By Mike Hazlip—
The coronavirus pandemic caused many to creatively adapt in various ways, including a husband-and-wife duo from Citrus Heights who started performing live music shows online for their elementary school students when their usual Friday sing-along’s were cancelled at the beginning of the pandemic.
Now, more than a year later, Joshua and Jennifer Ray are still making home-grown children’s content in their garage. Joshua Ray teaches fourth grade and Jennifer teaches third grade, both at Orchard Elementary in Rio Linda.
The school’s Friday sing-along time during assemblies were a favorite part of the week for many children, Joshua said. It was the only music program the school had.
“It was a big tradition and a big part of our community,” he said. “When the school closed down, a staff member said they missed the morning sing and started a Facebook page for the school to keep in touch with families.”
The social media platform allowed the Ray’s to keep the music playing for their students. The Facebook group was closed to anyone outside the school however, so the Ray’s started thinking about bringing their puppet and music show to a wider audience.
“We’re also trying to reach out and make this now a little more accessible to anyone, not just our school so it becomes something that anyone can pick up and use in their classroom or in their home,” Joshua said.
Joshua already had a make-shift set built in the garage for amateur magic tricks he would perform for friends and family. A green screen cloth that had been a past Christmas present for one of their children was also found and put to use. Toilet paper rolls, zip-ties, paper scraps, and other crafting supplies became puppets. Early episodes were done using an iPhone and some shop lights.
Using common materials helps families relate to the show, says Joshua. The materials are inexpensive, and they feature a craft project in the show that children can complete at home.
“Really, what we’re trying to do is create something fun for people and for families,” Jennifer said. “That’s the first important thing is play and fun, to us, that’s the most important piece of the show,”
With a college background in music, Joshua writes many of the songs himself. The loose folksy format turns the show’s imperfections into humorous moments as the couple play off each other with playful banter.
“You need the reaction shot,” Joshua says of his wife’s response to the flubs and false starts that make it past the editing and become part of the show.
As the show’s popularity grew, the Ray’s decided to have a more structured schedule by splitting each episode into segments with regular guest spots, a project, and a book. Joshua says they still perform the songs in one take to maintain the feel of the original live sing-along.
The production became a family affair with the Ray’s middle-school aged children helping with video, making props, and even voicing some of the puppets.
While the loose, playful format keeps children entertained, the Ray’s say learning and child development are also an important aspect of the show. With over 40 years of education experience between them, Jennifer with 22 years and Joshua with 19, the couple understands that play is a vital part of development.
“Play can actually be very high level, cognitively,” Jennifer said. “It doesn’t have to be fluff, which sometimes people worry if you’re being playful, you must not be learning.”
The couple has been featured on the Kelly Clarkson Show after a parent nominated them for a guest spot. They were awarded a $1,000 check to continue their efforts, something they weren’t expecting.
The couple say their appearance on the show along with increasing likes and subscriptions on their YouTube channel gives them encouragement and momentum to continue the show and make improvements.
“That to me is why I love teaching in the first place,” Jennifer said. “You don’t always know who it’s reaching. You have fun making it, but you don’t always hear from everyone so being back in person it’s been really fun because you get that chance to have a conversation.”
The couple say they plan to continue producing the show, and are looking for more guests. They are starting to feature children’s book authors and other personalities with educational content.
Jennifer is grateful that the family has had the show to keep them busy and grow together.
“When I think about how crazy the last couple years have been, I’m so grateful that we have this creative space and project to work on.”
To view the couple’s videos on Youtube, visit their channel at youtube.com/singshowlive.
