Feb 24-26, 2006
Great Songs: For Teachers, Parents, Kids, and Performers
A Bevy of Wonderful Singers from the Children’s Music Network
February 24-26 Come to a workshop designed for people who work with children, parents who want to share music with their children, and children themselves. Feel the pure joy of singing. Come to harvest wonderful new songs, enjoy the music (listeners are welcome), perhaps share a song you wrote, and above all laugh with unbridled hilarity.
The leaders of this gathering are part of the Children’s Music Network (CMN), a group of songwriters, teachers, and parents who banded together 19 years ago, inspired by Pete Seeger, the Grandfather of the Network. One of the specialties of Sarah, Jennifer, Jackson, Sally, and Kim is working with kids and adults together. People working with kids learn an amazing amount just watching these inspiring educators and national award-winning musicians work. They’re great and we’re delighted to have them back for the third time.
Some workshops will be aimed at adults, and some centered on the kids, but there will also be times when everyone is together. Learn new songs for your classroom, camp, or family. Share your work if you’re a children’s performer. And if you want to be with your kids in a rare and exquisite event, this is for you. If you’re a kid who likes to sing, listen, laugh, hear stories, and have fun, please join us. Storytelling, circle dancing, fiddles, dulcimers, and bagpipes will interlace the weekend. On Sunday morning, we’ll engender hope during “Songs of Inspiration.” Rowe’s copy machine will be humming as songs get shared with all who want them. Bring your favorites about your love of our gorgeous planet and the thirst for peace and justice that lives within us all.
Kids five and older are welcome, but they may not want to leave on Sunday. They come for half the adult fee for the first child, one-third for the second, and one-fourth for the rest. When we held the weekend before, everyone loved the strong sense of community that develops, and the model of people sharing wonderful songs, caring for each other, and feeling the love we all have within us.
Jennifer Armstrong, grew up in a famous musical family, raised a musical family, and knows musical nurturing. She works in schools as an artist-in-residence, plays the bagpipe, fiddle, and banjo and leads story, music, and dance workshops around the country, most recently at a graduate program for storytelling. Jackson Gillman, “the Stand-Up Chameleon,” makes music come alive in his wide array of colorful guises. Sparkling with energy, wit, and whimsy, he engages and delights audiences of all ages through his songsmithing, comedy, mime, and storytelling; Sally Rogers, who plays guitar, banjo, and dulcimer, has made frequent radio appearances on A Prairie Home Companion and Mountain Stage, and won Best Folk Album of 1982 and Best Children’s Recording of 1992 and 1993. She will share tips for getting classrooms to sing. (There’s a slight chance that Sally won’t be able to come); Sarah Pirtle, who trains teachers to bring music into the classroom through Lesley University and has received seven national awards for her five children’s CD’s. She’ll share activities from her four peace education books; and Kim Wallach, who loves help teachers find songs, help students write songs, has made three tapes of children’s music, four Short Sister’s albums, four collections of original songs, a recording for older children, and is in a woman’s songwriting group, the Rolling Crones. To learn more about the Children’s Music Network, contact: www.cmnonline.org. We hope you’ll join us.