Students in one Perry elementary class can now add songwriting to their list of skills.

Terra Webb’s third grade class just finished up a six week program with Des Moines based singer/songwriter Mary McAdams.  For one hour each week, McAdams would travel to Perry, guitar in hand, to meet with the class who helped her write and perform a new song.  But in addition to learning how music comes together, Webb says the students learned about the importance of a safe, collaborative environment.

“It was really influential, I would say, for them because they are hesitant sometimes to say what they think because of what other people are going to think or say and so she just made it very clear that anything is open, anything is welcome and nothing was wrong that they could have said” says Webb.

The students were involved with every aspect of the process, from picking the guitar chords out of a hat to choosing the topic of the song, writing the lyrics and recording their voices.

It’s all part of the Songs to Save the Planet program, and the Perry students chose to write about a Monarch Butterfly and how their habitat continues to dwindle.

Webb was able to secure funding for the program through a grant from the Metro Arts Alliance and fundraising dollars from the Perry Elementary Parents organization.

For her it was a fun way to create a unique opportunity for her students.

“I think it’s important for my students to have authentic learning experiences that are not what you traditionally think of when you think of teaching and the beauty of it all was I didn’t really have to do much teaching at all the flow of it, it was just a natural process.  And all that they learned from it was pretty amazing.”

For more on the program, tune into our full conversation with Webb on today’s Let’s Talk Dallas County during the 9am, noon and 5pm hours.

Click here to Listen to “Last Butterfly in Perry” by Mary McAdams and Perry Elementary Students

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