Greg & Steve's special audience

gregandsteve072: Greg and Steve
Blair Center student Jude Alkhyyat and teacher Carminia Moreno rock out with one of Greg and Steve’s dance along songs.
It is perhaps fitting that the tune on which children's songwriters and vocalists Greg and Steve ended their March 14 Bakersfield concert was titled "The World Is A Rainbow." They sang of "many kinds of colored flowers, many kinds of people, you be you, and I'll be me, look what happens when we stir it up, when we are together it is such a sight to see." Included in the audience that day were students from the Kern County Superintendent of Schools' severely disabled class at the Harry W. Blair Learning Center. It was an audience to which Greg Sclesa and Steve Millang could relate. What they do grew out of their experiences as special needs teachers in Los Angeles 32 years ago.

"We worked seven years in special education and have a close affinity with these kids," said Sclesa. "We know its an audience that deserves a good time and that is what we try to provide. In the very beginning of our teaching years we worked with emotionally disturbed preschool children. The songs we wrote had to be simple but engaging enough to grab their attention. The good news we found is the same formula works for all children between the ages of about three and seven."

As Greg and Steve played on March 14, it was almost magical watching the transformation going on out in the audience. The children from Blair are being taught with a curriculum which started in Bakersfield and is now used around the world called MOVE (Mobility Opportunities Via Education). It focuses on teaching students with severe disabilities to sit, stand and walk independently. Greg and Steve's music was helping them use some of the motor skills which are being worked on in the classroom daily.

When, the singing duo did their humorous "If You're Happy" song, putting on goofy-looking hats and making exaggerated facial expressions, they drew reactions ranging from looks of wonder to smiles and unbridled laughter. Greg and Steve's songs encourage audience participation. They even bring some children up on stage to share in the experience with them. When they launched into dance tunes, "The Jerk," "Air Guitar" and "The Chicken Dance," many of the Blair students with help from teachers and aides were twisting, shaking and moving up and down to the music with very visual signs of enjoyment on their faces.

"They listen to Greg and Steve's music all the time in class and this lets our students see and react in person to the singers who write those wonderful songs they hear," said Linda Ynostroza, Blair severe disabilities teacher. "When we get back to the classroom, we'll put on their CD and keep the children in the mood. Greg and Steve are very expressive and repetitive, and you can see how they have learned from working with special needs children."

In all, the famous singers, whose children's songs are recorded worldwide in seven different languages, performed four days in Bakersfield at the Valley Baptist Church. Their performances were seen by an estimated 7,000 children and provided needed revenues for the nonprofit Community Connection for Child Care (CCCC) Advisory Council.

"We keep the prices reasonable and affordable," said Lisa Duncan-Purcell, CCCC program manager. "It's fun music that teaches very usable information in the classroom. It stands the test of time, and we have already signed Greg and Steve to be back next year to perform March 12-14."


Print This Page   Email This Page