With the help of music, students at the Upper Elementary School “took a trip around the world” and learned more about the Iroquois Nation.
Dave Ruch, a professional musician and educator from Buffalo, visited the Upper Elementary School on December 11 to perform several songs for the third and fourth grades. 
Ruch’s performance for third grade students featured an Indian tabla drum, exotic stringed instrument from Europe, “pocket instrument” with global roots and more as students sang along in different languages and thought about ways in which we are all similar. Ruch also talked about his own eye-opening trips to Asia and the Middle East.
Ruch’s performance for fourth grade students focused on the Iroquois Nation. After a brief historical overview of the Native American tribe, he taught students a few words in Iroquoian. He and students then used those words to sing some traditional Iroquois songs. Ruch played replicas of instruments used by the Iroquois.
Both performances complement the New York State Common Core Learning Standards for Social Studies, or what students are learning about in the classroom.
“Music reaches all students,” Ruch said. “It’s always about connecting with people - - drawing them into the important stories and themes, presenting the history and culture behind the music, giving them opportunities to participate in the experience and sharing my excitement for the songs and the people who made them.”
Ruch says discomfort in the corporate world led to him becoming a full-time musician in 1992. Since 1995, he has been visiting schools and offering dynamic educational concerts, school assemblies and workshops aligned to state, national and Common Core Learning Standards across several disciplines, including Social Studies, English Language Arts, Languages Other Than English and The Arts. Ruch, who has a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Business, also performs concerts for adults, researches “heritage” music and regional culture and plays in a couple of bands.
“Connecting history and culture with music is important and fun,” Ruch said. “Leaving people happy and helping them take pleasure in their learning - - that’s what it’s really all about for me.”
In addition to his school visits and global travels, Ruch was involved in an Emmy-winning PBS documentary called, “Songs to Keep,” and an award-winning website called, “W is for the Woods.”
Ruch’s performances at the Upper Elementary School were organized by School Librarian Mrs. Livermore. Ruch also performed at the Upper Elementary School last year.