Memorization

Janie Wilson's auditorium class included dramatic and choir presentations, which required memorization. One of the earliest experiences I can remember on the stage was a nighttime performance with parents, in which I and several other boys, dressed like beatnks, sang a popular song of the mid fifties--"Standing on the Corner." It was not a big memorization job, but an accomplishment for a child likely only in the third grade or so.

Memorization of square dance routines also was required, by Mrs. Keating, and included nightime performances with parents invited.

I was reminded of another memorization task in a recent e-mail:

From: Shari Stern Sent: Mon 9/3/2007 6:22 PM
To: Don HancockCc: Stephen Webb
Subject: Oh. My. G-d.
I can't believe this just flew out of my brain. How is it possible? I was somewhere online and a photo of Buzz Aldrin on the moon popped up. This is what I thought: In a 3rd or 4th grade, I think, assembly, we did some sort of musical or play. You sang, "I am the man in the moon, I mind my p's and q's,I don't like to be disturbedby anyone from the earth, I'll always call this home, I'll never from here roam, Cause I'm happy, just living on the moon!" You sang it in a monotone!!!!!!!!! It was hilarious. Do you remember?

Shari obviously is one of those who has an elephant memory. I can confirm this happened and she has the words right but have no other memories as to the time or place--other than it was on the Reinhardt stage.

In the 8th grade, my wonderful English teacher taskmaster Miss Suggs, who was single and lived in an apartment on swinging Gaston Avenue, required all students to memorize and recite to her this poem.

And in the 10th grade my English teacher taskmaster Mrs. Wilbanks required all students to memorize and recite to her this poem.


It was probably good for us children to be required to memorize things like these. And as I responded to Shari, it's probably good for us old folks to keep the brain cells firing with seredipitous stuff like this blog.