fasstrack Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 (edited) It just never seems to end. Talk about an embarrassment of riches.... It seems almost every day I go out to hear local church or school-based music I come home rejuvenated and inspired. I spoke a bit about St. Mark's Methodist church in Harlem here earlier (site of John Hicks' funeral), and that is a house of amazing and totally unknown (outside the community) music. Tonight, on invitation from the parent of a piano student in Mt. Vernon (and to tell the truth to follow up on a few promising teaching job offers) I wound up at the spring concert one Grimes Elementary School of the Performing Arts on S 10th Ave., the heart of 90% black Mt. Vernon. I missed the band and walked in on the choir, followed by the jazz dancers. These kids (the dancers) were just happening, all these vivid colors and great moves. They were topped, though, I must say (it wasn't even close) by the next act: break dancers with incredible moves. The (admittedly easy) audience of relatives like to went out of their minds applauding, screaming, and stomping---and I was right with them. Amazing, focused energy coming out of 4th graders and their teachers. Next was an amazingly mature rendering of Peter and the Wolf. It actually was the first time I saw this piece and I must admit to ignorance of Prokofiev's score or even themes beyond that famous 6-note motif. Well, consider me cured, nay, baptized. Every one of the principals was extraordinary: Peter, the Bird, the Wolf, the Duck---all of them. And the 'hunters' entered in grand style, like a dramatic Sonny Rollins solo, from the aisles in their army fatigue outfits with plastic shotguns. When the Duck magically appeared alive at the end it was, you guessed right, pandemonium. How do you top that? With African chanting and drumming! A phalanx of young drummers playing African-style hand drums and playing in 6 over 4 like they were the Jazz Messengers. I know Buhania is smiling somewhere tonight because these kids were seriously swinging---and they kept it up for 25 white-hot minutes or so. Naturally there were young dancers and naturally they too entered from the aisles. When it ended (less than 1 hour ago at this writing) I was introduced to the principal and congragulated her, then had mercy and moved on, let her have a well-earned moment (but not before giving her my resume---well she did, ahem, ask). Community-based music. Arts alive and thriving in American communities far and wide. Grimes Elementary Performing Arts School. Can I get a witness?! Edited May 31, 2006 by fasstrack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fasstrack Posted May 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 BTW it goes without saying that this is the place to share your own stories........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fasstrack Posted May 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 For anyone interested in more info on the kind of civic pride and community activities going on practically unnoticed by the outside world in Mt. Vernon check out their local paper: http://www.mvinquirer.com/ PS: I tried, but failed, to locate a website for the Grimes School in Mt. Vernon. Probably the answer is they're a private school. Personally I wouldn't care if they were funded by bake sales on the 3rd moon of Vulcan. Whatever they're doing, it's working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted May 31, 2006 Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 (edited) I don't know myuch about Mt. Vernon, except for the fact that is has long had a substantial Afircan American population - and it was the home of the late Earl Warren (the Basie altoist) - it would be interesting to know if the community is aware of that important citizen - Edited May 31, 2006 by AllenLowe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fasstrack Posted May 31, 2006 Author Report Share Posted May 31, 2006 (edited) I don't know myuch about Mt. Vernon, except for the fact that is has long had a substantial Afircan American population - and it was the home of the late Earl Warren (the Basie altoist) - it would be interesting to know if the community is aware of that important citizen - I wouldn't be surprised. I'm an outsider (though I live 10 minutes away in the Bronx and teach one student in Mt. Vernon) and nowhere on earth can perfection be found, but from that qualified perspective the people there seem very in tune with each other. I'm sure many know their history. Thanks for caring about this, Allen. I could never put into words how important this is to me, to know that art and community are so viable in places that are so totally into what's going on in their own and their neighbor's lives they likely don't even notice if anyone else knows about them or not. It's really a lesson for me on so many levels. Edited May 31, 2006 by fasstrack Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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