RockRoots (www.rockroots.net): The History of American Pop Music is an award-winning four-piece band that has been entertaining and educating school and festival audiences with this unique, live celebration of the history of Rock and Roll.

Just Imagine:  Dave’s popular elementary school show, Just Imagine, mixes folk and rock and roll, spontaneous songwriting, storytelling and, of course, audience participation.  Dave includes acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin, an occasional banjo, as well as unaccompanied singing. 

“The kids just love Dave.  How could they not?  They’ll hear wildly imaginative songs about the making of a peanut butter sandwich, the cat that came back, and an adventurous bear hunt.  Dave’s infectious take on traditional and contemporary folk music gets the audience cooked up in a recipe of homemade music, with fun and learning the main ingredients.” Young Audiences of Eastern PA

“A refreshingly relaxed personality and winning audience interplay make folk singer and musician Dave Fry’s performance irresistible to kids of all ages.  A virtuoso on guitar and mandolin, he turns folk selections – both widely known and new to kids’ eats – into true adventures: whether they be wild animal excursions or the right-at-home thrills of peanut butter.  Moving with ease from the downright silly “I Want to Be a Dog” to the joyfully rockin’ “Splish Splash”, Dave Fry energizes his audience with the idea that writing songs really is an adventure in fun.”  Young Audiences of New Jersey

A Hip Hooray for the USA! : an educational sing along, celebrating the history of American patriotic folk music and our American community.  From Yankee Doodle, the Star Spangled Banner, This Land is Your Land and more, Dave tells the stories behind the songs as the audience joins in.

Early Childhood Music:  Dave is a wonderful entertainer of the preschool set, with silly songs, old favorites, folk, rock n’ roll and play songs that capture the joy of making music, family-style.  Dave does seminars on early childhood music and has been on the faculty of Pennsylvania Youth Theater in Bethlehem, teaching music and movement to toddlers and primary students.

Adult Folk: Having performed in jug bands, bluegrass, Texas swing, Celtic rock, rock n’ roll and as a solo for 30 years, Dave has amassed an incredible selection of songs, tunes and ditties that span generations of music.  Dave also has seen the best in the business play, having booked Godfrey Daniels for 25 years.  From traditional folk songs to Delta blues, swing to bluegrass, rock n’ roll to Irish ballads, contemporary songs to instrumentals, Dave knows what works!

Instrumentally, Dave is adept at flat picking, finger picking and plays a remarkably percussive rhythm guitar. Dave adds mandolin and occasional banjo, and will often put down his instruments for a raucous a Capella song.  But it is Dave’s warm and engaging stage patter, audience participation and obvious joy of performing that makes for an enjoyable evening, a veritable folk festival unto itself.

Songwriting Residency: Here’s the basic format for my songwriting residency.  Each class will have two sessions apiece.  Here’s how I approach them.  We’ll go from choosing a topic, writing verses and choruses, picking musical styles, arranging the words and music, rehearsing, recording and finally performing the songs. 

I’ll need the teacher’s help in keeping the process rolling, so their input is welcome throughout the process. The kids like to know the teachers are involved, too.

               The first session will involve some rhyming games, to acquaint ourselves to the process, and myself to the kids.  We’ll then decide on a topic to write on, and start on the storytelling, the lyric-writing.  I’ll need the teacher or another adult to scribe as we create the verses and choruses.  I’ll take these back to the word processor and put the words into a format for the next session.  I would like the teacher to review the song lyrics in class until I return.

               The second session involves finishing the lyrics, setting the words to music, arranging, rehearsing, and adding movements as we go.  We’ll perform the songs together on stage for a family night or final assembly, with parents invited.  If time and funds allow, I can bring a portable studio into school, record and produce a tape or CD.  It would be great to tie in the art department to create album covers as well.

               The process is a challenge for me and I know I enjoy working with the students.  The final product is energized students, some interesting songs, an introduction to the craft of writing and performing original music, and nice sense of school community.

               Core groups are limited to 2 classes per session.  I need blackboard space, a scriber, access to word-processing on a computer, and copying facilities. 

Keith Quelet Music teacher, East Hills Middle School, Bethlehem, PA:

               I wish to express our appreciation for you sharing your musical talent with us.  The feed back we got from our students was very positive, as well as the other music teachers, who also expressed their satisfaction in how well the students related to you personally.                      

               We are still performing the song “United We Stand”.  It has become an important part of our repertoire, helping many students express something they have felt deeply for some time.  Certainly, music is a powerful vehicle which can be used in the healing process after such traumatic events.

Arts Integration Team, Scheckler Elementary School, Catasauqua, PA:

               Dave Fry is no stranger to Scheckler.  he has shared his love and boundless enthusiasm for music with our students on several occasions.  Dave immediately captures his audience’s respect and enthusiasm, and leaves them with a greater appreciation of music.  When it came to choose someone for a full day music program, Dave Fry was the unanimous choice.

               Working with both students and teachers, Dave directed the creation of both music and lyrics for a wonderful original song.  Dave’s talent and outstanding rapport with students made this task easy.

Guided completely by student input, the song quickly emerged.  Basic curriculum ideas and creative writing skills supported this musical process.

               In the evening, Dave joined an enthusiastic group to perform their song for the audience.  Humorous, creative, and energetic musical selections were created and performed.  Dave’s seemingly endless energy and talent was evident, and we would highly recommend him as an in-school artist and performer.

Debra Halpern, Director of Development Center School, Philadelphia, PA:

               Well, you heard the excitement in my voice on the day of Dave’s program here at my school.  The program was a huge success!  I highly recommend it to all.  By incorporating current curriculum, Dave’s songwriting program connected music, poetry and movements arts.

               Center School students have learning differences.  Children who suffer from Learning Disabilities often suffer from lack of self-esteem.  Drawing these students our of their shells and inspiring them to take risks is a difficult task.  Dave the staff created a safe environment where students were encouraged to express themselves and to be creative.  Dave recognized and met the challenge.  Attracting and captivating a thoroughly diverse age range of children that learn differently is even more challenging.  This has been a lesson the students will long remember.  Thank you for that.