PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Dave Ruch’s experience as a full-time performer and teaching artist includes thousands of concerts, school assemblies and classroom visits, and countless hours of song research and program development. He is uniquely qualified to provide dynamic, effective professional development seminars and in-services for educators, cultural organizations and artists on a host of topics.

FOR TEACHERS

Using Music in the Classroom
(No Musical Training Required!) all grades
Music has a special potential for engaging all students. This session is for the librarian or classroom teacher who would like bring more music into the classroom, but doesn’t know where to begin. Dave offers dozens of ideas to help the complete musical novice to effectively integrate music into their day for teaching curriculum, telling stories, transition times and just for fun! Included are creative ways to use recorded music, resources and tips for finding songs to illuminate any area of the curriculum, comments on reaching "difficult" students, songwriting as a learning tool, and tips and tricks for encouraging the active participation of all students.

The American Songbag - Traditional and Historical Songs in the Classroom
upper elementary grades
No musical training required! What songs did the cowboys sing as they blazed their way up the dusty trail? On the ships carrying immigrants and transporting goods across the ocean to America, why did one person sing alone while the rest of the crew sang together? What did this singing sound like? And how might these songs enrich and excite our students in their studies of American history and culture?

The New York State Songbag - Traditional and Historical Songs in the Classroom
4th grade teachers
No musical training required! To teach our students songs from our heritage not only enriches them as human beings.....it also excites them in their studies of New York State History. Learn the ABC’s of finding these little gems and using them in your classroom to promote powerful interdisciplinary learning.

The Erie Canal - A Musical Trip
from Albany to Buffalo....and beyond
4th grade teachers
A treasure trove of songs and folklore from the workers, captains, passengers and crews of "Clinton’s Ditch", presented in an interactive session culminating with songwriting project where we will create our own canal song much the way the old-time canallers did it! Bring these ideas back to class with you.

The Native Americans of NY State -
Iroquois Life and Music
4th grade teachers
Musician and educator Dave Ruch leads you through this highly acclaimed classroom program, using songs to illustrate various aspects of Iroquois life, and culminating in a project where we will create our own song about the forced relocation of the Iroquois to the reservations. Highly interactive; no musical training required!

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FOR MUSIC EDUCATORS

Traditional Songs and Singing
all elementary grades
Modern research shows that children in the United States are not singing the songs of their heritage, an omission that puts the nation in jeopardy of losing a longstanding and rich part of it’s identity. Dave has been singing traditional folk songs with children for years, and has a great store of ideas for finding and using them in the music room. For the younger grades, lots of authentic children’s songs and singing games, and for the upper elementary grades, we’ll explore fun songs from various regional singing traditions around our country: canal songs, cowboy songs, sea shanties, work songs and more.

Folk & Stringed Instruments Workshop
all grades
Demonstration and instruction on 5-string banjo, guitar, mandolin, lap dulcimer, jaw harp &/or washtub bass(!), combined with some background/history on the instruments and great participatory songs performed on each. Take these ideas and songs back to your classes! Instructional workshops on individual instruments also available.

For the Truly Adventurous
elementary grades
Dave has an abiding interest in teaching children to sing traditional songs from our heritage, and integrating these regional gems into the school music curriculum. In many cases there are songs that are local to certain communities around NY, PA & OH, yet they are not being sung or taught today - - they have fallen into obscurity. Dave welcomes inquiries from elementary music teachers on project-based collaborations to find this song material, teach it, and write and design curriculum around it. Grant funding is generally available for such projects.

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FOR MUSICIANS & OTHER ARTISTS

The Business of Doing What You Love for a Living
for all artists
Making your full-time living as an artist is indeed a rare joy and a privilege, but doing what you love is only one piece of the puzzle. To maintain a viable career as a professional artist, you also need to be your own accountant, computer specialist, marketer and office manager. You are now a small business! Dave shares ideas and real-life solutions for tax preparation, health insurance, advertising/marketing, bookkeeping, time management and more.

Marketing for Musicians and other Artists
for all artists
Marketing and advertising can be somewhat daunting issues for artists. Dave combines his education and professional experience in the field of marketing with over a dozen years of practical experience generating work in the arts to address some of the most common questions....How do I advertise? Do I need to advertise? How much will it cost? What works and what doesn’t? Should I design my own promotions or spend the money to have someone else do that? Who should I send them to? Where can I get a mailing list? I sent out a costly mailing once and nobody responded..why? How else can I get the word out? How do you get so many gigs?

How to Make Money Working in Schools
for all artists
The nuts and bolts of taking your art form into primary, elementary, intermediate and middle schools to inspire young learners, and supplement your income. Included are ideas for designing and structuring a program, recipes for success (and disaster!), marketing to schools, tips for working with children at different age levels, how to set your fees and a whole lot more practical advice.

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FOR MUSEUMS, LIBRARIANS, HISTORICAL SITES & OTHERS WHO WORK WITH CHILDREN

Working with 4th Grade Students (AND ALL KIDS!)
Tips and best practices from over tens years experience in hundreds of classrooms and thousands of large-group assemblies for children ...engaging your audience with humor and participation techniques, managing the session, what kids don't care about, and the 4th grade sense of humor.

See outline from program given for National Parks Service employees at Fort Stanwix National Monument, Rome NY