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.