I’m home after another rejuvenating week at the beautiful health resort, Rancho la Puerta, located at the edge of of Tecate, Mexico where the motto is Siempre Mejor- always better. Last week included lap swimming, hiking, practicing yoga, eating delicious food, admiring gardens, creating art, meeting new friends, connecting with old friends, taking a writing workshop, encountering wild life, strolling along brick pathways, spending time with Joe, leading a singing class, and performing a piano concert- “Music and Stories from Westward Expansion.”
Joe and I recently traveled to Sedona, Arizona for a rejuvenating spring break filled with stunning desert hikes. West Fork Trail, a.k.a “The Call of the Canyon,” just a few miles north of Sedona, is a popular hike that meanders back and forth across a rippling creek and through a canyon maze of spectacular striated rock ledges, peaks, and walls. We also took in the Grand Canyon-the South Rim. I was delighted with the hiking trail that runs parallel to the canyon for several miles! The day was glorious, the canyon, well, grand!
I learned that among the many early Westerns filmed in Sedona, was a 1923 movie called The Call of the Canyon. In 1924, The Pullman Herald urged, “Better answer The Call of the Canyon and come along to the Western thrill-land. Where a son of toil teaches a daughter of jazz the a-b-c of living and loving.” Sign me up, I need to watch this old movie ASAP!
Another movie, Rhythm on the Range, made in 1940, features the theme song, “The Call of the Canyon.” Here is Frank Sinatra’s recording: New York a https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XSR5U5R7Ci4
The Monday after I arrived home, McFarland Publishers emailed with my page proofs for Music in the Westward Expansion: Songs of Heart and Place on the American Frontier, which means that I am currently working on the final task- creating the index! Hurray! Seeing the pdf of the book as it will print, complete with the images and sheet music (10 lead sheets in the back), is thrilling! The book will be published very soon-within the next couple of months! You can pre-order your copy on Amazon,Barnes and Noble, McFarland, or wherever you buy books.
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Grand CanyonChocola Tree Eatery, SedonaJoe and Laura at the Grand CanyonAirport Loop Trail near Sedona
Fountain near the abbey at St. Martin’s University in Lacey, Washington.Edgewood Baptist Church, Edmonds, WA. One of the Edmonds teachers kept my afternoon energy going with this lovely fruit plate. Because….. Outfits!St. Martin’s University in OlympiaSt. Martin’s beautiful campus.Teacher Hannah Kyeong Cho and three brothers-all enrolled in lessons with her. Laura with Hanna’s two sons- both pianists- in Olympia.Vegan on the road with tofu banh mi.Back in my studio with DelaneyUkes ready for the high school class at APL.A Music class at APL.Practice TimeMy guard cat Simba – he’s happy to see my car back in the driveway.
March is a frenzied month for Washington music teachers! Many teachers and students across the state participate in the WSMTA (Washington State Music Teachers Association) Music Artistry Program, or MAP for short. This event takes place at multiple venues across the state and entails teachers registering their students to play for visiting artists who travel to chapters all over the state to hear performances from hundreds of students. The visiting artists provide written and verbal comments and also work at the piano for a few minutes with each student. I am a WSMTA visiting artist and recently spent six days adjudicating students from the Edmonds and Olympia chapters of WSMTA. In those six days, I put some miles on my Leaf, stayed in hotels, and worked with 15 teachers and over 125 students- around eight hours each day.
The days zoomed by with outstanding performances from piano students of all ages! Students performed music by the likes of Bach, Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann, Schubert, Amy Beach, Scott Joplin, and Chopin. Upon reflection, I am inspired by the dedication and high level of professionalism of the organizers and teachers, the hard work and polished performances of the students, and of course, the never ending parental support. It truly takes a village- a musically minded village. These types of events are not easy to pull off as there are many moving parts.
I barely caught my breath after the whirlwind of MAP events and headed back into my studio for my own practice and to resume lessons with my 23 private students. I also jumped right back in at the Academy for Precision Learning in the University District where I teach several weekly general music classes to grades K-12.
I eagerly await the page proofs of my forthcoming book (Music in the Westward Expansion: Songs of Heart and Place on the American Frontier), but am told that McFarland (the publisher) is working steadily behind the scenes and the book should be ready in the next few months. (Sigh….patience has never been one of my virtues). In the meantime, there are classes to teach, lessons to plan, and music to practice.
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“Nocturne” (1907) by Clyde O. Andrews, played by Laura Dean
Clyde O. Andrews composed his award-winning “Nocturne” in 1907 while studying music at at Western University in Quindaro, Kansas. I found this musical gem (the sheet music) in the Kansas Historical Society digital archives while conducting research for my book. Playing this piece of music makes me feel calm, hopeful, and connected to a fellow musician from the past. Though this piece was written over a hundred years ago, it still resonates as a musical respite in challenging times.
Clyde Andrews wrote on the sheet music cover, “Those who do not reach up, cannot climb.” He also wrote that this particular piece was “dedicated to the uplift and inspiration of my fellow young men and women.” I cannot think of better sentiments for welcoming in a new year. Here’s to 2022-may it be a year bursting with inspiration, beauty, and tranquility.
Harvest. ca. 1869., artist unknown. Image courtesy of the Library of Congress.
William Van Orsdel, “Brother Van,” known as the best loved man in Montana. (ca. late 1800s)
Brother Van with friends and bear cub in Great Falls, Montana. Photo courtesy of the Brother Van Museum Archives. (ca. late 1800s)
“Harvest Time,” known as “Brother Van’s Song.” played by Laura Dean
Harvest Time
The seed I have scattered in spring-time with weeping
and watered with tears and with dews from on high;
Another may shout when the harvesters reaping
shall gather my grain in the sweet by and by.
Over and over, yes-deeper and deeper
my heart is pierced through with life's sorrowing cry,
but the tears of the sower and the songs of the reaper
shall angle together in joy by and by.
By and by, by and by
by and by, by and by
But the tears of the sower and the songs fo the reaper shall
mingle together in joy by and by.
Then palms of victory, crowns of glory,
palms of victory I shall wear.
William Van Orsdel (1848-1919), known as Brother Van, was often referred to as “the best loved man in Montana.” Brother Van, an enthusiastic singer, often broke into song during his sermons. He was a 19th century Methodist minister and circuit rider – a preacher who rode from town to town conducting church services. He tirelessly preached the gospel to congregations both large and small – on a steamboat, in saloons, in churches, and on rustic homesteads throughout the state of Montana. As a young man, a riverboat captain asked why he was going to Montana, Brother Van replied, “To sing, to preach and to encourage people to be good.”
For more about Brother Van and how he once saved his life with music, you’ll have to read my forthcoming book! I just learned that my manuscript has moved into the paging or pagination phase-which means another step closer to the publication date-early 2022.
Music in the Westward Expansion: Songs of Heart and Place on the American Frontier at McFarland Publishers, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or ask about the book at your favorite book seller.
“Legend of the Plains” by Charles Wakefield Cadman, an early 20th century composer whose compositions were often inspired by Native American melodies. Played by Laura Dean.
Missoulian photo
Get up. Jump up. Try hard and don’t give up. – Chief Earl Old Person
Chief Earl Old Person died of cancer at the age of 92 on October 13th. Old Person was a national treasure who served as the chief of the Blackfeet Nation for more than 60 years. He was an expert of Blackfeet language and culture, an advocate for tribal land and water rights, an inspired political leader, and an international ambassador. In his lifetime he met every president from Harry Truman to Barack Obama. He also met Queen Elizabeth, the prime minister of Canada-Pierre Trudeau, and the shaw of Iran. In his later years, he created home recordings of traditional stories and songs for the benefit of future generations.
I grew up in Choteau, Montana, on the Eastern Rocky Mountain front, about 70 miles south of Browning, Montana-the headquarters of the Blackfeet Reservation-the last stop before Glacier Park. The Choteau Bulldogs and Browning Indians were in the same athletic conference. Throughout my elementary to high school years, I regularly traveled to Browning for swim meets and to watch basketball and football games.
Earl Old Person rarely missed a high school basketball game-Browning is legendary for champion basketball teams and enduring fans. For his last visit to the Browning high school gymnasium, his casket was placed in the middle of the basketball court where thousands of mourners came to honor his memory and to say their final goodbyes. The mourning period lasted for four days and included processions, dancing, songs, and stories celebrating the life of the beloved chief.
Red Boots (a gift from artist, Julie Andrews of California). “What Wondrous Love Is This,” American Folk Hymn from the early 1800s, played by Laura Dean.
Indigenous people, explorers, pioneers on the Oregon Trail, missionaries, miners, cowboys, preachers, teachers, and frontier settlers all left behind a rich musical history. Each group that traveled west brought heart to the experience as they wove their unique threads into the musical tapestry that was as diverse as the people and experiences of the nineteenth century American West. Below you will find the “Heart List” which highlights the many roles that music played as people established a new sense of place.
The Heart List: In the 19th Century American West, music provided… • Celebration • Comfort for people (and restless cattle) • Community connection • Creative outlet • Diplomacy • Diversion • Entertainment • Expression of cultural identity • Expression of friendship • Expression of joy • Expression of love • Expression of sorrow • Historical records of events • Memories of home • Sense of place • Solace • Worship
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