Kid Pan Alley continues to delight, teach and entertain

Adults sometimes forget how clearly children perceive the world around them. So, it was an interested and entertained audience of adults (and children) who enjoyed a concert about how children see and sing life.
Last week marked the fourth year of success for the Kid Pan Alley program in Greene County Schools. Designed to help children discover their inner voice and listen to the music inside them, the program is led by Kid Pan Alley founder and renowned musician Paul Reisler. Well-known local musician Terri Allard lent her talents to the writing and performing process and Will Mackie-Jenkins joined in for the concert.
One all-too-common theme expressed in two different compositions was how sugar makes the kids hyper – which brought an all-too-knowing laugh from the parents and teachers. Students sang songs about doing homework, their puppies and the two sides to every story.
The kids sang about needing people, needing luck and their shadow as a fair-weather friend. They even found inspiration from inspiration with songs titled “We make it up as we go along” and “Everybody’s got a voice.”
Participating 2nd grade classes from the Greene County Primary School were Ms. Johnson’s, Ms. William’s, Ms. Hunt’s, Ms. Martin’s, Ms. A. Taylor’s and Ms. M. Taylor’s. Ruckersville Elementary School 2nd grade classes were Ms. Mikell’s, Mrs. Mitchelson’s, Mr. Saunder’s and Ms. Schoer’s.
During the concert, students performed Kid Pan Alley classic “Best friend’s” and a popular favorite to be the new Virginia state song “I do love Virginia” created during a Kid Pan Alley program in Central Virginia.
In a time when school programs are being necessarily trimmed because of budget constraints, Kid Pan Alley supporters remind everyone that even the fun of making music has a serious role in the development of self-esteem and creativity in students.
Cost of the program is covered by donations which can be made directly to the schools with a notation for the Kid Pan Alley Program. More information on the Greene Program can also be found a www.vgreene.com/KPA.
While Kid Pan Alley 2009 has ended; teachers, parents and the program supporters look forward to the musical creations from new classes next year. To quote one of this year’s songs “All good things come to an end”, when it comes to Kid Pan Alley in Greene County “It’s a good thing things come to an end, because you get to start all over again.”