Comments on: The Electric Company’s “Sign Song” http://www.starchamber.com/2008/03/the-electric-companys-sign-song.html Ned Gulley's Blog. Resident buzzwords: synthetic biology, ambient displays, swarm robotics, wise crowds. Sat, 22 Nov 2008 02:40:19 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6 By: JMike http://www.starchamber.com/2008/03/the-electric-companys-sign-song.html#comment-66099 JMike Wed, 26 Mar 2008 17:45:22 +0000 http://www.starchamber.com/2008/03/the-electric-companys-sign-song.html#comment-66099 We had library time at my lower-elementary school (K-3). Maybe three times a week or something like that (and it may have been more in the dead of winter when they wanted to spare us some outdoor recess time, but that's a very vague memory.) They had a TV-on-a-stand in the library there, and maybe once a week they'd play Electric Company for us. Actually watching it was optional. I played a lot of chess and Oh-Wah-Ree and read things like "Mrs. Frisbee and the Rats of NIMH" because I'd seen all the Electric Company episodes already at home. I think they (often? occasionally?) played Sesame Street for us too, and the consensus was that (even in the early days when Big Bird was the primary point-of-view rather than today's watered-down Elmo) it was pitched below us, whereas Electric Company was about right. Now as for that specific clip - I have to admit that I didn't recognize the song from Ned's text description, but about three words into it, it all came rushing back and I was able to get ahead of the ends of most of the lines... it really makes me wonder how much storage capacity the brain has, and how much of mine is filled with this kind of stuff lying dormant. --JMike We had library time at my lower-elementary school (K-3). Maybe three times a week or something like that (and it may have been more in the dead of winter when they wanted to spare us some outdoor recess time, but that’s a very vague memory.) They had a TV-on-a-stand in the library there, and maybe once a week they’d play Electric Company for us. Actually watching it was optional. I played a lot of chess and Oh-Wah-Ree and read things like “Mrs. Frisbee and the Rats of NIMH” because I’d seen all the Electric Company episodes already at home. I think they (often? occasionally?) played Sesame Street for us too, and the consensus was that (even in the early days when Big Bird was the primary point-of-view rather than today’s watered-down Elmo) it was pitched below us, whereas Electric Company was about right.

Now as for that specific clip - I have to admit that I didn’t recognize the song from Ned’s text description, but about three words into it, it all came rushing back and I was able to get ahead of the ends of most of the lines… it really makes me wonder how much storage capacity the brain has, and how much of mine is filled with this kind of stuff lying dormant.

–JMike

]]> By: St. Frank http://www.starchamber.com/2008/03/the-electric-companys-sign-song.html#comment-65816 St. Frank Mon, 24 Mar 2008 15:53:17 +0000 http://www.starchamber.com/2008/03/the-electric-companys-sign-song.html#comment-65816 As a product of the (early 70's)-California Public School System, I must say that I cannot bear to watch this. In Third Grade this show was actually part of our CURRICULUM. They would wheel a TV in on a stand, with the help of a nerdy fifth grade A.V. assistant(Oh, lucky boy!) and dim the lights. If I remember correctly the teacher would either leave or take a nap at the back of the room as we were forced to endure this show. Perhaps it was more enjoyable in a less prison-like environment. As a product of the (early 70’s)-California Public School System, I must say that I cannot bear to watch this. In Third Grade this show was actually part of our CURRICULUM. They would wheel a TV in on a stand, with the help of a nerdy fifth grade A.V. assistant(Oh, lucky boy!) and dim the lights. If I remember correctly the teacher would either leave or take a nap at the back of the room as we were forced to endure this show. Perhaps it was more enjoyable in a less prison-like environment.

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