HI Everyone,
Nothing real eventful or newsworthy in my neck of the woods at the MENC national offices, so, let me move RIGHT on to a few bits and resources I found of interest, perhaps you will too!
Hope your week goes well, and see you next! SR
Travels with Music: Ran across this item by accident, I personally thought it sounded like a cool resource for learning about world musics...(in other words, this does not mean MENC endorses or recommends this product...it's this blog writer's two cents!). The website says: "a comprehensive educational tool for all grades, but for entertainment and music enthusiasts as well. " CLICK to watch a demo and preview 2 units!
There is a wonderful article about COMMUNAL SINGING and Pete Seeger's influence on group singing....(it's worth taking a moment to do the free registration on the NYTIMES website.)According to the article: "communal singing isn’t a class or a choir; the singers, not the leaders, choose the tunes. " Community sings, or singalongs, "draw together the average-voiced and bring old songs into common memory." (SEE NYT SOURCE LINK BELOW!)
The article goes on to say: "Pete Seeger...... championed the cause of group-singing for more than 60 years." ...... Seeger says: "I think that singing together gives people some kind of a holy feeling. And it can happen whether they’re atheists, or whoever. You feel like, ‘Gee, we’re all together.’ "
The NYTimes continues: "In 1945 Mr. Seeger founded the People’s Song collective, which disseminated its own songbooks, thereby helping to popularize songs like "We Shall Overcome."
" In 1943, when he was in the Army, Mr. Seeger conducted an experiment on his fellow soldiers, asking them to write down the names of the songs whose words and tunes they really knew. In his own memory file he counted about 300, but he was impressed by the competition. "
More recently, Mr. Seeger explained that he believes the number of popular, common songs known by the average person today is far less than what the average person of 1943 knew. Seeger still leads sing alongs every month, and loves hearing kids sing in the group - read the article to hear how he describes kids singing!
CLICK HERE for the FULL ARTICLE
For more info on PETE SEEGER, click HERE
"COMPANY" is coming!
on PBS great performances..... you can find out more about the "show that broke the traditional rules of musical theater", and see excerpts of this current revival, see the song list, and other helpful info about Sondheim and theater, at THIS LINK
For your local listings, CLICK HERE!
CLICK HERE for more info on musical theater!
Finally, heard one of my favorites over the weekend, incredible beat, horns, live crowd whooping it up...for a real musical treat, learn more about LOUIS PRIMA, "The King of Swingers" and his crazy, delicious singing and instrumentals at THIS LINK and THIS ONE
SEE Prima on YOU TUBE: Just a Gigolo/I ain't got no body Medley
and Oh Marie! (1957)
Read about "ANGELINA, the Waitress at the Pizzeria" , HERE!
