Learning Through Song At Hawley School

By Larissa Lytwyn

Celebrated musician and songwriter Les Julian visited Hawley School recently, teaching students how to compose music — and get in touch with their own unique potential.

“You all have potential to be anything you want,” he told students in Linda Giordano’s second grade class. “If you try.”

Mr Julian told the class about how mistakes can lead to great discoveries, such as the fusion of waffle and ice cream at the 1904 World’s Fair. “Now everybody loves ice cream cones!” he declared, laughing. He picked up his guitar and began singing a song about the discovery, emphasizing lyrics on how problem solving can lead to exciting new possibilities.

“So don’t be afraid, ever, to make a mistake,” he said with a warm smile.

The songwriter, whose honors include a Parent’s Choice Gold Award, is part of the Hawley PTA’s ongoing cultural arts residency program. Each year, a professional involved in children and the arts visits classes for weeklong periods, teaching students how to cultivate their own artistic potential.

Mr Julian crafts lessons around each class’s current unit. He collaborated with Ms Giordano’s class to create a song about fire safety, including the ability to plan a fire escape route in all situations. A New Haven resident, he is the past president of the Connecticut Songwriters Association. His newest release, On My Dad’s Shoulders and previously, Living in the Land of Ooh, Ahh, won Parent Choice Recommended Awards. For more information, call 203-393-5862 or visit www.lesjulian.com.