“I don’t know if you can teach creativity…it’s some connection within ourselves,” says Mark Mendonca. “Wherever those ideas come from, it’s not taught. So you have to allow it. That’s our philosophy in terms of their education: finding their interests and allowing these … [Read more...]
A Minstrel for the Earth (328)
Singer-songwriter and guitarist Dana Lyons’ lyrics can be darn funny and downright moving. He sings passionately from his love of the Earth. This show opens with Dana’s rich deep voice singing his signature “Cows with Guns.” Listen closely to the hilarious lyrics! He talks … [Read more...]
How Shall I Walk With This Wounded Earth? (275)
Pauline Le Bel is bringing a lifetime of performance as a singer-songwriter, poet and actor to the telling of new stories. "The old stories aren't serving us anymore," she says. "They tell us we're separate from nature." She wrote Becoming Intimate with the Earth to heal the … [Read more...]
Rhythm and Song for Body, Mind and Spirit (264)
Shasta Martinuk and Brian Hoover facilitate Rhythm Circles — drum and song circles, and a unique form called TaKeTiNa (tah-kuh-teen-uh). Their circles aren't about performance, so people can enjoy without those pressures. Participants learn through call and response rather … [Read more...]
The Light Returns: Solstice beside the Salish Sea
It is Christmas day. We are house-sitting with Carson the Cat in a Victorian house in Victoria, British Columbia. Yesterday we were moved by a delightful reading of Dylan Thomas' "A Child's Christmas in Wales" by narrator Nelville Jones, a Victorian Welshman. Interwoven … [Read more...]
Dancing with Nyamuziwa Marimbas at Ballard Farmers Market
Sunday mornings we bike to the colorful Ballard Farmers Market, our primary food supplier in Seattle. We fill our bike bag with local grass-fed raw dairy, eggs and meat plus colorful seasonal veggies. The last two Sundays I couldn't help but dance to the infectious rhythms … [Read more...]
The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace (212)
"This is a very important piece of music, a very powerful piece of music," says Ken Hardin, conductor of Sierra Master Chorale. In advance of their performances on May 17 and 20, 2012, he provides a musical guided tour of this contemporary work by Karl Jenkins, commissioned … [Read more...]
Singing Minstrels – Teaching Kids about Climate Change
Enjoy toe-tapping tunes as environmental educators Sharon Abreu and Michael Hurwicz regale us with songs like "Penguins on Thin Ice." Their shared goal is for education to be fun and entertaining. Their catchy lyrics bid "Goodbye, Oil" and ask "How do we find the balance?" … [Read more...]