Students are no strangers to hearing their parents or teachers read them stories, but Kim and Reggie Harris, who are part of the 37th annual Tale Tellin’ Festival, tell stories a little different — through music.

As Reggie strummed his guitar Tuesday in Pickard Auditorium that was full of sixth graders from School of Discovery, Kim sang and moved her hands to the music.

“Some of the children are used to seeing people read stories from books, so I think it is a different thing when they hear some of the same kinds of stories but told by someone actually standing in front of them doing it in an older tradition,” Kim said with a smile. “You see their faces, and they start listening and leaning.”

The students’ faces were covered in smiles, as the storytellers told stories of how slaves used songs to guide one another on the Underground Railroad.

As Kim sang “Wade in the Water,” she taught the students hand motions and verses that meant certain things to the slaves on the Underground Railroad.

“It is exciting, especially when we’re singing songs that we know and tell them about the secret codes,” Kim said. “I love that part just to watch their faces, and of course when we do Satchel Paige. That is just plain old fun.”

The couple also performed a song about Satchel Paige, a famous baseball player who played in the American Negro League and Major League Baseball. Every time Kim and Reggie said Satchel, the students would sing Paige.

“There are so many songs that have stories embedded in them or tell the story right through the song,” Kim said. “One of the most famous is the song about John Henry. When we sing that one we’re telling African American history and also actually telling the historical story right into the song.”

The duo visited Payne Elementary, Hope Academy and the School of Discovery Tuesday and will visit Morgan Academy and Meadowview Christian Wednesday and J.E. Terry Elementary, Valley Grande Elementary and Martin Middle Thursday.

Beth Wilson, a board member for ArtsRevive, said it is important to share the art of storytelling with the schools in Selma and Dallas County because it is a part of American culture.

“When Mrs. Kathryn [Tucker Windham] started this … she always said we lose our traditions, we lose our heritage because we don’t sit down and talk,” Wilson said. “In this day and age our children are so used to texting so they don’t know how to communicate, so seeing somebody up on stage and communicating and them communicating back with them is just an extremely valuable experience and one we don’t want to lose.”

This year’s festival will feature Kim and Reggie Harris along with Bill Epp and Wanda Johnson. The Swappin’ Ground, where people can share their own stories, starts Friday and Saturday at 6 p.m., and the main show begins at 7 p.m. The festival is usually held at the Carneal Building, but it has been moved to the Wallace Community College Selma theater. Admission for adults is $15 for one night or $25 for both nights. Admission for students ages nine through 17 is $10 for one night or $15 for both, and children ages eight and under are free.