4/17/08
The ‘Learning Station’ comes to Manning Early Childhood
By Jerriod Grizzle

JERRIOD GRIZZLE/Manning Times

Don Monopoli engages the children of Manning Early Childhood Center April 9 while performing his show, “The Learning Station.”

What do you do with 640 kids on a Wednesday afternoon? You let them dance and sing their hearts out, of course.

This was the case April 9 at the Manning Early Childhood Center when performer Don Monopoli with his show “The Learning Station,” rolled into town for an hour and a half to teach kids simple lessons using music and physical activities.

Founded in 1985, the Learning Station is now a nationally recognized recording and performing company playing almost 150 shows a year around the United States and Europe.

“I’ve always wanted to be a conductor,” Monopoli told the children in his conductor’s cap, jeans and suspenders. “You can be whatever you want to be.”

Even teachers got in the act of making children laugh. Several teachers got up on stage playing “air” instruments while a recorder in the back played music over two loud speakers. The image of teachers up on stage acting as if they were in a rock band made the children laugh almost to the point of tears.

Principle Betty Harrington said she loved the idea of Monopoli coming to MECC and praised his work as an educator.

“We had him here before and we had some grant money left over and his show fit in with our curriculum,” she said. “It is an all-around good time for the kids and for the teachers. Sometimes the teachers are more excited than the kids.”

Harrington said that the teachers of MECC use Monopoli’s songs in their day-to-day teaching activities, so it was only natural that he come back and perform.

“(Monopoli’s songs) teach basic skills like following movement, shapes and colors and the parts of the body. The music and songs catch the kids’ attention and they respond well to it,” Harrington said.

She pointed out that as an added bonus, the interactive show fits in to the district’s wellness program.

Monopoli said he loved performing for the kids.

“The children, the parents and the teachers love it. How could you not?” he said.

Monopoli said that he was glad that his job brought so much joy into the hearts and minds of children.