DELHI - If you were walking the hallways of Delaware Academy Elementary School in Delhi Thursday, April 25, you might have heard a hearty chorus of students (and teachers) singing at the top of their lungs, “Waggle to the east, waggle to the west, buzzing our way to where the flowers are the best,” as they joined in on the refrain of an original song composed by their second-grade peers.
The performance was the culmination of a week-long songwriting residency led by visiting teaching artist Laurie McIntosh, aka Story Laurie, renowned throughout the region for her creative storytelling and music programs. In the residency, each second grade class wrote an original song incorporating lessons learned in their recent unit on insect life cycles.
McIntosh met with each class on three consecutive days for a fun, fast-paced project where students collectively brainstormed ideas, and then shaped their ideas into three unique songs. On day four, the second graders finalized details and did quick rehearsals before then hosting an assembly in the cafeteria for other elementary classes.
The catchy chorus of Gardner’s class’s song referenced the “waggle dance” that bees perform to communicate to others in the hive where patches of nectar-laden flowers can be found. Macayla Carron’s class wrote a song about a different pollinator, the paper wasp. With lines like, “Don’t squish me, I’m your friend / The help I give will never end,” this song focused on the fact that people are often scared of wasps, and encouraged the listener to instead respect the wasps for their gifts.
Of the week-long residency, Carron appreciated how the “great experience...allowed the kids to just let loose and use their imagination.” When asked about the experience themselves, a hearty chorus of students chimed, “It was fun!”
Second grade student Julianna Walsh in Sandra Noonan’s class said she liked how unique the song was, while her classmate Wyatt Buel said he liked working with Story Laurie.
In their song, Noonan’s class shared fascinating tidbits about dung beetles, such as the fact that these beetles use the stars in the sky to aid them in navigation. In addition to sharing this and other fun facts, Noonan’s students also enjoyed including a clever lyrical reference to Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” in their original song.
Noonan, who had previous experience with McIntosh as a visiting artist in her classroom when she taught at Andes Central School, was the Delaware Academy liaison who facilitated this unique learning opportunity.
McIntosh was equally delighted with her time at Delaware Academy.
The weeklong songwriting residency is part of an Arts & Education Outreach program run by the Ashokan Center, based in Olivebridge, made possible by a grant from the Delaware County-based A. Lindsay and Olive B. O’Connor Foundation.
