American Fork Events

Link: http://joshuacreekmusic.com

Joshua Creek

writes music about faith, love and family with a decidedly country feel. They are tight performers with a show that is a nice blend of their original music with a friendly, humorous discourse with the audience. Some of the three-part vocal harmonies could have used some tightening up, but other than that it was an excellent concert and the audience was obviously having a blast.

The set included music from their first two albums:

• Life’s Like That - a catchy celebration of the random bad and good events that just seem to crop up in life. I’ve heard this before on the radio.
• A sentimental song about a quilt patched together from the silk of a wedding dress, the denim from grandpas dungarees, etc.
• Honey Do List - a humorous, good-natured look at all the things our wives would like us to do after hours.
• Mary You Again - probably one of the most poignant love ballads ever written for married people. I’ve heard this on the radio and in the bookstore and I can’t help but get emotional when I listen to it.
• She’s my Everything - another song I’ve heard before, nice up-beat love song.
• What Kind of Car - I find it amazing that a group of LDSs from Utah could have a number one song on southern country Christian radio for 2 months, but this is that song. Very funny, but also has a kind of undeniable logic to it, concluding that Jesus would choose a pick up truck.
• Chart a Course/Set me Free - strong folk rock inspirational tune.
• I Love You Son - this song has been around for quite a while, I heard it years ago at an LDS musicians fest. It is a great song that you just have to listen to in order to feel the poignancy in it. I won’t try to describe it here.
• Encore : Sand Lot Stadium - fun.
• . . . and more.

Dixie and I had a great time. Check them out at their website to see where they’re playing next.

More pictures:

People gathering at the American Fork amphitheater for the concert.

Mayor Thopson introduces Joshua Creek.

Joshua Creek

Grandpa air guitar contest.

Link: http://defuddler.com/

As you can see, Mr. Felt got the kids up and singing with him from the very beginning of his part of the show. From the front, no this was not the best singing and the songs are super simple in their design, but that was all part of the charm. Simple songs that teach basic educational principles. I know a lot of teachers would like to have these as tools for the classroom.

A friend of mine in the city who was sitting next to me, and who like me has a fairly classical bias, made a comment about ‘counter-culture’ but I personally feel there is room for the simple in teaching the young (and for pressure-free enjoyment among adults as well). The Kodaly method (a widely respected music education approach) uses many simple folk songs to teach children the basics of singing and sight reading. I think Felt’s tuneful little songs, in a variety of styles, hold up against the educational value of "rain, rain, go away" and other old tunes that form the rudimentary basis of Kodaly. Besides their melodic value, they help teach some of the concepts in the core curriculum that teachers are always trying to find engaging ways to reinforce. There were songs about:

• The Scientific Method
• Reading
• Writing
• Synonyms
• Stories
• Sentances
• Behavior

Also, the kids really seemed to be enjoying getting together and sing. I know many of them were from Mr. Felts own classes at school, but any time you can get kids singing is a good thing, period. I don’t recommend this type of material for a replacement of methodical music education (which we need more of at a younger age in this area), but it is a nice supplement.

To learn more about Joseph Felt visit http://defuddler.com/