(Click on the song and let it play while you read.)
I had a very cool music teacher when I was in elementary school. If I could remember her name I'd try to find her. I'd like to thank her for giving me a really fun memory.
She was this urban black woman surrounded by a sea of very vanilla, suburban faces. She cared about her job and worked hard to bring out the best in us. I loved her.
For our end-of-the-year concert, she tossed out the usual elementary school fare and had us sing the song you're listening to now: "Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In" by the Fifth Dimension.
During the second half of the song, when we were really getting down (as much as eleven-year-old white kids can), the cafeteria/gymnasium/auditorium went dark save for a flickering strobe light.
Oh. My. God. We blew their minds. It was awesome. We got a standing ovation. That NEVER happens at a sixth-grade choir performance.
Thank you, Mrs____ for helping this Brady Bunch wannabe know- for one shining moment-what it feels like to be a rock star. (And I ain't talking 'bout Johnny Bravo.)
7 comments:
Caryl, What a nice memory, that moment has stayed with you all these years. It certainly had an impact on you. No shining moments in my elementary years just going to school and homework!
JI
haha, everytime I hear that song now, Im reminded of the movie "40 Year Old Virgin"
IT isn't life unless you have that really cool music teacher!!
So you were a Marsha wannabee too? Even without the blonde hair you look like you would fit right in with the Bradys. :) So cute!!
I loved the 5th Dimension back then but never got to grove to it in the school choir like you did, you lucky, groovy girl!
I DID get to do "The Sound of Music" in 8th grade choir. Wow, we sounded so good! Harmonized just like those Von Trapp kids!! I can still sing the alto part....
Thanks you guys! I was so proud of that performance. Too bad we didn't have camcorders back then!
My most shining elementary moment? Well once, I avoided capture by the local police after a small band of we ruffians had snuck into one of the portable classrooms on our campus one Saturday.
We'd been doing it for weeks, sneaking in and playing school, writing on the chalk board, nothing harmful...but still it was breaking and entering...we crawled through the window to get in. (One kid in the classroom made sure he unlatched it for us on Fridays.)
Oh and there was that play in which I wore a silver (spray painted) cardboard and aluminum foil costume to play a robot. Can't forget that....
Rock on!
I'm Caryl's sister and I was part of the audience and even I still remember it. Let me tell you, it DID blow our minds. A groovy song AND a freakin' stobe light!! It didn't get any better...
That song meant a lot for me growing up- I'm an Aquarius.
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