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After 20+ years of performing assemblies
in elementaries, I’ve finally done something I’ve been thinking about for quite awhile. I’ve developed
a 5-day songwriting residency that brings students together with senior citizens in their community, forging friendships and
connectedness between the generations.
Often some of our fondest memories are of sitting down to a meal with
our grandparents, neighbors, siblings and friends. Along with the food also come stories - from what we did today to
something that happened 50 years ago. Our stories connect us to each other in a quintessential way - they inform, educate
and entertain. They also give us a sense of our place in the Big Picture; the town that our parents grew up in, the
church or school their families attended, the work that kept bread on the family table, the countries that our families originally
came from.
“A Feast of Families” brings me into an
elementary classroom - 3rd through 6th grades - with small clusters of students, based on oral histories (using the Michigan
State University/4H Foodways and Folk Patterns program materials as guidelines) that they will have previously taken from
a senior center, living facility, church, or other gathering spot for elders in their community. Using the multi-curriculum
approach of music, writing, and history, we compose an average of 4 songs per class, using the material collected as the basis
of the songs. The seniors are also asked to contribute a recipe that has special meaning to them; a dish they
might have eaten as a child, something they served to their own families, or a dish that came from their country of origin.
The week culminates with
a presentation to the student body of the new songs, and an evening gathering where the students, their families, families
of the seniors, and the entire community, are invited to join together for a public performance of the new songs, share in
some refreshments (dishes made from some of the collected recipes), a presentation to the seniors of booklets with the songs
and recipes, and a celebration of the new friendships.
In April, 2007, I did two pilot versions of “A
Feast of Families”
Central Elementary, Vassar, Michigan - Vassar is a small German-Polish farm community in Tuscola County, Michigan. I met
with Kari Kicshnick’s 4th grade class and we wrote 4 songs. The kids interviewed seniors at Ivan Middleton
Hall, a senior social center, and we all regrouped at Ivan Middleton to present our songs. Mrs. Kicshnick had her children
present the seniors with flowers and laminated booklets that contained the recipes and drawings. Other grades contributed
to the project as well; the 7th graders typed the booklet, another class decorated the cover, and 2nd graders made placemats
for the “feast”.
Comments
Kari, classroom teacher
"'A Feast of Families' was a very
rewarding experience for both the students and the seniors. Some of the seniors and students formed lasting relationships
and continue to be pen pals, giving the students an authentic purpose for writing."
Jerry K., Vassar senior and participant in the program
“I
think this is great. The people at the senior center were excited to have the kids come to the center. A chance
for the kids to know what life was like when we were kids - the food, the games we played...the program was great. Please
come back next year.”
Mary E., Vassar City employee
“this project was a creative
way to engage the minds and hearts of both groups of participants. I think the students discovered that the seniors
were more fun/interesting than they expected them to be. This interactive way to bring these students into their group
at their meal site allowed the seniors to be the hosts and it gives them a sense of purpose. I arrived a few minutes early
and they were 'watching the clock' anticipating the
kids arrival.”
Suzanne Perreault ( a former City of Vassar employee) and Kari Kicshnick
were instrumental in bringing “A Feast of Families” to Central Elementary.
Mitchell Elementary, Ann Arbor - Mitchell School has a very diverse population of students, a significantly different
environment than Vassar. 4th grade teacher Linda Hagen and principal Kathy Scarnecchia took the class on a field trip
to American House Senior Living Facility in the neighborhood of the school to conduct the interviews, which they did on their laptop computers. The evening concert & nosh at American House was a great success. Several parents commented on the relevance
of the program and how excited their children were about the project.
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| Walking to America House |
Comments
Kathy S., Principal of Mitchell Elementary
"'A Feast of Families' was one of the most unique experiences
we were able to offer our fourth graders this year. The immediate bond between the students and the senior citizens
was a tribute to rich curriculum planning between Kitty Donohoe and Linda Hagan. "
Dyan A., 4th grade parent
“This was an awesome event and exactly what we should be
doing to tie into our community.”
Lillian, American House resident: “this just
fills up my heart”
For fees and information on presenting
“A Feast of Families” at your school you can contact me through the Contact/Booking page.
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