Spoons are typically used for slurping soup and stirring coffee.

But in the nimble hands of Jim Krzewski, these ordinary household utensils become percussion instruments perfect for playing along to everything from big band music to rock and roll.

Krzewski, whose stage name is Jim Cruise, “The Spoon Man,” visited the Oxford Public Library June 19 to share his clickety-clacking sound and an important message for the kids.

He’s been playing the spoons professionally for 31 years.

“I’m married and have five children and a mortgage. And I support my family by playing the spoons. Only in America, boys and girls,” Krzewski told the crowd.

Krzewski took up the spoons at a young age as a substitute for the instrument he really wanted to play.

“When I was 9 years old, I wanted a drum set. My mom and dad wouldn’t buy me one,” he said.

Then one day, he saw his grandfather playing the spoons. He went to the kitchen drawer, pulled out a pair, turned on the radio and began to play along.

The rest is history.

Spoons have taken Krzewski to some far off places and given him a chance to perform for some famous folks.

In 1986, while still an amateur, he travelled to the Soviet Union and played for the communist nation’s then-leader Mikhail Gorbachev.

Over the years, Krzewski’s audience has also included former U.S. President Gerald R. Ford and American television personality Fred Rogers, host of “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.”

Although he didn’t appear on television, Krzewski did make it to the second round of auditions for the long-running NBC series “America’s Got Talent.

So, what’s the secret to earning a living as a professional spoon player?

“I have 10 credit cards,” Krzewski joked.

But seriously folks . . .

He told the kids in the audience they can be successful at whatever they choose to do if they say ‘no’ to drugs, get an education and obey their parents.

“If you can do those three (things), anything is possible in life,” Krzewski said.