I'm playing at my daughter's school on Thursday

Califiddler · May 19th, 2008, 08:33 PM

The mandolin player from my old bluegrass band is a semi-retired school teacher. She is teaching music to the 3rd grade classes at our local school, including my younger daughter's class. She sings folk songs and also calls square dances. She has been doing this with these classes for a few weeks.

I'm going to play with her for two classes this Thursday, including my daughter's class. My friend is going to play guitar and mandolin. I am going to play guitar, banjo and fiddle. The fiddle tunes may be used to provide music for square dancing.

Here's our tentative "set list", with keys and what instrument I'm playing:

Angeline the Baker/Whiskey Before Breakfast (D) - fiddle
Bile them Cabbage/Cherokee Shuffle (A) - fiddle
Comin’ ‘Round the Mountain (C) - banjo
Ain’t no Bugs on Me (C) - guitar
New River Train (G) - guitar
Home on the Range (C) - guitar
Oh Susanna (C) - banjo
On Top of Spaghetti (G) - guitar.

It should be a lot of fun, plus a great chance to embarrass my daughter! Wish me luck, I'll let you folks know how it went.

garytelecastor · May 19th, 2008, 08:59 PM

This is really, really cool!!!!!!
Good on ya, man. I wish I could come and listen.
I sincerely think it is great you are exposing these kids to something other that Miley Cyrus.
On behalf of a grateful musical nation, THANK YOU.

BTW, if you really want to embarrass your daughter, walk in and give her a big hug and a kiss. She will quite literally turn crimson.

Buckocaster51 · May 19th, 2008, 09:09 PM

Playing for kids can be very rewarding.

Good on you!

You know, if you say "Whiskey Before Breakfast"...they will all giggle!

That should be a good medley with the Baker song.

beep.click · May 19th, 2008, 09:16 PM

Good luck!

Tdot · May 19th, 2008, 10:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Califiddler

It should be a lot of fun, plus a great chance to embarrass my daughter!

Well I hope you're taking the Hello Kitty guitar, and be sure when you pull it out of the bag that you hold it up and announce that you named it after your daughter.

Califiddler · May 25th, 2008, 09:50 AM

Well, I did it and had a blast! We played all of the songs except "Home on the Range" with the kids singing along, plus we did "Gold Watch and Chain" with my friend singing lead and me singing baritone, so that they could hear some vocal harmony, which I explained a bit.

At the end of each class (we did 2) we went outside to the courtyard and my friend played guitar and called a contradance, while I played fiddle. I had to play the melody for 10 minutes nonstop - I thought that my bow arm would fall off!

We're going to do the contradance thing at the school's beach party this Friday, and the school's regular music teacher is going to join us on standup bass.

I had a terrific time, it was a lot of fun.

NEPATelecaster · May 25th, 2008, 10:19 AM

That's great!

Jakedog · May 25th, 2008, 10:21 AM

Sounds like a great time!

I love going to schools and picking a little for the kids. I just did "career day" at my eight year old son's school for the second year in a row. Spoke to, and played for classrooms from K-6th grade. It's very rewarding, and a really cool thing when you get the opportunity to expose young kids to American roots music. Most of them have never heard folk, blues, bluegrass, or traditional style country. At least not around these parts they haven't.

FWIW, my boy isn't the least bit embarassed when I show up for these things. He absolutely loves it.

Glad you had a good time, I believe doing stuff like this is really important.

Jake

Tdot · May 25th, 2008, 10:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jakedog

FWIW, my boy isn't the least bit embarassed when I show up for these things. He absolutely loves it.

Oh, your just not trying hard enough.

May 19th, 2008, 08:33 PM	#1 (permalink)
Califiddler Tele-Holic Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: California Posts: 860	I'm playing at my daughter's school on Thursday The mandolin player from my old bluegrass band is a semi-retired school teacher. She is teaching music to the 3rd grade classes at our local school, including my younger daughter's class. She sings folk songs and also calls square dances. She has been doing this with these classes for a few weeks. I'm going to play with her for two classes this Thursday, including my daughter's class. My friend is going to play guitar and mandolin. I am going to play guitar, banjo and fiddle. The fiddle tunes may be used to provide music for square dancing. Here's our tentative "set list", with keys and what instrument I'm playing: Angeline the Baker/Whiskey Before Breakfast (D) - fiddle Bile them Cabbage/Cherokee Shuffle (A) - fiddle Comin’ ‘Round the Mountain (C) - banjo Ain’t no Bugs on Me (C) - guitar New River Train (G) - guitar Home on the Range (C) - guitar Oh Susanna (C) - banjo On Top of Spaghetti (G) - guitar. It should be a lot of fun, plus a great chance to embarrass my daughter! Wish me luck, I'll let you folks know how it went. __________________ "In the fiddler's house, all are dancers."

May 19th, 2008, 08:59 PM	#2 (permalink)
garytelecastor Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,084 18 Photos	This is really, really cool!!!!!! Good on ya, man. I wish I could come and listen. I sincerely think it is great you are exposing these kids to something other that Miley Cyrus. On behalf of a grateful musical nation, THANK YOU. BTW, if you really want to embarrass your daughter, walk in and give her a big hug and a kiss. She will quite literally turn crimson. __________________ éí 'aaníígÓÓ 'áhoot'é Redd Volkaert is a Jedi Knight at one with the Force!!!

May 19th, 2008, 09:09 PM	#3 (permalink)
Buckocaster51 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: Iowa USA Age: 56 Posts: 4,580 1 Photos	Playing for kids can be very rewarding. Good on you! You know, if you say "Whiskey Before Breakfast"...they will all giggle! That should be a good medley with the Baker song. __________________ "An awfully lot of time can be wasted waiting for the right time." - Gunsmoke's Doc Adams

May 19th, 2008, 09:16 PM	#4 (permalink)
beep.click Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: California Age: 49 Posts: 1,437	Good luck! __________________ "It looked like a giant green gum drop to me."

May 25th, 2008, 09:50 AM	#6 (permalink)
Califiddler Tele-Holic Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: California Posts: 860	Well, I did it and had a blast! We played all of the songs except "Home on the Range" with the kids singing along, plus we did "Gold Watch and Chain" with my friend singing lead and me singing baritone, so that they could hear some vocal harmony, which I explained a bit. At the end of each class (we did 2) we went outside to the courtyard and my friend played guitar and called a contradance, while I played fiddle. I had to play the melody for 10 minutes nonstop - I thought that my bow arm would fall off! We're going to do the contradance thing at the school's beach party this Friday, and the school's regular music teacher is going to join us on standup bass. I had a terrific time, it was a lot of fun. __________________ "In the fiddler's house, all are dancers."

May 25th, 2008, 10:19 AM	#7 (permalink)
NEPATelecaster Tele-Holic Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Scranton PA Age: 34 Posts: 895	That's great!

May 25th, 2008, 10:21 AM	#8 (permalink)
Jakedog Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: Cleveland,OH But my heart's still in TE Posts: 2,816	Sounds like a great time! I love going to schools and picking a little for the kids. I just did "career day" at my eight year old son's school for the second year in a row. Spoke to, and played for classrooms from K-6th grade. It's very rewarding, and a really cool thing when you get the opportunity to expose young kids to American roots music. Most of them have never heard folk, blues, bluegrass, or traditional style country. At least not around these parts they haven't. FWIW, my boy isn't the least bit embarassed when I show up for these things. He absolutely loves it. Glad you had a good time, I believe doing stuff like this is really important. Jake __________________ "Them that don't know him won't like him, and them that do sometimes won't know how to take him..."