I've been teaching some afterschool guitar classes in Chicago Public Schools since the Spring. It's a new age group for me...5-10yrs....well really those 1st and 2nd graders....we're getting used to each other. The first session they gave me 13 1st and 2nd graders in one class. It was mayhem. Kids came barreling in at 4pm with missing strings, untuned guitars, toy guitars, guitars too big for them, right-handed guitars for leftys, or no guitar at all, and would toss the guitar (or themselves) on the carpet like they were flipping off their winter coat after being outside.
I gave kids time outs, sent them the principal, made kids cry...ok, that's all the bad stuff, and stuff I was not used to. I had to lower my expectations to get to the level where they could learn something and find guitar somewhat fun...it IS fun...it's just a very hard instrument to play, I would say under age 10 or so. Fingers aren't big enough. So I relaxed as the session went on and came up with musical games. They love to sing and make up songs at that age. And if you change the lyrics from week to week, they remember. They are so observant. "What's that bump on your arm?"...or "Where'd you get that sticker on your guitar?". And they tell you anything. "I can't share a guitar with my brother cuz he doesn't like me to touch his stuff"...or "My dad lives in a different house now". They know my name now, after 3 months, they are starting to say "miss laura, miss laura!" These kids are growing on me. I felt so defeated in the beginning, thinking I would never be able to relate to this age, but now I'm learning more about how their little mind (and hearts) operate. Through all the chaos of the first session, the kids got up on a stage at the end of 10 weeks, and were little angels...we barely strummed a chord, but we sang loudly "chicken in the barnyard". (I'll actually be happy to never sing that song again...I've exhausted it with this group!)
I have a new student Annie, she's really smart and sweet and is digging the guitar after just 2 classes. "Is this where I put my finger for G?" she says..."right here?"..."am I holding it right?".....she's really getting it! Meanwhile, the other girl (who is sweet too, but often likes to proclaim things wildly (she was in my class last session and enjoys playing notes rather than chords") is saying "I'm NOT GOING TO PLAY CHORDS, ONLY NOTES!!"...repeatedly. I said to her "that's okay, you can stick with the notes for now...we need someone to play the bass note in the song"...then as she leaves class, her last words are...."well, maybe next week I'll play chords". I'm smiling to myself.
I walk new student Annie back to the office after class. She just finished Kindergarten, but to me she seems more like a 2nd or 3rd grader, so I say to her "You did a great job today. And you know you are very mature for your age". She accepts my statement and then about 30 seconds later says "What's mature mean?"....I said "it means you are very grown up...it's good!" Then she gave me a hug and left.
Sometimes it takes a while to know that you fit in, that you belong. Patience is a good thing. I'm going to try to have more of it.
And now, a photo from Big Chicks in Uptown. A mighty big breakfast. One of my favorite breakfasts in the city. Shredded hash browns are my favorite way to eat a potato. You gotta go, it's so great. Get a bloody mary, go with friends.
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