PHOTO BY GREG CNZADEL
Wednesday, May 27, 2026; Music in the Benjamin Franklin Community Garden Pavilion, 1905 Spring Road: Janelly Gomes (with sister Sophia), had an 8th grade dance to go to at 5:30. She had one request for showing up; that the music director Scott Franklin save C Jam Blues, composed by Duke Ellington, for her. She got dressed (in a beautiful ruffled purple dress) and came with her clarinet, ready to play.
by Greg Cznadel
(Plain Press July 2026) Benjamin Franklin Elementary School held their year-end music concert on May 24 at the Benjamin Franklin Elementary School in Old Brooklyn. It brought love to the hearts of the people that filled the seats, even the tabletops of the school cafeteria.
This article could be about the little third graders holding up the letters R-E-S-P-E-C-T, smiling and moving their feet in rhythm to the music of “Check it Out (It’s About Respect).” Or students showing off for the first time their newly found improvisation skills the director had taught them. (Or even the small group of 4th graders that kept bugging the music director for months to learn to play, who so willingly gave up their lunch or recess for several weeks prior to the concert to learn trombone.) It could be about Elexia, an eighth grader showing off her multi-talented skills on the sax, piano and drums. Or of course, Jeanette giving one of her last renditions of “Hit the Road Jack” prior to moving on to high school, hitting every note.
Some things you can’t teach kids from a book. Some subjects don’t lend themselves to multiple choice questions. Mr. Scott Franklin, schoolteacher for eleven years at Benjamin Franklin School and an alumnus of the school itself (six years at the time), has found a way to instill the love of music, song, improvisation, and dance in his elementary school music classes. Friendship and commitment too. Also how to take the bull by the horn.
Like when the microphone was being intermittent and Mr. Franklin was trying to fix it, Jeanette kept shouting out the steps to Mango Walk, with a smile on her face. And last year, to Scott’s surprise, when she took up the wireless microphone she was handed and started strolling around the isles of the church like she owned the place.
At this spring’s concert at the Benjamin Franklin school in Old Brooklyn, Scott gathered a medley of music and dance to showcase the students’ hard work throughout the year. From “Check it Out (It’s About Respect)” by the youngest students to the closing solo “Hit the Road Jack.”
IN MY MIRROR
A special song written by Scott, “In My Mirror”, was introduced by Mr. Franklin with him telling the story of its origin. Alumni and anyone who knew it stepped up and joined the choir.
“In my first-year teaching at BF I went to a music teacher convention for three days. On the last day, when all of the businesses had closed their booths, and almost all teachers had left for home, there were a handful of workshops still going on in the last time slot.
“I was on my way out of the convention as I walked past a room with a workshop that caught my eye. In one part of the class they read a book called “In My Nana’s House There Are No Mirrors”. It sparked something in me…a thought that all of us already have our own mirror inside.
“In this mirror, we see everywhere we’ve been, what we’ve done, what’s been done to us, our shaping and experiences both good and bad. We can describe this mirror to others, but they can’t see it.
“We all tend to judge others according to what’s in our own internal mirror. But we have no idea who others truly are and what has shaped them. The only way we could ever know others is by putting down our expectation of what they have lived through, because we have no idea. We have to listen to them and their experiences.
“Less judging, more listening and more compassion.”
BAND
The band performed with songs like “C Jam Blues,” composed in 1942 by Duke Ellington in the key of C major. The tune is well knownfor being extremely easy to play, with the entire melody featuring only two notes: G and C giving the students a chance to improvise. When asked how this is taught Scott said, “The first thing we do is give them one or two notes and encourage them to play whatever they want with those two notes. Then I introduce the blues scale or the pentatonic scale and tell them to only use as many or few notes as they want to. Sometimes they use notes from the melody.”
Elexia switched from Alto Sax to drums for this piece with Scott on the trumpet and Mr. Demitrius Steinmetz performing alongside.
Mozart Melody, the famous opening bars of Eine kleine Nachtmusik, known in English as “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” was played by fourth graders that according to Mr. Franklin “kept bugging me for months, so I finally said they could come at lunch/recess, even though all I had were trombones.”
Chameleon is a jazz fusion standard composed by Herbie Hancock. It gets its name from the way the song constantly shifts its musical styles, moods, and textures. Like a chameleon changing its color to adapt to its surroundings. Hot Cross Buns, and Pass the Peas finished off this section.
DANCE
Jeanette, an eighth grader. called out the “Mango Walk,” a traditional Jamaican folk song. The lyrics playfully tell a story of someone accused of going into a neighbor’s orchard to steal “number ‘leven” mangoes (a popular pinkish variety in Jamaica). This was followed by the dance Alabama Gal, similar to a Virginia reel, described as a banana being peeled, the path followed laid down with tape on the tile floor. Cha Cha Slide called by 5th grader Sophia Gomez, invited alumni familiar with the dance to come up and show off their moves. Alumni afraid to show off their moves were grabbed by one another to finally join the kids.
Elexia (Alto Sax). and Janelly (Clarinet) will attend the Cleveland School of Arts for high school next year. The alumni will continue to attend these concerts to support the students.
MUSIC IN THE GARDEN.
The following Wednesday the Benjamin Franklin Community Garden opened up their pavilion to these students to share their music. Mr. Franklin thanked the four students that came of the ten who were asked to come and perform.
Carmela on trumpet is in 4th grade, Sophia and Hianais in 5th grade on Sax, and Kilan on trumpet and drums in 7th. Scott said, “that is how life is… you have a commitment and you keep it.”
Janelly Gomes, Sophia’s sister, had an 8th grade dance to go to at 5:30. She had one request for showing up, that Scott save C Jam Blues for her. She got dressed (in a beautiful ruffled blue dress) and came with her clarinet. The band performed admirably. Scott said he “really wanted to thank all the parents that made this work tonight. He really appreciated Kilan taking over the drums. Scott was so excited that he hopped on the drums, he pointed to his parents in the audience and told them he would loan them his set for the summer for Kilan to keep practicing. Scott explained how music skills are Life skills.
When talking to Kilan’s father Kevin afterwards he said he never had the opportunity to learn music when growing up and is so proud that Benjamin Franklin has this program.
This past year The All City Jazz Band reached out to younger kids to play with the high school students to help recruit them for their program. Eleven of Benjamin Franklin’s kids joined them at the Cleveland School of the Arts every Wednesday. Scott said, “We were the only school in Cleveland that responded to them.”
Scott said the next song is Coña Brava. Scott said, “Whenever they get together, it’s always funny. Some want to play this, others don’t. They are going back to summer camp in August. When they get back they will all want to play it.”
From “In My Mirror”:
In my mirror on the wall, I see the truest me of all
What I long to change and grow, what I love that no one knows
In my mirror I look so fine, I sparkle, shine, I’m mine, all mine
I’m everything I want to be, In my mirror where nobody else can see.
THE LOST STATE OF FRANKLIN
One would not know that this Mr. Mister Rogers of school kids, music director Scott Franklin, lives a life outside his school.
His band, the Lost State of Franklin, began in earnest in 2005, when Franklin, then preparing to move to Nashville, played his first set at Mike’s Barn in Elyria, Ohio. By Christmas 2005, Franklin was visiting his parents in Jonesborough, Tennessee, and saw a street named State of Franklin. Intrigued, he researched the history of the “lost” state — a real historical footnote — and the name resonated with him. The band was officially named Lost State of Franklin on Christmas Eve 2005.
Their debut album, Quarter Til Lonely, was released in 2006. Today, Lost State of Franklin continues to perform, though less frequently than in earlier years.
“I write to give you real stories, even if they aren’t all mine. And even if they aren’t all true. They’re all real. I never sat down to write a hit. I sat down to write the best story I am capable of, even on the funny songs. Although I spent a weekend with Lost State of Franklin playing my own songs to crowds of 10,000 in Belfort, France, I am just as happy playing to 25 people who will listen to every word.”
“Before the pandemic, while working full time teaching music in an urban district, I averaged 80 performances per year, often logging 100+ hour weeks. I’ve spent my life trying not to be a public-school teacher, but the path keeps sending me back there.“
Plain Press 
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