About Shows

Mike comes to your location before show time with his guitar and a small PA system and gets ready for the children to arrive. Shows are generally around 30 or 40 minutes long. The children sit in front of Mike on the floor so they are free to move, dance and get up and down. Teachers can sit among the children or around the perimeter.

Mike starts out a typical show by engaging the children in a greeting song, a game of song recognition and then, while they’re still sitting, some fingerplays or body motion poems and songs. Soon it’s time to get the kids on their feet jumping, clapping, flying, spinning, hopping and having a great time. While they’re still up it’s time for a ’freeze’ dance or a dance incorporating simple body motions. Mike sings the dance instructions – sometimes with just his guitar and sometimes with a recorded accompaniment. By now the kids are a little tired so it’s time for them to sit or lay down. Maybe they can even pretend to go to sleep to a restful song. After a fun rest it’s time to wake up and continue with more interactive motion songs, poems, movements and dances. And so it goes until it’s time for the final goodbye song and the show is over.

By varying the tempos and energy level of the songs Mike keeps children interested and enthusiastic (but not over excited) and makes sure to settle them down at the end of the show so they are calm and ready to listen to their teacher’s instructions. His song selections include a variety of traditional and originals and Mike’s aim is always for the children to be involved, engaged and active.