So what's been happening in CMN since our National Conference in Albany? 

The email list is, as always, active and exciting. The two "hot topics" lately have been winter holidays and a potentail "top 100" list of children's songs.  CMN members have been sharing opinions on how to address December holidays in a multicultural world.  It all started with the mention of "banned" religious songs, and questions were rasied - what can we sing in December?  What SHOULD we sing?  We ended with more questions than answers, but one thing is for sure - we will all enter the holiday season with open eyes, ears and hearts, and music we feel passionate about sharing.  That was the one thing I think we agreed upon.

We've also been talking about the idea of having a list of "must-learn" songs for children.  The "must" word ruffled a few feathers, but hopefully those feathers were then smoothed by the reassurance that we certainly aren't ordering each other to teach certain songs.  What the list was intended to do, and please correct me if I'm wrong, is to provide a library of classic songs that are important for American children to know.  Where those songs should come from is still up for debate - what defines "our" heritage? - but I think we all had a moment or two of "Oh, yes, THAT song!  I love that one!!"

Of course there have been other topics of discussion as well - and in the meantime, CMNers have been out on the town, working and singing.  There was even a singalong outside of Manhattan on November 3, hosted by Beth and Scott Bierko - I wasn't able to attend, but if I know CMN events, it was full of music and laughter and perhaps a tear or two.

And now we enter November, that time of year when we dig out the ol' turkey songs and turkey puppets and stuffed turkeys.  (With the exception of our friends in Canada, who did so last month...hey, gang, can we borrow your turkeys now that you're done with 'em?)  :)

They must have thought we were insane.  The waiters of the Holiday Inn in Albany were serving dinner to a conference group, when all of a sudden one of the attendees stood up and asked everyone to raise their spoons.  The fact that we all obeyed may have been strange enough, but then we started to sing a song about good manners, passing our spoons around the tables. This wasn't just any conference, though - this was the Children's Music Network.  And we've never been big on the sitting quietly.

Of course, the spoon game happened on Saturday night, so they had probably grown accustomed to us.  We opened on Friday night, filling the ballroom with white bath poufs as we threw them around in a musical "snowball fight." We laughed and shouted over each other, desperately trying to introduce everyone in the room to everyone else.   We sang in pairs and made a giant circle around the room.  We were no ordinary, sedate business meeting, and we certainly were rejoicing in the fact, and in each other.

Saturday we moved upstairs.  (To the SECOND FLOOR!)   By the end of the first workshop, one of the conference rooms had one of the aforementioned bath poufs resting comfortably in a hanging light fixture.  The situation was the result of a parachute game.  Again, no ordinary meeting.  After lunch brought a wonderful round robin, and afterwards came choice time.  (You can tell we work with kids - I'm not sure what it was really called, but "choice time" it became in short order.)  There was yoga, many of us rehearsed for the evening Round Robin, and towards the end a spontaneous circle of singing games evolved in the open area by the lunchroom.

A few of my young friends invited me to sit with them for dinner, where I took the chance to learn some new hand claps, and I taught a few of them to play the spoons (inspired by the aforementioned manners song).    After dinner brought a fabulous and inspiring keynote from Kim and Reggie Harris, complete with a singalong, then the Round Robin.  My own performance was early on the program, but by this point in the weekend I had already lost most of my voice.  But boy, the kids made up for it!  They were a huge hit!  We went until after 1 pm - so late that half the lights went off on a timer in the middle of the show.  But we had fun and everyone was wonderful. 

On Sunday breakfast, something new - one of the waiters joined in a song!  Everyone was so excited.  The first workshop I went to on Sunday was singing games.  We made circles and picked partners and did our best to coordinate our hands and feet.  And I even learned a few new songs, and heard ones I'd only seen on paper.  Really, you can't learn this stuff from books.  Its charm happens only when the games are played.  Preferably with a circle of people whose good natures make up for any sleep-deprived coordination shortcomings.  The last workshop I attended was a preschool song swap.  I led a few of my favorites, and learned some wonderful new songs.  The weekend was just full of music, and I could hardly believe it was almost over. 

The Magic Penny tribute was beautiful, and as always, the magic of Sarah Pirtle moved us all.  We were late to lunch, but it was well worth it. I had to leave early, but oh, I wanted to stay!  I'd made so many new friends and re-connected with old ones.  I'd sung and danced and played and laughed and cried and it was way too short!!  I can hardly wait for next year in Chicago.