THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, November 9, 1995 TAG: 9511080145
SECTION: SUFFOLK SUN PAGE: 24 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY FRANK ROBERTS, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: SUFFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
Mixing teaching and singing is a juggling act for Darryl Yandle. His other juggling act is juggling.
That, plus riding a 6-foot-high unicycle, will keep him busy onstage Saturday at Nansemond River High School.
He and his wife, Patti - the Singing Teachers - will be among the entertainers for the American Education Week Kick-Off Variety Show.
Others who will help raise money for the Suffolk Education Association are the Lakeland and Nansemond River High School choruses and Honey in the Rock, which dances to Gospel.
The Peanut City Cloggers also will dance and the Hurrah Players, Hampton Roads' premier children's performing group, will sing.
Rhapsody Breeze, a student woodwind group, will perform along with emcee, Chuck Windley, who mixes comedy and magic.
The 35-year-old Singing Teachers mix contemporary pop and inspirational, and Darryl adds in a little unicycling and juggling.
``I've been using a unicycle since I was 13,'' he said. ``I saw one in a store in Newport News, begged my dad for it, promising I'd learn to ride. I learned in about half-a-day.''
Yandle learning juggling about the same time.
``It fascinated me,'' he said. ``I enjoy anything that takes coordination.''
Yandle enjoys anything athletic.
He teaches physical education and health at John F. Kennedy Middle School and coaches field hockey and girls tennis at Nansemond River.
When he served as head coach for the junior varsity football team at Suffolk High School, from 1985 to 1990, ``we went to state competition every year, one year winning it all,'' said Yandle, who also has coached football, basketball, golf, soccer, field hockey and tennis.
His greatest achievement?
``I caught her,'' he said, nodding toward his wife, who has her own list of achievements including reading, cross-stitch, sewing and dancing.
``I've been dancing 20 years and now I'm back taking lessons,'' she said ``jazz, tap, ballet.''
Not to be outdone, their children, 8-year-old Katelyn and 7-year-old Matthew also take dance lessons.
Both children are into Scouting, soccer, archery and enjoy shooting their BB guns.
Darryl, who enjoys the computer game Conquest and singing with the Commonwealth Chorus, also has garnered a reputation as a good cook.
``His very best is smoked jerky,'' Katelyn said, referring to a dish made from deer meat. Matthew prefers dad's steak.
Dad prefers spending his time ``wrestling on the bed with the kids. Four years ago, we broke a bed.''
Darryl and Patti met at Slippery Rock State College, now a university, when both were seniors singing in the school choir.
Her interest in music was expressed in her major, music therapy. His came from his family. ``My mom was a choir director and an organist.''
The close-knit family is active at Magnolia United Methodist Church. They sing at other churches, in and out-of-state.
``We get a lot of free dinners,'' said Patti, a native of Horseheads, N.Y. Darryl was raised in Smithfield.
Six months after they were wed, 11 years ago, they began singing as a duo.
``We do weddings, dinners,'' Darryl said. ``We work in spurts - sometimes two or three times a month, sometimes there's nothing for a couple of months.''
This month, they are working on behalf of the American Education Week Kick-Off Variety Show. MEMO: AT A GLANCE
What: American Education Week Kick-Off Variety Show.
When: 7 p.m. Saturday.
Where: Nansemond River High School auditorium.
Tickets: $5, available by calling 539-3324, 393-3873 or 539-3468.
They also can be purchased at the door. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by JOHN H. SHEALLY II
Darryl Yandle, left, and his wife, Patti, will bring their juggling,
cycling and singing to the American Education Week Kick-Off Variety
Show.
by CNB