honest.  The Albany Area is chock full of them.  I should know, I've probably visited all of them at least once.

I had the unique opportunity to visit a great school and a great grade school teacher, and it was all done by basically closing my eyes and picking a teacher's name off of their website, all because her first and last name rhymed.   Must have been karma.