When Music Meets Poem: Kris Delmorst's "Strange Conversation"

Sea Impression (M.A. Reilly, printed on linen)

I really love Kris Delmhorst's interpretation of John Masefield's "Sea Fever" on a released album of hers, Strange Conversation (2006).  I could listen to it over and over again. 

Sea Fever
BY JOHN MASEFIELD

I must go down to the seas again, to the lonely sea and the sky,
And all I ask is a tall ship and a star to steer her by;
And the wheel’s kick and the wind’s song and the white sail’s shaking,
And a grey mist on the sea’s face, and a grey dawn breaking.
 
I must go down to the seas again, for the call of the running tide
Is a wild call and a clear call that may not be denied; 
And all I ask is a windy day with the white clouds flying,
And the flung spray and the blown spume, and the sea-gulls crying.
 
I must go down to the seas again, to the vagrant gypsy life,
To the gull’s way and the whale’s way where the wind’s like a whetted knife;
And all I ask is a merry yarn from a laughing fellow-rover,
And quiet sleep and a sweet dream when the long trick’s over.

Her range is powerful. In contrast to the lulling and soulful "Sea Fever," her spirited take on e.e. cummings's poem "anyone lived in a pretty how town" is nothing less than rambunctious.  The whole album is excellent.   

[anyone lived in a pretty how town]

Dear Secretary Duncan...

Last night my family and I traveled to Connecticut to attend the Masuk High School choral concert conducted by Dr. Robyn Gangi.  What was so different from other concerts I have attended was that this was less a performance and more an invitation to watch a master teacher and his students create.  It was intimate, deeply moving, and reminded me of the immense value of the arts. To move an audience requires keen intellect, grand empathy, and significant skill. All were displayed last night and had I polled the audience I am confident that there would not have been one among us who would not have said that these young people are 'career and college ready' with nary a paper test to be had.

Have a listen. This was from last night.




Here's the choral group in 2009 (and yes, it is announced at this engagement that the choral group had been invited to sing at the Vatican).




The arts matter in ways we are simply foolish to not acknowledge. As Maxine Greene says, they disturb us into awakening.  They matter more than school math and school reading and the mountain of tests that accompany these subjects. They matter more than STEM and more than PISA results. They matter most, because they awaken the imagination allowing us to be better and (other)wise. Truly, in a world defined by its inter-connectivity, can there be anything as important as becoming (other)wise?  Regardless of our economic circumstances, geographies, gender, ideologies, beliefs--we learn and express what it means to be human via the arts.

Who will our children become when the influence of the arts is denied, repressed, underfunded?

Secretary Duncan, alongside the increased testing that you have supported, funded, and championed that narrowly focuses on school math, reading and writing--the arts are being written out of school budgets and the very academic subjects you want to be privileged are being reduced to only that which can be tested. Now to be sure,  I am not saying that you are the cause of this, but I am saying that your continued emphasis on high stakes testing makes the actions of school boards and administrators inevitable.  This out-of-whack funding will only get worse when billions more are siphoned from public school budgets to pay companies to produce Pineapplegate-quality tests.  More arts programs and deep engagements with learning will be underfunded, and along with these our children will be lost.

The idiocy of this is that the very outcomes your administration and moms like me seek can be found inside quality arts programs like Dr. Gangi's. The study of music is as scholarly as it is embodied; as serious as it is joyful. It is agency personified. Go ahead and look at these young people in Dr. Gangi's choral group and tell me that you cannot see their commitment and agency--hear their voice and skill.

Secretary Duncan, you need to help this country balance its priorities and can do so by recommending a moratorium on high stakes testing for just two years and in its stead fully funding the arts and teachers.

If you ask America's teachers, its local communities, and its artisans to solve the concerns related to student achievement--they will answer.  It will be the start of a revolution that privileges children, not profits; method and outcome.  By the way, Dr. Gangi is retiring from public education in a few weeks. Last night's concert and another scheduled in two weeks represent his final work with these students. He'll have some time on his hands and perhaps you could tap him and others like him who also are leaving public education and ask them to guide you.

If you ask, many will answer and nary a corporation will be among them.

Improv

A brief film I made based on images taken during the last 24 hours with my iPhone.  I used the Hipstamatic app for all images.  The music is by copperhead and the song is Chillin' with Jeris.

Picture Books that Focus on Music

In this post, I recommend picture books, mostly with a global multicultural emphasis that focus on music.

Aliki. 2005. Ah, Music! New York: Harper Trophy.
Anderson, M.T. 2003. Strange Mr. Satie. Illustrated by Petra Mathers. New York: Viking Juvenile.
Anderson, M.T.  2001. Handel Who Knew What He Liked. Illustrated by Kevin Hawkes. Cambridge, MA: Candlewick Press.
Belting, Natalie. 2006. Whirlwind is a Spirit Dancing. Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. Introduction by Joseph Bruchac. New York: Milk & Cookies Press.
Brown, Monica. 2004. My Name Is Celia: The Life of Celia Cruz/Me llamo Celia: La vida de Celia Cruz. Illustrated by Rafael López. Flagstaff, AZ: Luna Rising.

Burleigh, Robert. 2001. Lookin’ for Bird in the Big City. Illustrated by Marek Los. San Diego, CA: Silver Whistle/Harcourt, Inc.
Bynum, Eboni and Roland Jackson. 2004. Jamari’s Drum. Illustrated by Baba Wagué Diakité. Toronto: Groundwood.
Carle, Eric. 1996. I See a Song. New York: Scholastic.
Celenza, Anna Harwell. 2006. Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Illustrated by Joann E. Kitchel. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

Celenza, Anna Harwell. 2005. Bach’s Goldberg Variations. Illustrated by Joann E. Kitchel. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.
Celenza, Anna Harwell.  2004. The Heroic Symphony. Illustrated by Joann E. Kitchel. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.
Celenza, Anna Harwell.  2003. Pictures at an Exhibition. Illustrated by Joann E. Kitchel.
Chambers, Veronica. 2005. Celia Cruz: Queen of Salsa. Illustrated by Julie Maren. New York: Dial.
Costanza, Stephen. 2004. Mozart Finds a Melody. New York: Henry Holt.
Curtis, Gavin, 2003. The Bat Boy And His Violin. Illustrated by E. B. Lewis. New York: Aladdin.
Cutler, Jane. 1999. The Cello of Mr. O. Illustrated by Greg Couch. New York: Dutton Juvenile.

Dillon, Leo and Diane Dillon. 2002. Rap a Tap Tap: Here’s Bojangles—Think of That! New York: Scholastic/Blue Sky.
Dole, Mayra L. 2003. Drum, Chavi, Drum!/ ¡Toca, Chavi, Toca! Illustrated by Tonel. San Francisco: Children’s Book Press.
Dumont, Jean Francois. 2005. A Blue So Blue. Translated by Michel Bourque.New York: Sterling Publishing Co.
Fitzgerald, Ella. 2003. A Tisket, A Tasket. Illustrated by Ora Eitan. New York: Philomel.
Gatti, Anne. 2005. The Magic Flute. Illustrated by Peter Malone. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.
Gerstein, Mordicai. 2002. What Charlie Heard. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Gollub, Matthew. 2000. Ten Oni Drummers. Illustrated by Kazuko G. Stone. New York: Lee & Low Books.

Hayes, Ann. 1995. Meet the Orchestra. Illustrated by Karmen Thompson. Orlando, FL: Voyager.
Hopkinson, Deborah. 2002. A Band of Angels. Illustrated by Raul Coloñ. New York: Aladdin.
Igus, Toyomi.1998. i see the rhythm. Illustrated by Michele Wood. San Francisco, CA: Children's Book Press.
Isadora, Rachel. 2002. Bring on that Beat. New York: Putnam.
Isadora, Rachel. 1997. Young Mozart. New York: Viking.
Isadora, Rachel.  Ben’s Trumpet. New York: Harper Trophy.
Johnson, Angela. 2004. Violet’s Music. Illustrated by Laura Huliska-Beith. New York: Dial.
Kono, Erin Eitter. 2005. Hula Lullaby. Boston: Little, Brown. Krull, Kathleen. 2003. M Is for Music. Illustrated by Stacey Innerst. Boston: Harcourt.
Kuskin, Karla. 1986. The Philharmonic Gets Dressed. Illustrated by Marc Simont. New York: Harper Trophy.
Lester, Julius. 2001. The Blues Singer: Ten Who Rocked the World. Illustrated by Lisa Co- hen. New York: Jump at the Sun.
Littlesugar, Amy. 2001. Shake Rag. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper. New York: Putnam Juvenile.
London, Jonathan. 1996. Hip Cat. Illustrated by Woodleigh Hubbard. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.

Lord, Michelle. 2008. A Song for Cambodia. Illustrated by Shino Arihara. New York: Lee & Low Books.
Mathis, Sharon Bell. 2006. Ray Charles. Illustrated by George Ford. New York: Lee & Low Books.
Colin McNaughton, Colin. 2004. Once Upon an Ordinary Day. Illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura. Andersen Press.
McPhail, David. 2001. Mole Music. New York: Henry Holt and Co.
Medina, Tony. 2009. I and I: Bob Marley. Illustrated by Jesse Joshua Watson. New York: Lee & Low Books.







Miller, William. 2004. The Piano. Illustrated by Susan Keeter. New York: Lee & Low Books.
Miller, William.  2001. Rent Party Jazz. Illustrated by Charlotte Riley-Webb. New York: Lee & Low Books.
Moss, Lloyd. 2003. Music Is. Illustrated by Philip Petit-Roulet, New York: Putnam.
Moss, Lloyd. 1995. Zin! Zin! Zin! A Violin. Illustrated by Marjorie Priceman. New York: Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing.

Myers, Walter Dean. 2007. Jazz. Illustrated by Christopher Myers. New York: Holiday
House.
Myers, Walter Dean. 2006. Blues Journey. Illustrated by Christopher Myers. New York: Holiday
House.

Myers, Walter Dean. 2001. The Blues of Flat Brown. Illustrated by Nina Laden. New York: Holiday House.
Nelson, Marilyn. 2009. Swethearts of Rhythm: The Story of the Greatest All Girl Swing Band in the World. Illustrated by Jerry Pinkney. NY: Dial.
 Nichol, Barbara. 1999. Beethoven Lives Up-stairs. Illustrated by Scott Cameron. New York: Orchard.
Orgill, Roxane. 1997. If I Only Had a Horn: Young Louis Armstrong. Illustrated by Leonard Jenkins. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
Pinkney, Andrea Davis with Scat Cat Monroe. 2002. Ella Fitzgerald: The Tale of a Vocal Virtuoso. Illustrated by Brian Pinkney. New York: Hyperion.
Pinkney, Andrea Davis. 1998. Duke Ellington: The Piano Prince and His Orchestra. Illustrated by Brian Pinkney. New York: Jump At The Sun.
Pinkney, Brian. 1997. Max Found Two Sticks. New York: Aladdin.

Price, Leontyne. 1990. Aida. Illustrated by Leo and Diane Dillon. New York: Harcorut.
Pritchett, Dylan. 2006. The First Music. Illus-trated by Erin Bennett Banks. Little Rock, Arkansas: August House.

Prokofiev, Sergei. 2004. Sergei Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf: With a Fully-Orchestrated and Narrated CD. Illustrated by Peter Malone. New York: Knopf Books. Raschka, Chris. 2002. John Coltrane's Giant Steps. New York: Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books.
Raschka, Chris. 2001. Simple Gifts. New York: Henry Holt.
Raschka, Chris. 1997. Mysterious Thelonious. New York: Scholastic.
Raschka, Chris.1992. Charlie Parker Played Be Bop. New York: Scholastic.
Roberts, Brenda C. 2004. Jazzy Miz Mozetta. Illustrated by Frank Morison. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Ryan, Pam Muñoz. 2002. When Marian Sang: The True Recital of Marian Anderson. Illustrated by Brian Selznick. New York: Scholastic.


 Say, Allen. 2004. Music for Alice. San Diego, CA: Houghton Mifflin.
Schroeder, Alan. 1999. Satchmo’s Blues. Illustrated by Floyd Cooper.New York: Dragonfly Books.
Schubert, Leda. 2006. Ballet of the Elephants. Illustrated by Robert Andrew Parker. Millbrook, CT: Roaring Brook Press.
Schuch, Steve. 2002. A Symphony of Whales. Illustrated by Peter Sylvada. Orlando, FL: Voyager Books.
Seeger, Pete & Paul Dubois Jacobs. 2006. The Deaf Musicians. Illustrated by Gregory Christie. New York: Putnam Juvenile.

Shange, Ntozake. 2004. Ellington Was Not a Street. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Siegelson, Kim L. 2003. Dancing the Ring Shout! Illustrated by Lisa Cohen. New York: Jump at the Sun.
Sis, Peter. 2006. Play, Mozart, Play! New York: Greenwillow.
Smith, Charles R., Jr. 2002. Perfect Harmony: A Musical Journey with the Boys Choir of Harlem. New York: Jump at the Sun.
Stauffacher, Sue. 2006. Bessie Smith and the Night Riders. Illustrated by John Holyfield. New York: Putnam.
Taylor, Debbie A. 2004. Sweet Music in Harlem. Illustrated by Frank Morrison. New York: Lee & Low.
Troupe, Quincy. 2005. Little Stevie Wonder. Illustrated by Lisa Cohen. San Diego, Ca: Houghton Mifflin.
Velasquez, Eric. 2001. Grandma’s Records. New York: Walker.
Wilson, Budge. 2006. A Fiddle For Angus. Illustrated by Susan Tooke. Toronto: Tundra Books.
Winter, Jonah. 2006. Dizzy. Illustrated by Sean Qualls. New York: Arthur A. Levine Books.
Winter, Jeanette. 1997. Sebastian: A Book about Bach. San Diego, CA: Houghton Mifflin.