Two members of the Hill Brothers of Williamsville, N.Y., visited Washington Elementary and Niles Middle Schools last week to bring the message that bullying is bad.
''We want you to try to create and maintain a bully-free school and community,'' said Judd Sunshine, one of the members of the singing and comedy duo.
Sunshine, acting as the straight man to the comedic antics of partner Jerry Raven, is a self-taught musician who plays the electric and acoustic string bass from the New York City area. Raven, a performer since the 1960s, also sings and plays the 12-string acoustic guitar.
During their lively rendition of ''There's No Place for Bullies In Our School,'' the performers sang the chorus up to the last three words and encouraged students to finish the last line by shouting, ''in our school.''
In addition to teaching there's no place for bullies in the schools, Sunshine's and Raven's songs encouraged students not to bully ''outside of schools, on the bus, at home or anywhere.''
In another song, the performers encouraged the teachers and school administrators to get into the act by standing and sitting each time they sang a word beginning with the letter B in the song ''My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean.''
There are three types of bullies, Sunshine said. They are cyber bullies who pick on people over the Internet, physical bullies who push people around and exclusionary bullies, who purposely leave someone out.
Two 40-minute sessions enabled the entire school to participate in the program, which was funded by the Home and School Association and by the Title program.
In the late afternoon, parents and students were give the opportunity to see the performers again at the Niles Middle School where they performed in the gymnasium. A light dinner was served in the cafeteria for those who took part in the event.
The Hill Brothers were founded in 1977 to bring educational music programs to students in the Buffalo, N.Y. area, and since then have expanded to include programs through New York state, Pennsylvania and Ohio.
The group is made up of a total of four members. Performers Dave Ruch and Susan Rozler also spread their message of anti-bullying to students.
In addition to the anti-bullying message, The Hill Brothers also use their talents to encourage students to maintain a healthy and drug-free environment.
The goals of the program include getting students excited about the school's efforts to provide a safe and bully-free environment, to convince students that bullying in any form is not OK, and to encourage students to speak up if they see someone being bullied or if they are being bullied.
''We will help, you're not alone. Don't face trouble on your own,'' Sunshine and Raven sang to students.
Teachers were given study guides with suggestions for discussions with students to reinforce the lessons the performers brought to the schools through their music and comedy.