Their Own Songs
Artist-In-Residence Tunes Up Richards School
By Melinda Kozulis, Milwaukee Journal-Sentinal
Students at Richards had a toe-tappin'’, knee-slappin'’ good time last week composing their own music with nationally-acclaimed children’'s singer-songwriter Ken Lonnquist of Madison.
The grand finale of the three-day music-in-residence program, which is sponsored by the school’'s PTA, was a concert in which Lonnquist performed some of the songs the students wrote.
Students in grades 1 through 5 worked in small groups with Lonnquist for parts of three days. By the final concert, Lonnquist had linked all their songwriting efforts together and created unique and entertaining songs that he performed with the entire group.
During the individual sessions, the kids learned how and why people create music. They discovered how music can tell a story, express ideas, teach or entertain.
Through various activities, they experimented with adding music to words to change the mood or energy of a particular song. They learned different ways songs are constructed and how to choose the right musical style and tempo for their songs.
Richards music teacher Kathy Riebau said she was impressed with Lonnquist'’s ability to relate to children and by his talent as a musician.
“"He’'s fun, engaging, and just an excellent performer,â€" she said.
“"I wanted this program to inspire the kids. I hope they’'ve learned how capable they are of creating their own music, and hopefully this experience will motivate them to start esxpressing their own musical ideas.â€"
Riebau expressed gratitude to the PTA for sponsoring the event. The group provides the funding for the program and volunteers ar responsible for all the organization and planning.
Catchy Lyrics Turn Kids On To Music
Ken Lonnquist has been performing professionally since 1978. Children especially love his catchy, ‘anything-can-happen’ lyrics.
His original songs, such as ‘One Speed Bike’, ‘Nattie Of The Jungle’ and ‘Tobacco’ were favorites at Richards School last week when Lonnquist worked on songwriting activities with the children as part of an artist-in-residence program sponsored by the PTA.
Children of all ages loved ‘One Speed Bike’, a song about a kid whose scientist-uncle straps a rocket on the back of his clunky one-speed bike to make it the fastest in the neighborhood.
The engaging ‘Nattie Of The Jungle’ is about a wild, dirty-faced girl who won'’t clean her room. The song has an ape-like “"ooh-ah, ooh-ah"†grunt in the background that turned everyone into bongo players, using their own thighs as drums.
Lonnquist has won the Parents’ Choice, American Library Association, WAMI, Madison Audubon Society and Dane County Kids awards for excellence in family entertainment. He has released eight recordings for children and three for adults. In Milwaukee, Lonnquist has performed at Summerfest, the Lakefront Festival of the Arts, and the Schlitz Audubon Center.
Pluto - written in May 2010 with 2nd graders studying the solar system --- a timely "science" song!
