What a Day

What a day. After backing my truck into a tree during a torrential downpour this morning, my day could only get better. And it did.

Much better.

I taught seven classes today, nearly 130 students in all. We sang songs from Mister Rogers' Neighborhood, The Sound of Music, and several Halloween songs. We also danced. A lot. I may have also unleashed a blood-curdling witch's cackle that sent kids scrambling for cover a time or two. Or seven.

After school, I led a Musician Badge-earning presentation for a group of Girl Scouts. Part one of the lesson was about how music is made. First, we watched video clips of performers stomping and clapping to make music, then the girls and I stood in a circle and tried creating our own rhythms. Next, we watched a clip of a drum line performing an elaborate routine that was a great example of making music with instruments. Then we sat in a drum circle and jammed together. After that, we watched Julie Andrews sing "Do-Re-Mi" to learn about pitch and making music with our voices, and then the girls and I sang the song.

During part two of the lesson, we learned about music from around the world. We watched a video clip of Wagner's "Ride of the Valkyries" as an example from Europe, a performance by an ensemble performing traditional Chinese music, and a song by a Cuban jazz band. Then we watched clips of modern American music including pop, country, and rock.

Finally, I showed the girls a collection of my homemade instruments including cigar box guitars, percussion instruments, a shoe box violin, a diddley bow, and my garden trellis harp. I talked about how I made them and demonstrated how to play them. Then, all the girls got to play two instruments before we ran out of time.

The smiles on the girls' faces, and their sincere thanks, made me all but forget about the rough start to my day--until I walked outside and took a closer look at my truck's rear bumper.

It was just a another day in the life of Travis Naughton--a life that is never boring. Some days are frustrating. Others are maddening. A few are positively amazing. And every now and then, a day can be all of those things and more.

I can't wait to see what tomorrow will bring.