- Type: Art Audio File
- Collection: 21st-Century Art
- Culture/Region: America
- Subject Area: Music, Visual Arts
- Grade Level: K-12, College, Adult, Families
From March 18-22, 2013 students from John B. Cary Elementary School with Kid Pan Alley wrote songs inspired by works of art from VMFA’s collection. “I’ve Got a Lot to Learn Before I Can Be Me” is one of 8 songs they created. Sing along:
I’m chasing shooting stars
And unicorns on the moon
Just like a butterfly
I’m leaving this cocoon
With the wind behind my feathers
And my garden in full bloom
I’ve got a ticket for my future
Where my life can begin anew
(Chorus)
A gust of wind
A ripple of a wave
A fish that flies
A bird that swims
There’s so much sky
There’s so much more to see
I’ve got a lot to learn
Before I can be me
Like a crane in Hawaii
Surfing on a wave
Like a bluebird in Atlantis
In an underwater cave
A clownfish in a circus
A dolphin in a tree
Where the blue of the sky
Meets the blue of the sea
(Chorus)
Before I can be me
Before I can be me
What would your song about Flying Fish sound like?
(Written and performed by Paul Reisler, Heather Mae, and Ms. Freeze’s 2nd grade students, John B. Cary Elementary School, Richmond, VA)
About Kid Pan Alley
Paul Reisler, Founder and Artistic Director of Kid Pan Alley
The initial inspiration for Kid Pan Alley came after a successful songwriting residency in Rappahannock County, Virginia. Since that time, Kid Pan Alley has shared the joys of songwriting with children around the country. The organization’s mission is not only to give children a hands-on opportunity to participate in the creative process, but also to help them develop a broader awareness of the world around them, including exposure to pertinent environmental, social, and political issues.