Tom Hunter & The Song Growing Co. December Newsletter

[Tom Hunter - The Song Growing Co.]

A mostly monthly and periodically pithy letter with greetings, a story, something recommended, Tom's appearances, and more...

Greetings from our corner of the world where we're thawing out after a big snow and low temperatures and welcoming back our usual gray, drab, drizzly weather.  Days like these make a mug of hot chocolate extra inviting, or some tea and time to sit with a good friend for a while, or a spouse or child.  In the busyness of this month, I hope you'll find time for lingering and savoring, and for letting the light of whatever tradition you hold sacred shine a little brighter.

We have new things for sale, so keep reading.  You'll find details later in this newsletter. 

A Story: It's told this time on a preschool teacher's face as she talked to me about watching a boy put another block on the tower he was building.  It was such a simple activity but you could see in that teacher's face how deep it went in her.  This boy had never shown interest or patience.  He was more inclined to throw the blocks, and for that staff, he was quite frankly "hard work."  The teacher talked about the chaos in his life, a family split up, no one with time for him, and now this moment of concentration and building.  Someone else might not see the "progress," but for her it was huge.  You could never measure that kind of progress or give it a score, and yet there it was, unmistakable both in what the boy was doing and what was on the teacher's face.  How do you describe the look of someone so filled up?  Too often we adults applaud the goal scored or the 100% on the test, and we miss moments that reach deep into gratitude for the simple wonders of hanging around together - conversations, songs, another few moments at the dinner table or to tuck someone into bed.  Good thing that teacher didn't miss it when the boy put the block on - good thing for him, and for her too.

HERE'S THE NEW STUFF!!

Visits to the Heart of Education ($10) is a collection of five essays I've written. They build on what a teacher or a child has said or done and they are meant to touch the heart and raise issues of education through story.  

Already we're getting wonderful responses: The Director of the Professional Development Institute of NY says she would make it required reading for people in education classes preparing to be teachers.  The Director of a big preschool says she wants parents to read it because so many of them are "desperate" these days and need reminders of what's important.  A kindergarten teacher says she will recommend it for the book study group in her elementary school.  The Director of an early childhood program bought 10 as gifts for her staff.  

Many a Mile ($12) is a CD collection of mostly old songs that are really fun to sing.  It's recorded with my good friends Richard and Helen Scholtz and it's a follow-up to In The Air.  It's not a CD made specifically for children but we don't believe it's "bad" for them.  It's a collection of wonderful songs and we hope you'll hear on the CD the enjoyment we have for the songs and for singing them together.  It is scheduled to be ready by Dec. 20.

Not only that, but another CD, From Seeds So Small, songs for experiencing math (produced with Teaching Strategies and Kaplan) will be ready in mid-January.

Songs make great gifts, and we've got a bunch of good CD's available.  Check the web site, and remember, all this month we pay shipping!  Click here to go directly to our online store.

That's plenty for one newsletter!  The usual recommendations will return next month, and if you want to know where I am singing and presenting in the next two months, find it on the web site www.tomhunter.com.

Now go get yourself a cup of hot chocolate or tea or coffee, and just sit there for a moment.   Our best to you all 'til next month.



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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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