Thank you, Pharrell Williams

Until a recent awards show I had never heard of Pharrell Williams. I know, you are thinking that I must live under a rock to not have known about him or his music. Please bear in mind that I am at least a senior, or by some standards elderly, citizen even if I do not admit to being old. But since that first sighting of Mr. Williams and that hat, I have become a fan. Well, that is if you can call it being a fan if I am still unfamiliar with most of his music.

Anyone who can write and perform a song that makes people around the world of different cultures want to sing, dance, and rejoice in being happy deserves all the awards and accolades. But it was in an interview with Oprah Winfrey that Pharrell Williams made an impression on me. During their conversation he repeatedly gave credit to the teachers, especially music teachers that had meant so much in his life. When shown video of people across the world singing and dancing to his song, he seemed genuinely touched that his music reached so many.  Later I saw a clip of when he visited a class, surprising the teacher and her students. It seemed like an honest gift to that teacher rather than just another celebrity seeking a photo op.

In an earlier blog I talked about my music teacher and put in a plug for education in all the arts in our schools. Hearing Pharrell Williams talking about his teachers, I couldn’t help but wonder how many children are out there, loaded with talent that they may not even recognize yet, or have a chance to develop without access to an arts program.

I’m not suggesting that we neglect science, math, or any of the other areas. But we really need things that cross all national and political boundaries, unite us, remind us of the ways in which we all are alike, and make us happy. That his song can do that reminds us of the power of art.

Thank you, Pharell Williams.  

 

This and That

My last post was about music, yet most of my teaching career was as a visual art teacher, and now I'm trying to be a writer. In the lingo that some of my former students might have used, "What's up with that?" The off-hand quip I usually respond with is that I can't decide what I want to be when I grow up. But the more serious answer is that most of us live longer than some generations before us, so we have time for more than one career. In addition, many of us will spend perhaps decades in retirement and thus be able to take seriously what was once a hobby.

I have just returned from the Daddy's Girls' Weekend, a conference for writers and readers. More about that in just a bit, but for now I want to take a sidestep and mention an interesting conversation I had with someone there. We were both in favor of a liberal arts education, of programs that give students a broad base of knowledge - of instilling in them the desire to learn, and giving them the skills to continue learning over a lifetime.

When I was eighteen I was certain that I wanted to do cooking demonstrations as a Home Economist for Alabama Power or Alabama Gas (alas, the Food Network was unheard of at that time,)  or perhaps work for the Extension Service, so my first degree was in Vocational Home Economics. I taught in the field for awhile, but realized later that I wanted to do something else. Taking an art course for my own enjoyment led to another, and another, until I had a second degree in Visual Art, then later yet another degree in Textile Design, followed by additional courses in a variety of areas. You've probably figured out by now that I love going to school, so teaching was the next best thing to being a student. And I got paid to teach. I'm so grateful that my educational experience from high school forward was not limited to one specific area. My life has been so much richer for having been encouraged to explore more than one option whether it be in the sciences (yes, I also taught science, briefly) or in the arts.Will I have a late-life career as a writer? Who knows? But the pursuit of it is satisfying, and I'd like to think that it keeps my brain from totally turning to mush.

That brings me back to the Daddy's Girls' Weekend. If you are a fan of the Carolyn Haines 'Bones' mystery series featuring Sarah Booth Delaney and her side-kick, Tinkie, you probably have heard of the conference. If not, go to www.carolynhaines.com. for more information about it and her books, including the latest in the 'Bones' series that releases on May 20. At DGW, several fans and many would-be writers (including me) gather to learn more about writing and to meet authors, agents, and publishers. To let you know how much fun it is, someone who came from New Zealand last year returned this year! 

In case I don't post again before then, don't forget the Alabama Book Festival on April 19.