Singing and music making is one of my favorite things (cue Julie Andrews)... It is amazing how across the world in all cultures music making is a part of daily life. It is deeply engrained in who we are as humans, and some of the most powerful expressions of ourselves come through music. Music taps into our emotions, it elevates our thinking, it is a memory magnet. Why don't we use more music in our schools? Well this past weekend, it was my mother's 84th birthday. I brought her down to the Art Garage to celebrate. It was a weekend of singing, playing and making art. My 9 year old nephew was there too. It was his first time hanging out with our art garage members and he fit right in. They even sang her Happy Birthday. I love the part where they all just chime right in Miss Abigail's Mom. You would think that I spent a lot of time thinking about how to organize activities, but actually, much of what we do is decided by the kids, and simply in response to what people are asking for or suggesting. The first day we added to the leadership tiles, adding phrases and a clear gloss epoxy resin. They came out beautifully, and the girls actually made a sale to my mom who wanted something to bring back to her friends at the retirement home. The second day we made stained glass. This was on the list. Whenever my nephew comes in town we make a list of what we want to do, and take turns engaging in the shared activities. Truthfully, if we didn't do this, he would likely stay on the computer playing minecraft for the entire visit. I had put to create stained glass windows on the list, a plan I have to honor the memory of my father and step-mother at the anniversary of her passing and their wedding. My nephew said he hoped we could invite the Art Garage kids, and so we did. Epoxy is a messy business, but everyone was able to take turns and organize themselves. Their final panels were amazingly gorgeous and unique. That night the kids proposed a bonfire. We grilled hotdogs on skewers and made endless smores. My neighbors Melody and Stuart and Penny joined in too. We sang songs. They made a song to thank Melody for the cake she made. They sang a song about the Art Garage. We sang some classic camp songs, and then of course we finished it off with Old Town Road. You can imagine the fun. I honestly don't know the purpose of what I am doing, but it feels right, and seems to come naturally to me and all the participants. I guess it is not necessary to have the entire map laid at our feet to know we are going in the right direction.
It will be back to Thrush Avenue Scholars soon. I hope to have the members make some profiles and share their goals with others. Maybe we can even find people to mentor each of them and sponsor their activities. That would be a great learning collaboration!
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Abigail LarrisonEducator, Scientist and Art Maker. The purpose of all life is to spread joy. What brings more joy than making art? Archives
November 2023
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