Submitted by Kathy Kaufman, Arizona
Idea posted January 7, 2002
My Christmas concert for elementary grades is held in the town's auditorium in order to house the parents of students performing. All of our students sit with their parents until it is time for the performance. Each grade takes a turn on stage. My second graders were climbing the risers when I noticed a student that I had never seen before in my life. I kept thinking, "Who is that guy?" You would think the teachers would have noticed. Instead of stopping the performance, the show went on...
We were singing "Jolly Old St. Nicholas" and "Blitzen's Boogie" from Music K-8, Vol. 12, No. 2. The next day, I asked my third grade class, "Who was that guy?" A meek student admitted that he was her brother from the other elementary school. He knew the songs and wanted to sing them. Later, I found out that his mother had to deal with two babies and couldn't stop him.
Everything went so smoothly, I just want to say that Music K-8 music really unifies a community. Kudos to you for providing great music. Since starting your subscriptions in 1995, I have talked my other elementary teachers in our district into subscribing. It was kind of funny and shocking to look up at the choir and say, "Who is that guy?"