Write Your Own Musicals

Presented by Jeff Van Devender at the 2011 General Music Session of the Colorado Music Educators Association Clinic-Conference. Too often, music teachers purchase a collection of new canned musicals for the year & later observe little is left in their ever-shrinking budget for purchasing instruments. This session is not a suggestion to completely cut the tether to our favorite publishers, but with the average music budget shrinking, reconsideration of that norm may be appropriate. My own school music file contains more than one script good money paid for that is literally a direct reading of a popular children’s book with familiar or very simple songs sprinkled throughout the script. Teachers are generally a creative, intelligent & clever bunch. Yet, we continually underestimate our own creativity with something so simple. This presentation is designed to address that apprehension.