Program at Hoover High School

Yesterday Chris and I spent the entire day at Hoover High School doing a combination of our two 1920s programs.

We did it NINE TIMES IN A ROW! No breaks.

They wanted all of the sophomore history classes to come see it, and while each teacher individually gets a break, it just so happens there was a history class every period of the day!

Hoover High School got a grant from Arts in Stark to do a whole series of 1920s-inspired programs that they are calling "Swing into Spring." It all started with a math teacher who swing dances and suggested that the school do something based on swing. And it just grew from there.

Chris and I were the kick-off for the program. I trimmed back my "Little Chicago" program and Chris selected a few piano pieces from his "Music of the Roaring Twenties" program. We blended the two programs together to paint a picture of the decade for the kids.

I talked for awhile, and then Chris played a song. It was a really nice blend of both programs. We're thinking of taking the idea and using it on other programs!

I don't normally read programs (I prefer to use notes with a few key words on it, so I can talk instead of read), but I decided to write it out for two reasons. First, we needed to time it so it fit into a high school class period (I have been known to go off on tangents from time to time, when I have a microphone and a stage...). Second, I knew that after I did it so many times, I wouldn't know what I had said and what I hadn't!

It went well, but boy, we were dog tired at the end! Not only did we have to be there at 7:00 in the morning (which everyone knows is against my principles as a NON-Morning Person!), but we only had 4 minute breaks between classes.

They provided us with snacks and water to get us through the day.

One thing that happened really touched both of us. At the end of the program, Chris played "Side By Side." It was composed by Harry Woods, who was born without fingers on his left hand. Chris told the kids that he would thump out the rhythm with his left hand, mostly on the black keys.

After one class let out, a young man came up and asked Chris for the name of the composer again. He had his books in his left arm, and then he lifted them up, showed us his hand, and said, "Because I was born without fingers on my left hand too."

Chris told him that there are a lot of songs that have been composed for piano using just the right hand.

I don't know if he'll run out and take piano lessons or not, but it was nice to be able to show this kid that someone with the same disability he has achieved great things.

Overall it was a great experience. I think if we are ever asked to do something like this again, we might have to break it into two days.

It's great to see high schools stepping outside the box to get kids interested in history. Sometimes it takes something like "Swing into Spring" to get that spark started!