“It’s Revolutionary!” Lake George Historical Association hosts children’s program

Which founding father invented a new musical instrument? Who is the “female Paul Revere”? What are all the verses of “Yankee Doodle”? These questions and more were answered Sunday afternoon at a Lake George Historical Association program for children held at the museum on Canada Street.

“It’s Revolutionary!”, which tells stories of the American Revolution with interactive storytelling and song, is a production of sisters Debi “Miss Debi” Craig and Dorthea “Miss Dorthea” Casey, both retired music teachers.

Miss Debi and Miss Dorthea focused much of their presentation on local Revolutionary War events, beginning with Ethan Allen and the Green Mountain Boys and a telling of how this feared band helped capture Fort Ticonderoga and all its artillery from the British.

Their former roles as music teachers were evident as they showed the children how to tap out rhythms with sticks and use a tabor to replicate the Kaboom of cannons Henry Knox retrieved from Fort Ticonderoga, cannons that chased the British out of Boston.

Miss Dorthea sang the multiple verses of “Yankee Doodle” beyond what most learn in school, and she read Longfellow’s “Paul Revere’s Ride.” Casey explained that there were actually three riders that night, but everyone knows of Paul Revere because “he had good PR,” with Longfellow’s poem embedded in the American literary canon.

Another, lesser-known story of a “midnight ride” is that of Sybil Ludington, the female Paul Revere. The 16-year-old Ludington is reported to have ridden 40 miles overnight to round up militiamen for an attack on the British in Danbury, Connecticut.  

Miss Debi introduced the audience to the Armonica, the first musical instrument invented in the United States. The inventor was none other than Benjamin Franklin. Franklin, she explained, was enchanted by the tones produced by swirling a wet fingertip around the rim of a drinking glass but wanted an easier, faster way to create a tune.  

He engaged a glassblower to create a series of glass bowls of various sizes with holes in the bottom. He threaded them on a steel rod attached to a wheel that could be turned with a foot pedal. With moistened fingers, the player could create tunes that Franklin’s wife thought came from heaven.

Miss Dorthea and Miss Debi demonstrated how to create music at home using drinking glasses, filling them with varying levels of water to produce different tones.

Guests at “That’s Revolutionary!” also examined dioramas of American Revolution events created by Cynthia Whitman of Toying with History and took home coloring pages filled with drawings and information about life and events of the era.

Casey and Craig are descendants of Jacob Bailey, who fought in the American Revolution. “So, we think songs about this time are really important,” Casey said. After retiring from teaching, they began bringing history to children through literature, music and play because they wanted to tell the stories often missed in school and, “We needed to get the kid fix … We miss seeing kids every day.”

A video of the event will be uploaded to the Lake George Historical Association’s YouTube channel.

The Lake George Historical Association’s next event will be Caldwell Celebration Day with musical guests Adirondack Rovers on Sunday, August 2, 5-7 p.m. at the museum. The Association is also offering Ghost Tours of the historic Old County Courthouse, and on Monday, August 10, the supernatural investigators Finding Dystopia, will be at the museum looking for ghosts. Tickets for ghost tours may be purchased at the LGHA website.