My first day of teaching music

I love music. It's a big part of who I am and I find great joy and peace in singing and praising God through music, so when a friend of mine asked me to consider teaching music at our church's summer program, it didn't take me long to say, "Yes!"

But I didn't realize what I was getting myself into when I gave that resounding, "Yes!" During the school year, I have the pleasure of teaching 4th and 5th grade music, so teaching music is not a new thing. Teaching it, however, to anyone younger than the age of 9, 10 or 11, is. You see, 4th and 5th graders can read. (Yes, so can 3rd, 2nd, 1st graders and a lot of K's). 4th and 5th graders are fairly easy to please. 4th and 5th graders either like music or hate it. There's not much second guessing with this bunch. But then I find out I'm also to teach the babies....Yes, the 1 year olds, the 2 year olds, the 3 year olds and the 4 year olds. The first thing that crosses my mind is....18-month olds can't even talk, let alone sing. How am I supposed to teach music?

I was stumped.

But thankfully, I had the chance to speak with said babies' teachers and they gave me some ideas. And we had a good time beating cymbals together, playing the rhythm sticks and ringing bells. The kids loved it and the teachers enjoyed a few minutes of a teaching reprieve.

One song I chose to sing with the 3, 4 and 5 year olds is a song called "Colors," and it goes like this...."This is a song about colors. Colors. You see them all around. There is red on a stop sign. Green on a tree. Blue in the sky and sea. This is a song about colors. Colors. You see them all around. It's about the happiest song in town. All you have to do is stand up and sit down. All you have to do is stand up and sit down."

The children are all sitting in chairs holding either a bean bag or a piece of paper that is red, green, yellow or blue. Throughout the song, the singer says things like..."Red stand up. Blue stand up. Yellow and green stand up." "Red sit down. Yellow sit down. Blue and Green sit down." And the children are to follow these directions based on the color bean bag or paper they are holding.

Oh and did I tell you I taught 7 different classes this week. I decided it would be hilarious to see how the older children took to this song, so I led all of the classes in this song and unbelievably, none of the children scoffed, thought I was weird, or decided not to participate. They seemed to enjoy the levity of the moment. Yes, even the 6th graders.

But because there were 7 classes and because the song has the children (and me) standing up and sitting down so many times, my thighs, by the time I was done with my last class, were nothing but blobs of jelly inside stretch-marked skin. By the next morning, I could barely walk up and down the stairs. And my sweet children were so empathic. Julia decided she would 'help' me down the stairs by placing her hand on the small of my back and 'loving' me all the way. It was sweet.

I realized I had done the equivalent of 50 140 lb. leg presses. No wonder my legs were killing me!

Needless to say, I won't be doing that song again for awhile. I'm sure my 5th and 6th graders are breathing a sigh of relief as a result as well.

By the end of the summer, we will present a mini-concert to the congregation of our church. No, we will not be singing "Colors," but some songs I found that speak of Jesus being our Best Friend and how we can have a peace that passes understanding.....Because of Jesus.

These songs speak of my life.....Because of Jesus! I have a strength, my Hope is in the Lord. Because of Jesus.