Artist weaves folk songs into curriculum

JOEL DAVIDSON/Frontiersman reporter

WASILLA - A class of 25 fourth- and fifth-graders sat spellbound as a strange teacher milled about the room. He spoke softly, using his hands and body movements to communicate a message that transcended the mere words of a lesson plan.

Michael Morgan is a stocky, middle-aged man with energy enough to tackle the challenge of teaching roughly 600 kids, in 25 classrooms, over a two-week stretch. His secret weapon is music.

On Friday, Morgan wrapped up his stay as Artist In Residence at Larson Elementary School, where, for 10 days, he infused everything from history lessons to science lectures with song and poetry. Morgan roamed through classrooms, armed with a guitar and a book of 1,200 songs. He spent roughly an hour in each room before moving on to the next.

At each stop he took the current lessons and topics, be they history, conservation or grammar, and found ways to weave folk songs into the curriculum. With the guitar slung over his shoulder, Morgan worked the elementary crowds into an educational groove.

Before visiting a class, Morgan confers with the teachers beforehand to get an idea of what they are teaching. Then, when class begins, he draws from his own experiences and knowledge.

After visiting schools for seven years now, Morgan's passion for bringing music to kids is stronger than ever.

"I love it," he said. "It's almost a dream come true. I was trained to teach college-level students English, but I love music and I keep gravitating back toward young kids and the music."

Teacher Genie Siedler was impressed with Morgan's instructional style.

"Because of the way he moves around, he gets kids thinking along with him and he brings them to the ideas that he's trying to get across," she said.

Morgan normally resides in Kasilof, where he teaches guitar at Kenai Peninsula College. His musical expertise is African-American folk songs but his talents span other areas as well. Morgan works with people who range from preschool to adult, drawing from his experiences living, working and studying in New York, Hawaii, the North Slope and fishing in Kasilof.

In recent years, Morgan has visited more than 20 schools, statewide, through the Artists in Schools program. When in Kasilof, Morgan collaborates with other musicians to provide concerts for the community, bringing in musical artists from around Alaska and the nation.

It's Morgan's belief that music moves people, regardless of their natural talents.

"You don't have to have a great voice or be musically gifted to sing and perform," he said. "You just have to love music."

Siedler's class was studying conservation, so Morgan took a Joni Mitchell song, "Big Yellow Taxi," and used it to teach about the harmful effects of DDT and the importance of conserving the natural environment. This past Thursday, Morgan had the class writing rhymed couplets, which he later used in a song about conservation.

"He brings in a lot of his own history," Siedler said. "He talked about pollution and the kids now know a lot about DDT."

Earlier, Morgan visited a third-grade class that was studying Egypt. He took the Egyptian studies lesson and gave it a new spin by having the class write lyrics to the song "Walk Like an Egyptian."

At first, Siedler said her kids were a little shy about singing, but after warming to Morgan's style, they chimed right in, strumming air guitars and singing out.

While not every grade-school kid at Larson Elementary is bound for musical stardom, many were inspired by Morgan's visit.

"They hum tunes all the time now," Siedler said. "They just broke out into song during a math lesson. We were playing a math game and singing at the same time."

Morgan's stay at Larson was part of the Artists In Schools program, which aims to bring professional artists into schools to encourage the integration of art into academic experiences for students and teachers alike.

The program is possible through a partnership between the Alaska State Council on the Arts, the Rasmuson Foundation and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Larson Parent Teacher Association also chipped in $1,000 for Morgan's stay at their school.

On Friday, Morgan wrapped up his visit and several students participated with him in two school assemblies, performing songs, which they helped create over the last two weeks.

"I love music, I love kids," he said, "and it's just a great combination."

Several teachers expressed a desire to incorporate some of Morgan's techniques into their classes. The school library plans to have several copies of the song book, "Rise Up Singing" available.

The effectiveness of mixing songs with lessons did not go unnoticed by second-grade teacher Karen Doyle.

"The kids were so engaged," she said. "He took them right from the Civil War up to the civil rights movement, using songs. It was wonderful."

"I wish he could stay longer," said fifth-grader Tori Andrades.

People interested in bringing artists to their local schools may contact the Alaska State Council on the Arts at www.eed.state.ak.us/aksca/ for more information.

Contact Joel Davidson at joel.davidson@frontiersman.com.