Thank you to the Silverthorne Police Department for reminding me of two lessons I teach about the power of words and their musical language. On a usual Interstate 70 road trip from Silverthorne to Frisco Saturday night, Oct. 2, I probably inferred way too much when I noticed one of Summit County’s electric buses and a Silverthorne police car.

When I wrote a short rhyme last February for my four-year old granddaughter, I was looking forward to the time when she could visit me in Frisco. One activity we would enjoy together was taking a ride on one of the new Summit Stage electric buses. At the time I had no idea that this rhyme would turn into the song it is now and that my twin grandchildren would have so much fun singing it via my website to pre-K age groups.

Our family is separated by many miles, however, there is a slim chance that all of us could get together in Frisco to edit and rerecord the song without sacrificing the fun, purpose, meaning, rhythm and community effect of the first line.

“Up in Frisco, Colorado, there’s a big new bus,” versus “Up in Summit County, Colorado” versus “Up in (insert your town’s name).”

Keep in mind, though, that words and their musical elements matter, especially to kids!