Using a sample from Paul Simon and this quote from MLK, here’s a soundscape in response to current events.
Contagious is a huge word right now. I thought it deserved a song to explore the meaning a little bit. Incidentally, in a bit of dark humor, kids at Heather’s school were playing “Coronavirus tag.” Trust kids to be creative in the hard times. here’s a spotify link., and an apple music link Contagious …
Nearly 30 years ago I visited Egypt as part of a Middle Eastern tour/trip. I loved the warmth of the people and the sense of old and deep culture. I don’t mean the pyramids, although those were amazing in their own way. I mean the markets, the rhythm of conversation, and an accepting, curious, connected …
When my stepdaughter started high school, we asked her about her first day when she got back home. There were the usual jitters and hiccups, but the sad part is that she ate lunch by herself. The kids she knew had lunch at a different time. Although she shrugged off any hurt feelings, we felt …
When we were in Scotland over the summer I ran across this organization. It’s called Playlist for Life. It helps people to compile playlists for older folks with dementia. They do other support around music and memory, but I really liked the idea of being systematic about it. Imagine the comfort that would come from …
This is a great NPR story that summarizes much of what I have learned about kindness and how we raise children. Very worth a listen/read. Here
Mark Helpsmeet does a fantastic radio interview series called Song of the Soul. I was honored to be a guest on the program a few months ago. It’s worthwhile to checkout all the people he’s interviewed. An amazing cast of characters for those of who love acoustic music infused with soul, spirit, and social change. …
The Atlantic just had an article on touch. In light of Joe Biden and MeToo and numerous other issues/trends/discussions in our world today, it raises some good questions.The article examines the known health benefits of human touch; we all need it. At the same time, it recognizes that touch has other implications according to gender, …
I was working in a family care room, where grown-ups and kids hang out during the day. I arrived with a bag of simple instruments and my guitar, prepared for uncertainty. The kids came and went, their attention wandering to superhero toys or Lincoln logs, and then coming back to the music. They wanted familiar …
If you think adventure is dangerous, try routine…Paulo Coelho At Yale, the most popular class is on happiness. Read about it here. It’s taught by Laurie Santos, and, while the topic speaks to all of us, it’s interesting that at Yale, filled with elite students, happiness seems to be in short supply. The stresses of …