The Florence Rideout Elementary School Chorus sings Dharma's song. Updated story here June 3, 2018.6/3/2018 ![]() Wow, so much has happened since Christmas. Let me tell you about the kids at the Florence Rideout Elementary School in Wilton, New Hampshire. Mama Chell and Papa Sommese told me all about it. Being a dog, I can't really go to school, so I kind of live through them. And that is okay by me. The whole thing has been SO MUCH FUN! Anyway, it began with Mama meeting with Nancy Tong, retired music teacher. DID YOU KNOW that Mama woke up one morning, singing the tune to my song. It was so COOL. I mean like, it would not go away. Da da da da da da da da da. I mean over, and over and over. She was still teaching then and since she was NOT GETTING ANY SLEEP, she decided to go and ask Mrs. Tong if she could put the music and words down, ON PAPER, because well, she was NOT GETTING ANY SLEEP until this was done. So kind Mrs. Tong did this. Then student Miski came and volunteered to sing it. Whew, Mama said, it was good to get it out of her head because clearly, IT NEEDED TO COME OUT. So, that was about four years ago, and all the music sat in a binder, on the shelf, until just this year. So Mama, went back to Mrs. Tong and asked her to help her to finish the whole, GETTING IT ALL TOGETHER part of the process which she did. Once that was done, Mama was looking for kids that might like to sing it. To the rescue again, Mrs. Tong suggested that it might work better if we found a group of kids, like a choir, and got them to sing the song, I think mostly so that they would ALL BE IN TUNE. I guess that makes sense. Any way, she said she knew a music teacher, Mrs. Aparo, who taught at the Florence Rideout Elementary School and would see if she had interest. This was SSSOOOOOOOOOOOO great because this is where Dharma Doxie began!!!. People don't know this but six years ago Mama took the simple pictures that artist Judi Wing drew for the book and Mama added the story and read it to three classrooms at the time. Kids loved it so Mama decided to go on and see where we would go. I am sure you can see how wonderful the pictures are from the book samples on the front page, so here we are. We were so happy for the opportunity to go back to FRES and have students from there sing my song. That is them singing my song on the HOME page. Mrs. Aparo, the wonderful music teacher there took my song and her team of over forty students practiced it every Thursday during chorus, and also on their recess time because Thursday was just not enough time. They VOLUNTEERED to do this. How wonderful. Anyway they only had chorus on Thursday, which Mama Chell would go there and hear them practice. It warmed her heart. What dedication!! Thank you guys.
Then again, how to get it recorded. Mrs. Tong, to the rescue again. She suggested Mr. Jim McClure, from Betsy's Folly Studios in Lyndeborought N.H. and with Mrs. Tong, a very accomplished key board musician accompanying them as they sang the song, with Mrs. Aparo's direction. They were good. It all came together and Jim recorded my song on March 29th. Thank you Mrs. Tong and Mr. Jim. You can see their pictures below. I was so proud. And excited, I almost peed the floor. Our adventure continued because for two days before the spring concert, Mama and Papa went to FRES and read my book, teaching the little kids the sight words and the tune for the refrain (she is such the teacher) and then Mama sang the song to the Little Kids, with them singing my refrain. What fun!!! Then they got to see my Dharma the Bee video, up on You Tube. Mama and Papa taught every student how to give Dharma Hugs as they were leaving the classroom. I give Dharma Hugs by putting my paws up, you put up your paws (hands) and we (high five) hug each other. Then each student got a free Dharma Hugs sticker. See the pictures below. I will say, sssssssshhhhhhhhhh, don't tell Mama and Papa, but any student who sends me a Self Addressed Stamped Envelop, I will send you a Dharma Hugs sticker. ABSOLUTELY FREE. Write me back. Let me know how you like my BLOG. Our adventure continued because on day three the spring concert was here. The chorus sang my song, while Papa put up a power point so that everyone in the audience could see the book that went along with the song. We sold Dharma Doxie books, and t-shirts (that is a whole another story) and gave away Dharma Hugs stickers and book marks. We made it a little fund raiser so we were able to give back to the music program. We made a t-shirt for each student in the chorus and made a dvd for each student so they would have their own copy of the song, and made them a Dharma Doxie song book, just so they will remember this adventure. The whole night was such fun. The school's mascot is a fox so Mama Chell put it on this log entry so you could see it. She loves birches, so she always stopped an admired the mosaic work that student in the school did themselves. Anyway, did I say all of this was way too COOL? Will keep in touch. Happy Day and Dharma Hugs Dharma Dharma
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