We’re thrilled to bring you the first piece from the Mister John Files! Actor, musician and teaching artist John Francisco will be bringing your wee ones music classes to Philly PACK in Queen Village, Philadelphia this fall and contributing to the blog regularly. He’s going to be a wonderful addition!
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Three years ago I was teaching a class in the northern suburbs of Chicago, a Meet the Instruments class for three and four-year-olds.
This particular group was all boys – a rather rambunctious pack; the combined energy of these pre-schoolers was a force to be reckoned with. You just never knew what was going to happen. To get them to collectively concentrate I had to pull out every trick in my book. “1-2-3 go to sleep!” worked like a charm, and “Who wants to conga?!” was always a big hit, but my greatest discovery, something I invented with this particular group, was the “What could it be?” instrument game.
Each week I would bring in an instrument to introduce to the guys. We would take ten minutes during the class to sit in a tight circle and learn about the instrument-of-the-day. We’d discuss which instrument family it lived in, where it originated, what parts it had, how it made sound; then, taking turns, we would each get a chance to try the instrument. It was the calmest moment of class and the boys understood that in our circle it was time to focus and respect the instrument-of-the-day.
There were rules that we all needed to follow for safety reasons – “We NEVER touch an instrument that someone else is playing – especially if it’s a mouth instrument; you could accidentally hurt your friend.” There were rituals that I used to teach the boys about sharing, “If there’s only one instrument and so many of us, what do we do?,” taking turns “Nobody likes a grabby hand, just turn it upside down into a passing palm,” and about making educated guesses. This is where the “What could it be?” instrument game began.
There is something about a closed box that is magical to a young child. Possibility. Anything could be in that box. It’s the same for instrument cases. Each week, during class I would pull a case from atop the piano. The boys knew the cue and the song would begin “It’s time to meet the instrument, everybody’s gonna meet the instrument, get ready to meet the instrument!” I wish I could sing it for you – it’s way better than in type. They would circle around my feet, criss-crossed apple-sauced, and I would ask them “What do you think it could be?” They’d look at the case and one at a time, make their best guess. If their guess matched the size of the case, I’d reply “It could be a (whatever they guessed.)” And if the instrument didn’t match the size of the case, I’d say incredulously “How could a harp fit in this tiny little case.” or “A piccolo?!? But this case is so big!” After the case was opened, we talked about the guesses and how things (and people) are often very different than what we think we see.
There was a four-year-old in the group – I’ll call him Justin – a great kid who was constantly trying to engage the others in group pretend play and just learning to make jokes. One day, several weeks into the session, I pulled out a clarinet case and the guessing began. When it was Justin’s turn, he confidently announced “It’s a TUBA!” “A TUBA?!?” I replied, as the parents in the room giggled around me. Justin, however, was undeterred. “Of course! It’s a TUBA, Mister John.” And so it began. For weeks, no matter what instrument I brought to share, Justin declared it was a tuba. The thin, rectangular case of an autoharp, the cylindrical plastic sleeves of the finger cymbals, even the kazoo, which I pulled from a tiny felt bag – “Definitely a TUBA!” Each time he guessed the word got bigger until the ‘U’ was long and liquid. “It’s a TUUUUUUUUBA!” It was the inside joke of the class and also a call to action. I knew what I had to do.
Do you know how hard it is to find a tuba? Try it. At the time I wasn’t connected to any high school band directors. I searched for weeks and it seemed like a lost cause. And then, one night I was playing bass at the Battle of the Jugbands and one of the bands that played after us had a tuba player. So I asked. I had to. And he was generous enough to loan me his tuba for the week. I was ecstatic!
That Saturday, when Justin walked through the door, I called out to him “Have I got something special for you!” He suspiciously eyed the top of the piano. He knew; he was looking for it. By the time we got to the instrument-of-the-day, the grown-ups were the overly-excited children in the room. At last the moment arrived. “What do you think it could be?” All of the other boys were ready “A TUUUUUUUUUUUUUBA!” Justin gave me a toothy grin. The moment I took the tuba out of the case, he marched right up to the instrument and stuck his face right down the bell! It was incredible – the perfect end to his first successful joke.
The next week, I walked in with a violin case. The violin and its case are so very similar in shape – it’s a no-brainer. But then… “It’s a SAXOPHONE!”
Mister John, aka John Francisco, has worked as a teaching artist for the past fourteen years. Serving children of all ages and abilities, his work has spanned a wide variety of settings across multiple artistic disciplines (music, drama, dance, visual arts, playwrighting, etc).
Most recently, John was an instructor at the Old Town School of Folk Music– teaching Wiggleworms, kid’s guitar and piano, and elementary music instruction for the Northshore Academy Elementary, where he worked with children struggling with emotional, social, and behavioral demands of school. In addition, he was contracted through Old Town School to perform for children and families in Chicago-land hospitals, at large-scale events like the Square Roots Festival or the Milleneum Park Family Tent, and at countless birthday parties.
John has also worked extensively with children with special needs – including six years with the Red Kite Project at Chicago Children’s Theatre (CCT) where he was a performer and creative contributor of sensory-based interactive theatrical experiences for children with autism and their families. For four years, he served as Curriculum Developer, Camp Director and Lead Music/Drama Teacher for Camp Red Kite, CCT’s daycamp for children with autism. He also was a co-leader and developer of CCT’s Polk Workshops for Chicago Public School teachers and administrators– using drama in the classroom to promote the development of social skills, emotional recognition and expression, and as a tool in behavior modification for special needs students. Finally, in 2011, he was the lead teacher and administrator for CCT at HOPE Institute’s After-School Arts Program.
For many years, John worked in Student Services at Erikson Institute, the premier graduate school in child development. He has taught in early childhood settings (KC Academy of Early Childhood Education,) in arts organizations (Lifeline Theatre, House Theatre Chicago,) and in community organizations (Menomonee Club for Boys and Girls.)
John is a professional actor, is an Artistic Associate at About Face Theatre, and has performed in over 50 plays/musicals throughout his career. He also writes plays, stories, and songs for children and families.