Tom Hunter & The Song Growing Co. Tom Hunter & The Song Growing June Newsletter

[Tom Hunter - The Song Growing Co.]

June Newsletter...

JUNE GREETINGS TO YOU ALL from here where we’ve had a string of patchwork sky days – blue and black and white and gray – the kind of sky that wants to be looked at and then keeps you looking by changing again into a new pattern. And then it rains and clears up and drizzles and shines clean. Here’s hoping those of you working hard to fit everything in before the school year ends take time to look at the sky where you are.

TO CHEW ON: Interesting article in the NYTimes (May 11) about Carol Burnett. She talks about a conversation she had with a veteran comedy writer, Larry Gelbart: "I told him how predictable TV sitcoms were: set up, set up, joke, laugh track, set up, set up, joke, laugh track. And he said, ‘Carol, the writers today didn’t play stickball in the street. They’re writing about what they saw on television when they were growing up.’" And then Carol Burnett adds, "They’re writing about life once removed."….. Just another reminder about the importance of "playing stickball in the street," not letting life become "once removed" (particularly in early childhood), not letting television determine our reality, and having as many direct experiences as we can. We watch other people do things a lot, and there’s no substitute for having our own experiences, at any age.

A RECENT EVENT: I did a family concert in Dallas in mid-May with pizza, salad, brownies, and lots of ice tea beforehand. It was to raise funds for the co-op preschool in the church there, and a lot of church folks came. Afterward, people commented on how much fun the old folks had singing "kids songs." Exactly! The place was full of hand-motions, laughter, silliness, and enough quietness to know we could do that too. Good kids’ songs are for all of us, and children need more events in which they are having fun with adults. Singing songs with parents, grandparents, folks in wheelchairs, babies, surgeons, lawyers, teachers and plumbers is a good way to make it happen.

UPCOMING DATES: blessedly light! getting ready for daughter Irene’s graduation from college June 12 and for NW Teachers Conference June 19-24 (places still open)  click here for more dates
6/3 – family concert, Mesa, AZ
6/4 – staff in-service, Mesa School District
6/5 – United Church of Christ Pacific NW Annual Meeting, Wenatchee, WA
6/19-6/24 – NW Teachers Conference, Camp Brotherhood, Mt. Vernon. WA
6/28-7/1 – teaching a class for teachers and parents, each morning – songs as a way to build community, promote participation, and strengthen early literacy skills – Whatcom Community College, Bellingham, WA – still room to sign up.
Early July: 7/2 brown bag kids concert, noon, Bellingham Library… 7/7-7/11 National Story Telling Conference comes to Bellingham, and I do the closing keynote
We’re currently doing a lot of scheduling for next year, and limiting travel to big conferences where I’ll do keynotes, to district or regional events for in-service sessions, or to the Bureau of Education and Research seminars.

HYPE: This month we’re offering a "moving on special" – moving on from one grade to the next, from preschool to kindergarten, teachers into a new school or into retirement, people graduating. Why not give the gift of song? Our CD, "Still Growing," is available for $10 and we’ll pay shipping. You can give it as a gift, and we’ll even autograph it if you want. Just let us know whom it’s for and where we should send it. Also add the words "moving on" on the order so we know it comes from this newsletter…. Other recordings and a book are available from our web site, and you can give them as gifts too! Click here to go to our Stuff to Buy page… Please encourage others to sign up for this newsletter – it’s easy when you find the web site. And last minute registrants for NW Teachers Conference will have as much fun as people who have been planning to come all year!….. All the best ‘til next month, and don’t forget to look up at the sky now and then...



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THE SONG GROWING CO.
1225 E. Sunset Dr., #518
Bellingham, WA  98226
(360) 738-0340
fax: (360) 734-0295
songgrow at tomhunter.com 
www.tomhunter.com 
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