Every time a principal’s phone rings, there is a small part of them that wonders how bad the phone call might be. Anything we can do as music teachers to stem the tide of those calls will always be appreciated by our bosses.
Every year, there will be times when large sections of the school, if not the entire student body, will be called together for an event. Fifty percent of the time, there will be an issue with getting the event started and kids will be faced to wait, often sitting uncomfortably cross legged on the floor. School buses break down forcing kids to wait for a replacement bus. The Internet feed goes down. The cafeteria workers are behind schedule and there is a room full of hungry, impatient kids waiting for food. Bad weather is holding up buses arriving in time for dismissal. These are the moments where six string magic comes in handy.
If I saw one of these situations materializing, I would often turn to a fifth grader, send them to run back to my classroom, and have them bring me my guitar case. As soon as kids saw that guitar coming, they knew that they would be some songs we could all sing while we waited. I would immediately get my guitar out, throw it up in the air and catch it, and start singing folk songs familiar to all the kids from kindergarten to fifth grade.
I knew that by proactively getting my guitar and keeping the kids occupied that I was keeping a good dozen kids from getting in trouble. I was alleviating the need for the principal to have to make future problematic phone calls. It always worked.
It was magic.
It wasn't me. It was the music. It was the power of those timeless songs and the power of all us together.
Making music.
Every year, there will be times when large sections of the school, if not the entire student body, will be called together for an event. Fifty percent of the time, there will be an issue with getting the event started and kids will be faced to wait, often sitting uncomfortably cross legged on the floor. School buses break down forcing kids to wait for a replacement bus. The Internet feed goes down. The cafeteria workers are behind schedule and there is a room full of hungry, impatient kids waiting for food. Bad weather is holding up buses arriving in time for dismissal. These are the moments where six string magic comes in handy.
If I saw one of these situations materializing, I would often turn to a fifth grader, send them to run back to my classroom, and have them bring me my guitar case. As soon as kids saw that guitar coming, they knew that they would be some songs we could all sing while we waited. I would immediately get my guitar out, throw it up in the air and catch it, and start singing folk songs familiar to all the kids from kindergarten to fifth grade.
I knew that by proactively getting my guitar and keeping the kids occupied that I was keeping a good dozen kids from getting in trouble. I was alleviating the need for the principal to have to make future problematic phone calls. It always worked.
It was magic.
It wasn't me. It was the music. It was the power of those timeless songs and the power of all us together.
Making music.
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