We’re so excited to present the second installment of the Mister John Files, just in time for the start of Mister John’s Music‘s fall sessions in Philly! For more information about fall classes, visit his website or Like his Facebook page for up to the minute details.
Once upon a time, in one of my classes, there was an adorable little girl with beautiful red curly hair. We’ll call her Charlotte.
There are so many stories about Charlotte that I could share; she was such a strong presence in class. The harbinger of joy, a constant source of laughter, a friend to every other child, magnanimous and charming before she could even speak. If another child was having a tough moment, Charlotte would walk up to her or him and offer a hug and an “It’s OK.” Once in a very full class, Charlotte called out to me in the middle of a song, “Oh no!” Everyone stopped. “What is it, Charlotte?” She scanned the room, making eye contact with children and parents alike, then in a dramatic voice she announced, “Someone dropped the soup!” This prompted an immediate change in activity. I improvised a song that was reminiscent of Benjamin’s calypso number in Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and everyone marched around the room, following me and my guitar. On the “Oh no’s” we would bring our hands up to our cheeks in surprise and at the end of the chorus we would pretend to drop an enormous pot of soup. “Oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, SOMEONE DROPPED THE SOUP!” It was hilarious.
Charlotte may have only been two-years-old but she already had a steady boyfriend – a Fraggle Rock Boober stuffed animal that she carried with her everywhere. In case you forgot, Boober is blue with bright orange hair (that perfectly matched Charlotte’s own hair), a long brown scarf and a little brown hat. And most importantly, no eyes. He’s too cool for eyes. I’ve included a picture of him below.
Charlotte was usually the first one to arrive to class and she would greet me at the door with a great big smile, hand me Boober. We’d go to the drum where I would manipulate the Boober’s arms so that it looked like HE was the one playing the drum. “What song do you want to hear today?” I would ask her. For a good while, she requested Iggy Azalea’s “Fancy!” Boober would pound on the drum, I would sing “I’m so fancy…” and Charlotte would finish the phrase with “You already know!” while her mom sat beside us, laughing. Those solo moments of mom, child, and educator were some of the most memorable and meaningful in my career.
Then came the day of the elephant. Charlotte’s mother had told me that as of late her daughter had become obsessed with elephants. I made a point to sing “Un Elefante” during parachute time and to include the elephant as one of Old MacDonald’s animals. But on this particular week, I decided to bring in my collection of large jungle animal toys from Safari Ltd. I told the kids in advance, “Sometimes you get to pick and sometimes you don’t. THIS time Mister John gets to pick. I’ll pull an animal from my bag and give it you. If you get the animal you wanted, awesome, congratulations. If you DON’T get the animal you want, oh well. You get what you get and you don’t get upset.” Because this was the first time I’d introduced these toys to the class, and I now knew that Charlotte was into elephants, I handed her the large grey elephant toy. She was overjoyed and talked to the elephant throughout the entire jungle-themed song that followed.
When it came time for the next activity, I walked around the room with my tote and asked each child to put his or her animal back in the bag. This was the first and only time I ever saw Charlotte lose it. Her mother gently instructed her to put the elephant back so we could have shaker time and immediately the tears and the wailing began. The shift from extreme happiness to utter despair was jarring for everyone; it was so unexpected. Her mother handed me the elephant with eyes that said “Sorry” and took Charlotte out of the classroom to collect herself. It took a moment. Charlotte didn’t come back until after shaker time was finished and when she did, her eyes were puffy and red and her lips were still trembling. When they sat back down in the circle, I approached her. “You know, Charlotte, if you need more time with something, all you have to do is ask for it. There’s no need for melt-down. Just say ‘Mister John, I need more time.’” Charlotte looked at me surprised. This was an option?!? Her mother smiled at me. Charlotte wiped her cheeks with the back of her hand, straightened her spine, and repeated the statement back to me. “Mister John, I need more time.” I smiled, “Why, of course you can have more time! I’ll need him back at the end of class though, OK?”
When the class was over, Charlotte and her mother approached the piano. “Here, Mister John.” she said as she handed me back the prized possession. I thanked her and shared a smile with mom. As they were walking out of the classroom, I thought of something and called out to her, “Charlotte, next week when we do animals, what if you don’t get the elephant?” She paused, clinging to Boober and looked up at me. “Oh well!”
Photo of “Charlotte” printed with permission of “Mom”
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.