Early Literacy: Building a bridge between singing & reading
Motivation: Inspiration, Inclusion and Anti-racism
The best work on earth is having the opportunity of creating a crazy-quilt life, while happily and enthusiastically stitching these three ingredients together.My company, Rainbows Within Reach, is now launching it's 25th year of children's Arts programming. How amazing is that?
You've arrived at the right place, whether you are searching for a Keynote Presenter for your conference -- large or small, a presenter for a series of workshops for your staff development or an Author/Illustrator to come to your school or public library. This is the place. Enjoy digging through my digital scrapbook!
***In this time of era of the pandemic, have no fear, Debbie Clement can present remotely for your teachers or to engage your students.
Twenty-five years ago I had been promoted to being an Administrator at a private school that served young children with special needs. I missed providing the music and art experiences for the children. Truth be told, I missed their hugs. My mentor, Mimi Chenfeld had provided inspiration over my 10 years at the Center, I had always wanted to be like her when I grew up.
I arranged to have Jim Gill present a day of staff development for us at the Center. He so inspired me that I promptly resigned from my full-time salary with benefits, leaving my friends and all that was familiar. I wanted to have the opportunity to share the joy of the Arts with children again. So I took my guitar and finger puppets and hit the road! Then I started providing staff training. Then teachers wanted my ideas to share in their classrooms. So I learned how to record my ideas to share with others. The rest is history.
{Song Writer} Initially I am struck with a sliver of an original thought. I do my best to capture that inspiration while it's fresh, writing it down on a napkin or the back of a nearby envelope. Then I take that sparkle-glimmer and put it to a tune, start humming, and create an original snippet in the process. Then the 'trick' is all about hiring amazingly talented musicians to create the instrumentals. My goal is to keep the arrangement itself 'simple' but have the instrumentation be awesome.
Working on the recordings in the studio is a whole 'nother level of fun! Voila!! I can then share that initial moment-of-wonder with others as we sing together. In the very beginning I thought of my flippy little bips as ditties, not quite songs. I gave myself permission to be a dittie-writer and it was at that point that "Debbie's Ditties" were born.
Debbie's Ditties: "Changing the World, One Song at a Time!"
Debbie Clement becomes an: AUTHOR-ILLUSTRATOR
And then the next chapter gradually arrived as I 'converted' three of my songs into traditional picture book format. That's when the absolute fun began unfolding in earnest.
My first born picture book, "You're Wonderful" allowed my music-lady school visits to be heightened into the status of author-illustrator school visits!
Making an Author/Illustrator school visit allows me to connect all the dots!
It is an opportunity for direct interaction with the children, while simultaneously inspiring and demonstrating for both teachers and parents exactly how the ARTS can be a source of excitement -- as well as a bridge to reading.
I have an entire 'tab' of photos from my school visits, for you to leaf through and get ideas of how to make our time together provide the best experience for your building. Look for the tab marked "School Visits" and start your creative juices flowing.