It's hot. I just finished a great bike ride - went from Farmington nearly to Aztec and back. Some tough climbs and beautiful views. Rocky like in western Colorado - makes sense since I'm in northwestern New Mexico.
I had a really fun library show this morning. ABout 150 people, I guess. The fun part was it was a totally new show. So, new that I wrote one of the songs this morning before I left. Actually I had written the words yesterday and used them as a super hero quiz - kind of a chant, with the audience filling in the name of the super hero at the end of each verse. It worked okay when I tried it yesterday in Shiprock (tough show, older kids, smaller crowd) as a spoken word thing. It worked great today when I sang it as 12 bar blues.
I also started working on a song about engineers - not the train kind, the brain kind! The lyrics need more work and I need to figure out a melody, but it's a good start. Because I was trying to work it into the superhero show, it's kind of about how engineers are superheroes because of all the stuff they figure out and design that we get to use. So, here's what I have so far.
Engineers
How could we get here if we didn’t have a car?
Who designed the engine so we wouldn’t have to walk far?
Who designed the roads and bridges, street lights and tunnels?
Thanks to all those engineers.
Who designed the computer that I surf the web on
And the TV and radio, the list goes on and on?
Who came up with the internet and video games?
Thanks to all those engineers.
We give them problems and they solve them
With their calculators, rulers, and computer programs
Using math, science, and some common sense
Superheroes using their brains.
Who uses math and models and stress analysis
To figure out how to make things work and be safe?
Electrical, mechanical, aeronautical and general
Thanks to all those engineers
The scientific field of technology and invention
Has brought us cool stuff to use and have fun with
And important stuff we couldn’t live without.
Thanks to all those engineers.
We give them problems and they solve them
With their calculators, rulers, and computer programs
Using math, science, and some common sense
Superheroes using their brains.
Thursday, July 26, 2007
Saturday, May 26, 2007
Back In the Saddle
Back in the saddle again - and hopefully, I'll stay longer than last time. So, I haven't written since December. Been busy. Thought about writing lots of times, but didn't get to the page- or the computer, in this case. So, now I'll try again.
Last week, I subbed for an elementary school music teacher hwo had to have surgery - so I'm filling in for the last two weeks of school. So, basically, she said I could do whatever I wanted with the kids (I've subbed for her before) becuase it's end of school year, class programs are done, etc. I told her I'd probably write songs with them. Which is what we're doing. But, what I didn't tell her is we would write songs for her. At least that was the intent. And that's what we did in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade classes. Wrote and recorded songs in two classes of each grade - I missed Wed because I had a school asembly and a class program at other schools. Anyway, in the 4th and 5th grade classes we did something a little different. I let them form their own groups of up to 6 kids or go solo, and write a song about whatever they wanted to. So, we wound up with some pretty interesting stuff. And, that's okay. We also had enough time in a couple of the classes to have a show at the end of the period and perform and record them. Way cute ... "My name is ____, we're in Miss _____ class and our song is _____. But, my brain, body and voice are pretty fired.
Yesterday was the first day of the Boulder Creek Festival and for the first time in 8? years I wasn't running the kid stage. But, I was scheduled to perform so I did go. And, had a great time having three of my guitar students play. They did six songs, had a good size audience, and did GREAT!!! Then I got to do a set. And was very happy to see several families in the audience who I knew came because I was playing - 5:15 PM is a tough time to bring kids out to the Creek Fest - so that made me feel good. Haley, one of my students played the first song with me, Down by the Bay. Knew it would be a good show when the audience sang along! Then, my friend Eric who I've known since he was in utero came up and asked me to do Twinkle Little Star, so I did. And told him he could stand on stage with me to sing it. Which he did! He walked over to the side and stood and sang the whole song. Unbelievably cute!!! And, why would I think of quitting this job? Oh, yeah, the money. Forget the money - just watching him was enough to carry me through.
Gotta go - I'll try to write more later.
Last week, I subbed for an elementary school music teacher hwo had to have surgery - so I'm filling in for the last two weeks of school. So, basically, she said I could do whatever I wanted with the kids (I've subbed for her before) becuase it's end of school year, class programs are done, etc. I told her I'd probably write songs with them. Which is what we're doing. But, what I didn't tell her is we would write songs for her. At least that was the intent. And that's what we did in the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd grade classes. Wrote and recorded songs in two classes of each grade - I missed Wed because I had a school asembly and a class program at other schools. Anyway, in the 4th and 5th grade classes we did something a little different. I let them form their own groups of up to 6 kids or go solo, and write a song about whatever they wanted to. So, we wound up with some pretty interesting stuff. And, that's okay. We also had enough time in a couple of the classes to have a show at the end of the period and perform and record them. Way cute ... "My name is ____, we're in Miss _____ class and our song is _____. But, my brain, body and voice are pretty fired.
Yesterday was the first day of the Boulder Creek Festival and for the first time in 8? years I wasn't running the kid stage. But, I was scheduled to perform so I did go. And, had a great time having three of my guitar students play. They did six songs, had a good size audience, and did GREAT!!! Then I got to do a set. And was very happy to see several families in the audience who I knew came because I was playing - 5:15 PM is a tough time to bring kids out to the Creek Fest - so that made me feel good. Haley, one of my students played the first song with me, Down by the Bay. Knew it would be a good show when the audience sang along! Then, my friend Eric who I've known since he was in utero came up and asked me to do Twinkle Little Star, so I did. And told him he could stand on stage with me to sing it. Which he did! He walked over to the side and stood and sang the whole song. Unbelievably cute!!! And, why would I think of quitting this job? Oh, yeah, the money. Forget the money - just watching him was enough to carry me through.
Gotta go - I'll try to write more later.
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