2014-2015 CLASSROOM CONCERTS
Program Title
Doc Possum Classroom Concert Series!
!PerAcoustic Performances
Doc Possum Solo-Acoustic Performances
Grade Levels Pre-School – 8th Grade Audiences Limit: 40
Program Theme
Doc Possum Classroom Concert Series offers Inspiring and Engaging
performances in a small audience setting featuring popular original compositions
and songs by artists who have served as influences and inspirations (Beatles,
Elvis Presley, Scooby Doo, etc)
Program Objectives
Inspire Future Artists Today!
Classroom Concert Series main objective is to educate, entertain and inspire
audiences through engaging performances which are geared towards the single
classroom setting in order to best provide an up close and personal experience
with robust audience interaction and participation throughout.
See Objectives page for Specifics!
Program Activities
Classroom Concert Series 20-30 Minutes (multiple shows available)
-Introductory song-(based on musical series)
-Personal Introductions-Who I am, how and why I became a musician. Who are they?
-Song Selections- 2-3 songs from the chosen series with buildup of audience participation through singing, dancing, physical and
verbal cues (clap hands, jump up and down, answering questions, etc) and musical performance (small percussion instruments
and such).
-Background/supplemental information on featured music series- Example: Story telling using bio info on members of group, fun
and interesting educational facts about the artists and/or style of music, read aloud from selected appropriate level texts.
-Song Selections (2-3) based on performance series
- Materials introduction and objective: appropriate level post-performance activities including color sheets, crosswords,
-Closing Song and acknowledgements
Repertoire
Song Selection and materials are dependent on featured musical series which include the following offerings:
Doc Possum- Original compositions from 2004 “Doc Possum “Pouch Music” Release
which include but not limited to If I were a Superhero, Morning Sunshine, Best Friend, In
Dreams, I Don’t Have A Dog, ABC, Sun, Sun Sun, Boogie Man along with various songs
from influential artists and inspirations (Beatles, Elvis, Scooby Doo, etc)
Pouch Music CD Link with Song Previews: www.cdbaby.com/cd/docpossum
Technical Requirements
15 minute set-up and 10 minute strike time, 6’ x 4’ section of class to house artist staging
area which includes stool, Amp, and percussion materials. Prefer staging to be center of
class or corner that offers best location to engage and interact with audience. Basic
power outlet will suffice. Access to classroom “Smart-Board” type media if available.
Performance Preparation
Classrooms will be sent digital copies and/or downloadable links to pre-performance
materials which include Doc Possum bio and background information on chosen
musical series and post-performance activities along with a classroom survey form for
teacher to complete in order to best accommodate the specific class needs.
After the Performance
-Post performance materials and follow-up activities include but not limited to color
sheets, brain games, as well as student authored lyrical and musical song composition
submission opportunities.
-Teacher Assessment form to be used for formative/summative purposes by artist.
607-542-5443
doc@docpossum.com
www.docpossum.com
Doc Possum Bio
Doc Possum is the musical outlet of popular singer/songwriter David "Doc" Cavallaro
who has entertained audiences of young and old alike since 1994 with a diverse
musical output that's ranged from grunge rock to his current success in the
family/children's music genre.
By day I am a New York State certified Social Studies teacher however songwriting
has always been my major driving force for which I have had a small taste of success
along the way to keep me motivated and inspired to carry on. Ironic enough, it wasn't
until I became a father myself and started writing some "family friendly" tunes that doors
opened more so than ever before with the release of my "Pouch Music' CD featuring
"songs for the child inside us all!”
2004 Doc Possum "Pouch Music" Release
Who would of thought that from a batch of 10 songs that were rudiment-ally recorded
in a 2 day span on my home computer that I would soon be playing for the biggest
audiences ever, cashing BMI royalty checks, hearing my songs on major media outlets
and eventually sitting in the Viacom offices to discuss possible song placements for
their Noggin and Nick networks. I am very thankful for the success I have had and I feel
it is my duty to help "pay it forward" and by helping to inspire others to imagine, create
and go after their dreams.
The Future is Now!
Performance Development
objectives
Education and Cognitive Development
 Students will use rhythm and rhyme to aid memory and phonological
development.

Students will learn lyrics for increased vocabulary and reading comprehension.

Students will learn about history by listening to various songs from different time
periods.

Students will receive cognitive development with improved listening skills and
learning new words and concepts.
Social and Emotional Development
 Students will learn increased cooperation through interaction in a group
participation setting.

Students will gain awareness of their emotions and healthy ways to express their
feelings and creativity.
Physical Development
 Students will gain increased body awareness and gain gross motor coordination
through participatory musical activities.

Students will develop fine motor skills coordination through participatory activities
which include instrumental and song activities.
Overall Benefits

Music is typically a very positive experience, and using music while educating
children helps facilitate objectives and goals. Music is motivating and may
increase attention in children. Music is also a creative experience and stimulates
a child's imagination. Many musical activities assist learning objectives, and what
is learned through a song or other activity can be generalized to some
educational concept.
Advanced Educational
Development:

Students will become aware of diverse cultures, develop curiosity about societies and
their art, and will acquire the ability to place music, including music of various cultures of
the world, repertoires beyond the area of specialization, and music of their own time, in
historical, cultural, and stylistic contexts.

Students will acquire an understanding of the common elements and organizational
patterns of music and their interaction, and the ability to demonstrate this understanding
in aural, verbal, and visual analysis.

Student will demonstrate a working knowledge of appropriate historical and stylistic
performance practices.

Students will work independently and cooperatively on a variety of musical problems by
combining their capabilities in performance; aural, verbal, and visual analysis;
composition and improvisation; and history and repertoire.

Students will demonstrate the understanding of basic interrelationships and
interdependencies among the various professions and activities that constitute the
musical enterprise.

Students will acquire knowledge and skills sufficient to work as leaders and in
collaboration on matters of musical interpretation, including rehearsal and conducting
skills as appropriate to the particular music specialization and degree program.

Students will develop skills to become lifelong learners in the musical art, both as
participants and as audience members.

Students will acquire and demonstrate sufficient understanding of musical forms,
processes, and structures to use this knowledge in compositional, performance,
scholarly, pedagogical, and historical contexts.

Students will form and defend value judgments about music.

Students will acquire experience in a secondary performance area.

Students will acquire and demonstrate technical skills requisite for artistic selfexpression in at least one primary performance area at a level appropriate for the
particular music specialization, including an overview understanding of the repertoire in
the primary performance area, an ability to perform from a cross-section of that
repertoire, and the ability to perform in a variety of solo and ensemble settings.

Students will acquire a basic overview understanding of how technology serves in the
field of music as a whole and a working knowledge of the technological developments.
Identify the various uses of music in history and the characteristics that make it suitable
for the event.
Identify and explain the stylistic features of a musical work that serve to define its’
aesthetic tradition and its’ historical or cultural context.
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Evaluate a performance, composition, arrangement, or improvisation by comparing it to
similar or exemplary models.
Evaluate a given musical work in terms of its’ aesthetic qualities and explain the musical
means it uses to evoke feelings