Another school performance

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Tom

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Met today with the Principal and Music Teacher of a local school (K-8) where the Delta Strummers will perform in late May/early June. We played for their students in 2015, and the Principal keeps saying she's received nothing but good feedback.

This school is unusual in California because, despite the State elimination of music programs, their Board fully supports their music programs. This talented Music Teacher has every kid in the school attending a music class. He has several school choirs, various instrument groups, including a guitar ensemble, and more. He has students conducting and some even writing music.

His first question was "do you play/sing any singalong numbers?" When I showed him some of our portfolio, his eyes lit up and he checked a number of songs that his students know or are learning. His second question was "do you play/sing any Beatles songs?", which we've recently added to our portfolio.

Their gymnasium is a multi-purpose room, used a a gym, music room, performance theater, lunch room, and more.

The attachment is a picture from our 2015 performance at this school.
 

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That is so cool! You have talked about your group before, but I never realized the size. And I think it is wonderful that a public school still manages to fit music into their curriculum.
 
I never realized the size

I continually shake my head at how we've grown. We were just 9 when I joined 6 years ago. Thanks to community attendance at our 'public concerts' and beginners classes run by our Music Director, we currently have 62 active players. Actually, 72 on the books, but 10 are not active. Not all show up at a school or assisted living facility (typically 35 or so), but significantly more practice for, and perform at our main concerts.
 
Here's a performance at a local theatre, highlighting "picking" on a uke on a familiar tune.

Here's a typical concert closer. I'll let you into a couple of secrets:
  • The first verse is above my vocal range, and I breath a sigh of relief when we hit the key change to the second verse.
  • There's a (long) 8-beat count between the verses, and you'll see me put one hand behind my back to count.
  • When the band joins in for the second and third verses, I step to the side of the mic so I don't drown out the ukes.
 
Thanks for sharing those, Tom. Question: the guy in the front row on the opposite side from which you sit has a very large instrument that looks like a guitar -- is that actually a uke?
 
Hi Larry, we normally have two guitarists, both in that video, sitting adjacent to each other. We occasionally also have a guest bass guitarist help keep us on the beat; He's obscured by the soloist during Apache, and he's dressed in black, standing on the far stage right during the closer. This guy is a pro who also directs a 'big band' (Glenn Miller style), where he also plays trombone.
 
Jackie, I thought you might catch the reference to "a Welshman and a Scotsman " during the Music Director's intro to God Bless America; Our MD was born in Glasgow, and came to the US as a wee lad.
 
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