By BLUEGRASS JOHNSON
Rural Route Music 

BITTERSWEET, Ky. — And now for something completely different … sort of.

For those of you who faithfully read this column every week, you know I end it with a grade for the person I have written about. You’ve also noticed almost everyone gets an A because I believe in staying positive and saying good things about people who deserve good things to be said about them.

The inspiration for the grades comes from my wife, who has spent 30 years in public education, more than 20 of that in the classroom. I say all that in leading up to this week’s column to tell you about someone you’ve likely never heard of: Someone who has never recorded a record although she has a voice like an angel – someone who has dedicated her life to expressing music of a different kind.

Her name is Magen Woods, and she is an agriculture educator from western Kentucky. I had the pleasure of meeting her recently when I attended the third week of Kentucky FFA LTC Summer Camp. (Yes, there are so many students wanting to attend FFA camp there, it has to be done over the course of the whole summer.)

I came to camp in anticipation of writing and producing a short film about – well, FFA summer camp. By the way, if that sounds boring to you, then you’ve obviously have never attended an FFA camp and maybe you should. But I’ll leave that for the film.

Woods surprised the students during a talent show competition by singing one of my all-time favorite songs, "I Hope You Dance" by Lee Ann Womack. Now, before you leave this page and turn to the hog report, hear me out: This lady truly has a wonderful voice – a voice that could easily be on stage – but she has chosen a stage of a different kind. She has chosen to be on the stage of education.

Each day she greets her students at Caldwell County High School to teach them the virtues of agriculture and why it is so important. (Oh, and if you don’t know why it’s so important, go look in your refrigerator and food pantry; enough said.)

My whole point of this column is twofold. First, I salute Magen and all of the other extremely talented singers/musicians who could be gracing our airwaves with their great voices but have chosen other paths. Second, I salute our wonderful teachers who deserve all the positive reinforcement they can get in a world where politicians usually make up the rules about education. (Who came up with that rule?)

If we had no one to teach the next generation … well, I’ll let you finish that sentence.

For all the singers like Magen Woods who chose to be superstars on a different stage, you all get – you guessed it – an A+. For those teachers who spend their lives teaching others to read and write and think and give students the foundation to move the world forward, there isn’t a grade high enough.

Bluegrass Johnson comes from a long line of country music performers and enjoys a passion for the rhythm and melody. From the hills of Kentucky, he will offer his opinions on a variety of new country music each week. Readers with questions or comments may write to Johnson in care of this publication.