The Community Building Power of Music
I was asked by Grant Station to write about the community building power of music for their website newsletter. Grant Station connects non-profits to potential grant opportunities.
music
A Stage Name? Why Not Dance A Bit More?
I gently kicked the vintage, boxy suitcase that was on the floor between me and a group of 15 second graders. The suitcase literally vibrated with all types of rattling, clanging and ringing sounds. “You want to see what’s in there?”, I asked. They erupted, “Yes!” I opened the suitcase to reveal more than 20 …
Music and the Arts: A Privilege For a Lifetime
Something that truly bothers me is when someone believes they have no musical talent or that they used to play as a youngster but gave it up. This is sad because everyone can play music. After all, everyone has music pounding away inside of them in the form of a rhythmically beating heart. That is …
Music’s Next Frontier: Healing
One of the fundamental responsibilities of an executive director of a music related non-profit (MusicForEveryone.net) is advocacy regarding the value and impact of music in our schools and communities. As I was a novice in this regard when Music For Everyone was founded in 2006, my learning curve has been steep. And the learning continues …
Tiny Tim: An American Musical Visionary
If you are over 50, you surely remember him. How could you not? Certainly you remember his signature song: “Tip Toe Through the Tulips”. Yes, we’re talking about Tiny Tim, that tall, long, stringy haired, goofy looking dude playing the ukulele and singing in that quivering, falsetto voice. He was silly, campy and probably did …
Building Walls vs. Building Bridges: Music’s Role
Despite the current political climate where efforts to build walls, ban travel and separate different ethnic groups is increasing, an argument can be made that over time, the forces of globalization are simply too strong and, ultimately, will prevail. Whether it relates to the economy, the environment, religion or culture, the fact is, the world …
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A Stage Name? Why Not Dance a Bit More?
I gently kicked the vintage, boxy suitcase that was on the floor between me and a group of 15 second graders. The suitcase literally vibrated with all types of rattling, clanging and ringing sounds. “You want to see what’s in there?”, I asked. They erupted, “Yes!” I opened the suitcase to reveal more than 20 …
‘Strange Fruit’ to ‘Hey Jude’: Music Protests Large and Small
For my money, WBGO, which airs out of Newark, NJ, is the world’s finest jazz station. Founded in 1979, WBGO is “a publicly supported cultural institution that preserves and elevates America’s music: jazz and blues.” Due to the wonders of the internet, you can livestream WBGO anywhere in the world. In this case, I was …
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Guns for Teachers? How About More Violins for Students?
Originally published in Lancaster Online on May 25th, 2018 As I walked home from the March for our Lives rally for gun control and school safety in Lancaster, Pennsylvania’s Binns Park, being one of millions of participants in the estimated 800 events worldwide, I couldn’t help but think, “Maybe…possibly…this time will be different.”The typical …
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Life Lessons From the Blues: CeDell Davis
It’s not often that an obituary sticks in your head for more than a week, let alone six months. I can’t get the life story of CeDell Davis out of my head. Davis was a Delta bluesman from Arkansas who used a knife for a guitar slide to create a sound, described by New York …