I started this year in search of inspiration. I was home, alone with a not very busy schedule for the first time in many years.
My path veered and I now spend at least an hour and sometimes over two per day driving (and the rest of the time teaching K-8 music in two schools, plus accompanying two children’s choirs!). I listen to the radio some, but I quickly get frustrated and bored with music stations. Instead, I tend to listen to NPR or to my iPod (plugged into my car’s stereo). I often hear very inspiring stories.
Here are some recent gems:
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by KEITH O’BRIEN heard on All Things Considered
Music isn’t just a part of the local culture; it’s a lifeline for kids trying to survive poverty, crime and urban neglect. Across New Orleans, every afternoon, marching bands save lives. They keep kids off the street, give them a reason to come to school, and even get them into college — if they nail their auditions come winter and spring.
Embed from Getty Images
Embed from Getty Images
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by MANDALIT DEL BARCO heard on All Things Considered
The story is about the life and career of orchestra conductor Sonia Marie De Leon De Vega.
De Leon De Vega says music does more than just teach rhythm or melody. “I believe if a child holds an instrument, like these students we’ve given violins and lessons, if they hold an instrument, they will not take a drug. They will not hold a gun. It’s that powerful.”
She says she once got an email from a girl who watched her conduct a Brahms symphony. “She wrote, ‘I am a gang member, and I have never gone to a symphony concert before, and I have never felt anything before. I have never felt any emotion before, anything nice about anyone.’ She said, ‘But this music touched my soul.’ “
by SUSAN STAMBERG heard on Morning Edition
“I knew if I went to this school, I’ll come out and be something incredible … and help me shape myself into something I’ve always wanted to be,” Whittaker says. “And I didn’t think I could achieve that. Duke Ellington gave me hope that I actually could.”
by Joyce DiDonato
DiDonato has posted the text of her speech on her own website, and it’s well worth 10 minutes of your time, whether you’re an aspiring artist or need a gentle reminder or two about creativity. Here, though, is the bullet-point version for an extra-quick boost:
- You will never make it … “It” doesn’t exist for an artist.
- The work will never end… It will always be there for you — even if in some moments you lack the will to be there for it. All it asks is that you show up, fully present.
- It’s not about you … You may not yet realize it, but you haven’t signed up for a life of glory and adulation.
- The world needs you … We need you to help us understand that which is bigger than ourselves, so that we can stop feeling so small, so isolated, so helpless. (summary quoted from NPR site)
NPR hand-picked over 300 addresses going back to 1774. Search by name, school, date or theme, and see our blog
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The Tromp Queen 