A Creek Runs Through It

She sat in my Jh band as the only floutist. Her parts were always played well, but I knew she was incredibly shy. "I don't think I will be at the concert" she said. I didn't know if it was because she was shy or what but I insisted...
1) It's part of your grade
2) You have a solo, it's the only part that is being played and it's too late to teach it to someone else
3) You can do this...

She came, she played, she didn't stay in band. 3 years later, she walked into my Applied Lessons class. Now this class is one of many colors. It's for students that can't fit choir into their schedule; it's for students that want to learn a new band instrument or work on festival pieces; it's for students who want to learn specifically bass, guitar or piano. "Amanda, so good to see you!"

"I want to learn the piano! And, I've decided to join choir."

"Marvelous."

After a few days, she asked if she could bring her guitar in. "I've written a few songs." Her untrained choir voice is on pitch but very meek. We worked on breathing, support, mouth shape, etc.

She took out her guitar, strummed a couple simple strums, looked up at the class and announced she was a little bit nervous and hopes it comes out okay. The next moments made me weep. Out came this folksy sound (cross between Jewel and Joan Armatrading) Her voice was strong, her playing was precise and the words...oh the words... For such a meek young lady, I was so impressed. Her compositions consisted of mostly sad love songs, but not necessarily slow in tempo. The chord changes weren't predictable, different sections were of different meters, it was so refreshing. The class loved it.

"Ms. Creek, can Amanda sing for us again?"

"No, she made you a CD, you can listen to that!"

"Ms. Creek," Amanda said one day, "I brought you a different CD, it is some of my favorite songs!" They were also mine, I put on the CD and she and I sang songs that were long forgotten...

Partridge Family, can you believe it? This young lady in 10th grade brought me a CD of songs I grew up on (and when I played the one I burned for my sister, we wept together).

One day, Amanda was upset. "To be honest," the calm but intense voice spoke, "I wrote all these songs about someone who I used to have a bad crush on. He doesn't even know my name. I'm not sure I'm over him yet, but I hope I am."

Time passed. Classes passed. She learned some piano, we all sang, the class as a whole continued to grow, musically, and began to gel as a unit...Amanda started to come out of her shell...reach out to others, feeling accepted. (She always was, just didn't realize it.) "I wrote another song if you want to hear it." Well, of course.

Today was my day for evaluations from my Principal. 3 classes he sat through (32 5th grade beginning band students, HS band and Jh choir). I invited him to come down to my Applied Lessons class. Amanda was singing. He smiled and reminded the class that when they were in 5th grade, he was their teacher and when they had to give their first speech, Amanda sang hers. Since then, she has taught herself a little guitar.

We all clapped for her new ones, sang along with the old ones and my Principal praised her and praised her. Amanda smiles and shyly said, "I feel good right now."

A couple hours later I was approached by my students...
"Please Ms. Creek, PLEASE talk to our PE teacher! We want Amanda to sing for our PE class! We want the rest of our classmates and all the boys to her hear songs. We try to explain how good they are, but it just doesn't do them justice, PLEASE?!!!"

Last period of the day, the gym was full of 2 PE classes plus the weight training class. Loud screams, balls flying everywhere, and there was Amanda, shyly getting her guitar out. She sat on the rug by the door and soon her classmates surrounded her. Shortly after she started singing, even the loud mouth Seniors shut up and settled in to her words. She sang away, of the boy she loved that didn't know her name, of the one that effects her emotions and moods and unbeknownst to him, he sat right in front of her, smiling and listening.

The whistles, applause and hollers roared after each song. She sang from her heart, she sang them perfect. 3 songs were performed and touched each one of those students. Soon afterwards, the balls etc. started up again, some were talking to her and up he walked up, on 2 separate occasions, and gave her a big hug. "This is the first time I feel popular." she softly told me.

Two things happened this afternoon. Amanda shared her soul with us, with her peers she has feel "unpopular" with and even "the boy". We shared our love for Amanda, and yes, even the boy.

Her songs are on her MySpace link:

http://www.myspace.com/partridgefamilyromantic

Today, as a music teacher, I loved my job.