Playing For Pre-Schoolers

**peabody** · #1 11-20-2007, 03:22 PM

Every year my guitarist and I get invited to play for the "Hoedown" at one of the local pre-schools. I have special place in my heart for this group because my son went there for about 3 years and he absolutely loved it.

Basically it's just an acoustic guitar and bass (although my friend played his 5 string banjo for a couple songs this year). We play songs like Rocky Top, Hey Good Lookin', Standin' On a Rock (for you Ozark Mountain Daredevils fans), Waltz Across Texas, etc. We play for about a half hour and the kids love it (and so do we). We changed the pace a bit at the end and did Jamaican Farewell (a Harry Belafonte tune) as our last song...a song they really enjoyed.

There are some days when you have to do these types of gigs just to put the world back into perspective. There is nothing more magical than the wonder of music through the eyes (and ears) of 3-5 year olds.

tZer · #2 11-20-2007, 03:30 PM

I agree.

Years ago I worked as a counselor at a camp for people with mental and behavioral disabilities. One of the things we'd try to do with the campers was to get them together as a group on Saturday evening and do some activity that they could all participate in.

Well, with campers who have such different needs and who process the world through the filter of their various disabilities, finding any single activity (Ring around the Rosie, playing with the parachute, bouncing balls, etc...) was usually a futile effort. While some activities made some campers happy, others would be disinterested. There was simply not one thing they all seemed to get into and could share as a group.

I brought my band up for one of these Saturday evening events to play an unplugged set of pop music. The campers universally enjoyed the event. There was not a single camper who was not obviously overjoyed when the music was playing. All the other counselors were so relaxed and at ease because it became clear that there would be no incidents and that everyone was doing just fine.

To me that just proves that music is a universal language.

Rugaar · #3 11-20-2007, 04:10 PM

+1

Agree with both of you and would like to add senior citizens to the list. IMHO, those are the three most appreciative audiences you'll ever get.

Baryonyx · #4 11-22-2007, 04:41 PM

I bet they'd love to hear Joni Mitchell's "Free man in Paris". Especially if you go at the bassline like you're Jaco Pastorius!

Dave R · #5 11-22-2007, 05:37 PM

Quote:

There are some days when you have to do these types of gigs just to put the world back into perspective. There is nothing more magical than the wonder of music through the eyes (and ears) of 3-5 year olds.

Amen, bro! What a great gig.

Quote:

There was simply not one thing they all seemed to get into and could share as a group.

A friend of mine in Houston taught me a song that developmentally challenged kids can all get into. Its a sing along. If you need the tune, PM me and I'll make an .mp3 of it. Words are:

If all of the raindrops were lemon drops and gumdrops
Oh, what a rain it would be!
I'd stand outside with my mouth open wide and go

[open mouth and stick out tongue] Ahhh-ah Ahh ahhh ahhh

If all of the snowflakes were Hershy bars and Cupcakes, oh what a snow it would be.
I'd stand outside with my mouth open wide and go...

[Chorus]

If all of the hailstones were bubblegum and snowcones, oh what a hail it would be.
I'd stand outside with my mouth open wide and go...

[Chorus]

Seems everyone likes to stick out their tongues and pretend they're catching candy...

MakiSupaStar · #6 11-24-2007, 06:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by peabody

Every year my guitarist and I get invited to play for the "Hoedown" at one of the local pre-schools. I have special place in my heart for this group because my son went there for about 3 years and he absolutely loved it.

Basically it's just an acoustic guitar and bass (although my friend played his 5 string banjo for a couple songs this year). We play songs like Rocky Top, Hey Good Lookin', Standin' On a Rock (for you Ozark Mountain Daredevils fans), Waltz Across Texas, etc. We play for about a half hour and the kids love it (and so do we). We changed the pace a bit at the end and did Jamaican Farewell (a Harry Belafonte tune) as our last song...a song they really enjoyed.

There are some days when you have to do these types of gigs just to put the world back into perspective. There is nothing more magical than the wonder of music through the eyes (and ears) of 3-5 year olds.

Cool story peabody.

You should check out some of Jerry Garcia's children's songs too. They might dig it.

Raul Amador · #7 11-24-2007, 06:56 PM

You are doing a great thing Man!

Steel Hyena · #8 11-24-2007, 09:09 PM

You should play some Lamb of God for them!

Kidding, kidding. No one should ever play Lamb of God music for anybody, including Lamb of God.

Okay, half kidding. Yes, I think they're awful, but that's my opinion. I know there's someone who'll say they are the greatest thing to happen to music, but I digress (is that the word I'm looking for?)

But seriously, that's a great thing to do. I don't think I could ever play for children (I've got a horrible reaction to be around lots of kids. Makes me uneasy... guess I'm just evil?) But that's great dude, keep at it!

scottyg11 · #9 11-25-2007, 01:19 PM

The band I was playing with this last summer booked a gig on the beach with a ten am start time. I was not a happy camper about the start time. I did not think that it would be much fun at all or that there would be many people around that would be into what the band was doing. Man was I wrong. There had to be at least 20 preschool age kids dancing in front of the stage. There was one little girl that just stood there looking confused. Her mother had to explain that we were in fact making the music that she was hearing. The look on her face as she figured it out was amazing. It was one of those moments that will stay with me for as long as I live.The gig turned out to be a lot of fun. The recording that was made with a little hand held recorder turned out very well and as a band we played well. Listening to those little kids laugh brings a smile to my face every time I listen back to it. I recently gave a recording of it to a band I auditioned for and one of the first things they mentioned was the little kids laughing. I would not hesitate to play in front of little kids again.

Chebass88 · #10 11-25-2007, 01:25 PM

Playing with kids in the audience really makes you consider the content of your lyrics, too!

A couple of months ago, we played a Sunday afternoon gig, so the other band members brought their kids (all younger than 7). We were playing some Johnny Cash tunes, adn had to change the lyrics - especially to "Cocaine Blues"!!

I love looking at the excitement of ANY audience listening to live music.

**peabody** · #11 11-26-2007, 08:09 AM

That's for sure. Try singing "Rocky Top" without mentioning some reference to liquor...not the easiest thing in the world. "Drink their corn from a jar" was okay, but "lookin' for a moonshine still" was not. The best thing is, the kids knew the words to it...at least the "clean" version.

The Golden Boy · #12 11-28-2007, 02:17 PM

Earlier this year one of my bands did an afternoon at the zoo thing. I think we were there primarily to make the kids dance and run around while the parents got sit down and eat time. It was a cool, yet interesting experience.

locolobo85 · #13 11-28-2007, 02:24 PM

Doc Watson has a good album of folk music for kids. He use to a set for the kids at Merlefest that was very entertaining. Sounds like a great gig.