Ella Jenkins

Dirty Linen

This is an excerpt from the print edition of Dirty Linen #133 (December 2007/January 2008).
The full article is in the magazine, available on newsstands, by subscription, and at the Dirty Linen webstore.

Ella Jenkins

Keynote Singer

by Linda J. Morris

Children's street games and chants, coffeehouses, vaudeville shows, and family concerts by a favorite uncle: Ella Jenkins's early influences have taken her from the sidewalks of Chicago's South Side to venues across the country and, truly, to the far corners of the earth. She's been called the "First Lady of Children's Music," an ambassador for multiculturalism, union activist, trailblazer, a musical force -- and one terrific table-tennis player.

When reached at her home in Chicago this summer, Jenkins was celebrating her birthday. If there were ever any doubts as to her impact, they were put to rest amid the flurry of phone calls, cards and letters, flowers, gifts… from grateful fans, both in and out of the business, who have been inspired and informed by this much-honored pioneer. At 83, Jenkins continues to maintain a full schedule of performances, and she spoke of her planned October appearance as keynote speaker for the Washington Association for the Education of Young Children. "I would say I'm a keynote singer," she said, laughing.

So what did she plan to say to all those educators? "This time, the emphasis is on my 50th year of recording songs, chants, rhythms, and rhymes for children," she said, referring to her half century with the Smithsonian Folkways label. "We're gonna go back and explore some of these chants. And many of the people -- some of them have grown up with me -- some of them are getting their first job, and some are buying their own agencies. What I do is I try to provide audience participation. I try not to entertain at a workshop. I share ideas, approaches, and methods that they can use in their class or agency. All the time, we're doing something together."

Accompanying herself on ukulele, harmonica, pipe organ, and various percussion tools, she emphasizes audience participation. And, she said, she has seen the enthusiasm grow over the years. Jenkins introduces beloved call-and-response songs, chants, rhythms, as well as original material. Her repertoire also includes a hefty dose of intercultural music. Children are her primary focus. "I go all around the country and out of the country sharing ideas. And children are stimulated to listen and enjoy," she said, noting that even at professional conferences, some of the adult participants bring their children. In her presentations, no subject is banned -- not even math. "Children are fascinated by numbers," she said, and recalled the many times children as young as four wanted to show off to her how high they could count.

Through music, "You learn history, geography, travel, poetry -- I started writing poetic lines before I wrote songs," Jenkins said. Whenever she travels, she tries to visit the local library's children's section; this gives her information about the local culture, as well as inspiration. Her recordings include songs from such diverse ethnicities as Latino, Russian, Jewish, African, Middle Eastern, Asian, and European. She loves to come away from a trip with a travel bag full of new material and ideas, but she added, "I also bring a bag full of south Chicago to leave with them."

[cover #133]