THE MAGIC HAPPENS AT BODACIOUS BALA AVENUE COMMUNITY SCHOOL
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I love my job. I am very privileged to do what I do with a lot of fabulous people that I meet along the way. I spent a total of seven and a half magical days at an under-served Toronto District School Board elementary school, Bala Community School with some great kids, and educators.

This is a very special school, and its special-ness begins at the top with their forward-thinking PrIncipal, Lisa Beisschlag and Vice-Principal, Karen Bradley, two hard-working women who love their kids and want only the best for them. Throw a bunch of very dedicated teachers into the mix, and you have "Situation Magic!".

Scroll down for a description of the February and June Projects. Way too much fun by half!

FIVE GREAT DAYS WITH TWO GRADE 4/5 CLASSES
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I almost didn't take on the February project because it took me to one day before I was to leave on a month-long tour of the United States to promote my new CD, Wind Centre. Nonetheless, I caved when Cathy Clark and Erin Glover from the organization, Arts for Children and Youth (AFCY) came calling. They were hard to resist. I mean really hard to resist. They are passionate and dedicated to AFCY which is a venerable organization whose mandate is to match artists with under-served schools.

They even assigned me an assistant. I was so lucky to have Bright Osei-Agyemon for the full five days. He learned to be a choir-master in under two hours, helped the kids on the drums and happily reminded me of things when they slipped through what passed for my mind. He is a kind, full of fun guy who also knows how to beat-box (left), which he did periodically to have a little fun with the kids and help us all relax. You are simply the best, bro'. I worked the kids hard, make no mistake and they responded in kind.

This experience also led me to Martha Toulouse, Bala's Ojibwa Teacher. Bala has, in part, a First Nations student body. For next number of days the children and I learned about each other, engaged in Character Education/Medicine Wheel teachings; wrote a poem, entitled "From the Rivers to the Oceans", an original song, "Brown Bear Clan Song"; learned how to drum on a big drum, plus numerous hand drums; learned the round dance. It all culminated in a concert for parents, friends and other interested folks...all in five days! I am a professional, folks! (Photo above: Me, Student, Margaret Jade and Martha)

ACYF had eighteen hand drums made. Wow! They were delivered to the school. I told the kids that because they were "hot off the press", the drums could not be played until we engaged in a sacred ceremony to wake them and give them their voices. K'ool Gyet Nah Hool, my big drum was pressed into service to do the honour of waking them. We couldn't do the full ceremony because of time issues, but we sang, sprinkled tobacco on top of each drum and watched it dance as the voices of the children and the big drum pounded out their welcome.

HONORARY CLAN

As I explained to the kids, some of our decisions regarding our time together would be by consensus. "It is important", I said, "That everyone has the opportunity to speak their truth in safety, and to also engage in active listening."

It was time to decide on our honorary clan. We had been talking quite a bit about justice, equality and the importance of dreams. One of the suggestions was Brown Bear. I said that Bear's medicine is that of justice issues, protection, fairness and impartiality, oh yes and dreams. After all, she goes into her den for six months to dream about all that she did when she was out and about in the world in the other six months. By an overwhelming margin, the students decided on Brown Bear. The lyrics to our original song, "Brown Bear Clan Song", were written by the students in a small group exercise. I wrote the music. What a great partnership!

LEARNING TO DRUM, SING, DANCE

The Fastest Learning Curve in the West! It is easier for children to learn Native drumming when they each have their own hand drum. It is more difficult to put six children around one big drum and get them to drum in sync. These kids had it in just under thirty minutes! I was stunned at the speed in which they picked up the rhythm, the timing, and the teamwork.

From left: Kamar, Zahkiel, Bright; The whole happy group	"The Dynamic Diversity Drummers": Adreanna, Shawndel, Ariell, Julien, Kamar, Tyreke	Mystical Hand Drum and Storytelling

Learning the Round Dance	Sweet Nathanial; One of TBird's Helpers, Kamar	Practice, Practice Practice for the big show

CONCERT DAY - MEDICINE WHEEL MAGIC: FROM THE RIVERS TO THE OCEANS Starring THE BODACIOUS BALA CHOIR & THE DYNAMIC DIVERSITY DRUMMERS

Poets: Michelle, Akeela, Adreanna, Hawa, Javene	Sing Like There's Nobody Listening!	Proud First Nations

Gorgeous Javene; Miss Martha & Pretty Margaret Jade	Sweet Hawa (Left) and Cute Adreanna (Right)	TBird and Bright directing the River Song: Wishita

K'ool Gyet Nah Hool big Drum (All One People); Women on the K'ool at the end of the dress rehearsal having a little fun. Adults like to play too!	Bala's Fabulous Women from TDSB, Aboriginal Education Centre, among other places.	TBird and some of her crazy kids.

Huge Round Dance to finish off the concert on a grand scale. The Parents really got into it. It was great to see them pack the place to cheer and support their kids. It was a lot of fun, and I am very grateful for the opportunity to have worked with these very special kids and eductors. Good job, people! Wilwilaaysk, All My Relations

TWO AND A HALF GREAT DAYS IN JUNE WITH MS BAKER'S GRADE 3/4 CLASS
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This time I was lucky to have Sandy Horne with me. Once again the focus was on the anti-bullying Medicine Wheel and what it is to live in a good way. The teachings were dedicated to the June Solstice, the day they would perform for the school; the longest day of the year, which is a very sacred time for Indigenous people.

This was a class full of thoughtful children, with really good ideas. They may be young, but out of the mouths of babes came ingenuous wisdom. The children decided that their honorary clan would be the "Peacekeeper Clan". Simply outstanding.

Sandy and I worked the kids hard, and they responded with such good cheer, and learned fast, a number of songs, plus drumming on the big drum. We also wrote an original song, "Peacemaker Song", the music is ours, but the lyrics belong to the kids. It is a beautiful song.

Our two days of hard work culminated in a Solstice Day (June 21) assembly in which the children performed four songs, and a poem. I also had the kids from February reprise their original song, Brown Bear Clan Song.


Auditioning Drummers	Ms Baker and her kids	Drumming Group

Rehearsing, Song of the Peacekeepers	Rehearsing Drumming Group	Poets

Marching to "Mother Earth Marine March"	Learning Peacekeeper Song	Rehearsing

More rehearsing	Yeah, you guessed it, rehearsing	Beautiful Kids
PHOTOS BELOW, JUNE 21, SOLSTICE PERFORMANCE DAY