Chuck Suchy, a farmer and singer/songwriter from Mandan, North Dakota, spent a week with the children of Mary Stark Elementary.  A half-grant provided by the North Dakota Council on the Arts allowed him to teach the children about the art of songwriting and open them up to the possibility of writing their own songs.

The children joined Suchy in a special concert Thursday night.  The children danced, recited poems they had written and performed melodies they had composed.  Suchy accompanied the dancers on an accordian.  During the rest of the concert, Suchy strummed his guitar and sang several of his original songs, including ‘Dakota Breeze’ and ‘Simply Fly.’

According to Suchy, his songs are pulled from personal life experiences.  ‘Molly’s Field,’ for instance, was written about a dog he once had, and ‘Kenny Rainbow’ was written about an interesting experience he had as a new driver.  All of the songs he sang at the concert featured life in North Dakota.

Suchy has recorded five albums.  They are listed on his web site at www.chucksuchy.com.