Red Grammer in Concert

     And it's tomorrow, Thursday the 29th!!  If there's any chance you're in the Eureka, CA area and can take a child or a group----or just yourself-----I highly recommend it.  Oct. 29, 2015, 10:00am in the new Sequoia Center at Humboldt County Office of Education.                                                             

Red Grammer

     I've had the privilege of joining Red in concert.  He's the real deal.  An enormously gifted singer/songwriter, a dynamic advocate for children and families and just a wonderful, big-hearted person.

     We're lucky to get him in our area.   Thanks to Holly Sage and her production team!

Spontaneous Family Music Video

     Our kids aren't shy about bursting into song at the drop of a hat.  They're no strangers to the song-creating process, and it didn't take much for them to be coaxed, prodded, and bamboozled into helping out with any number of steps in the recording process..
                                             

In the kitchen, doin' our thing.  To listen, click link on first line above.

      Rick and I have been immersed in the music industry since before we met and married, and when our son and daughter came along, it was a natural progression to include them in the family business.   Along the way, we've learned much more from our kids and been introduced to ear-opening new sounds and artists.

      This week when daughter Genevieve was in town, while driving around together, she launched into the chorus of a Heart song, to which Rick automatically added a harmony.  From the back seat, I said, "Do the chorus again" and added a third part.  That night while making dinner, it was decided on the spot to record this. Son Matthew, working at the stove in charge of pasta, was asked to add another part.  Claire, daughter-in-law and a professional singer herself, was put in charge of documenting this with a smart phone.   Four takes and 15 minutes later, we were all pleased, declared it a "wrap" and sat down to eat.

Felines in the Family >>> #8 in a series on Music Mentors

     I grew up with dogs, cats, horses, pet rats and snakes.  The pet rats were all snowy white fur and pink pin eyes and were just "visiting" from my dad's lab at the university.  The snakes were collected in the fields around our house by my brother who revered them and kept them briefly in cages in his room, regularly taking them out, and eventually returning them to the wild.*    My fondest memories are of the cats, though.                                                

It's really all about the cats.

     Someone asked recently if I had a dog.  It still kind of surprises me to realize that, no, I don't have a dog, and I haven't had a dog since I was a child.  I love dogs and always assumed I would inevitably have one claim me again.  But as my children grew, in the company of assorted beloved cats, our family just never did get around to a dog.   We were busy with the cats and then, for a brief period, pet rats----three sets of two females.  Domesticated rats are actually wonderful little companions and very smart and sweet----highly recommended pets, although their life span is only 3 years.

     But back to the cats.  I've catered to cats my whole life.  I've watched some being born and I've sorrowfully parted with others at the close of one of their nine lives.  We even had a cat during my childhood year living in Argentina (where having pet cats was not de rigueur) which we named Mishi, "kitty" in English .  How it found us and what became of it when we left are secrets my parents took to their graves.

     Both my own children came into this world welcomed by Minnie who, incredibly, hung around with us through eight moves, five major career changes, two human births, and a litter of her own.  Thanks to Rick, husband/dad/fellow cat-lover, we have video proof of what an intrepid character she was, standing her ground, demanding her rightful pampering and concessions.
                                                             

Matthew with Minnie enjoying a good read in the company of twin bears.

     Who could've known that a feisty, no-nonsense, furry little ball-of-fire like Minnie would turn into a softie with the kids?  She'd let them haul her around, chase after her for hours, and erupt in frenzied squeals of delight at the mere sight of her.  Wily little Minnie's secret to success with handling her tiny adoring fans?  She had an uncanny ability to take all this devotion with kitty aplomb----when she was in the mood---and then to thumb her furry little nose at it all by shimmying and sashaying safely out of reach under cabinets or atop bookshelves.

     Minnie was our kid before we had kids.  Minnie was their first cat.  Minnie inspired the song "Tickles the Cat" that I wrote to humor kids and cats everywhere.  You can listen to a sample here, Track #15 http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/LisaMonet  I humbly thank Minnie for giving us master lessons in compassion, plus all those duck-and-cover skills.

     * except the 5' long garter snake that escaped and was "at-large" for several days, resulting in Grandpa's refusing to enter the house.

     

Singing is fun

     Singing is fun?  Well, yeah!  We all know that!  But, oh the benefits, the joys, the camaraderie of singing, and singing together, in multiple genres and settings----Oh, the places it takes us!
                                                               

     First 5 California, an organization dedicated to supporting everyone involved in nurturing and educating children in the first 5 years of their lives, posted on their facebook page a link showing how singing develops brain development in young children.  This brain of mine has loved it for decades, so I think this holds true for all of us, no matter what our age.
   
     But wait----there's more!!   First 5 has a Pandora online music station of tracks especially for families with young children, in English and Spanish.  That's my kind of music.   Happy listening!

http://www.pandora.com/station/play/2850183329049514343

Your Daddy's Music >>> #7 in a series on my music mentors

     Benny Goodman, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Artie Shaw, Tommy Dorsey and Glen Miller.  I have big band leaders like these to thank for some of my earliest music memories.  And my dad for playing them.
                                                               

Dancing with my dad to bands like this was a special occasion.

     My own son and daughter grew up, not only listening to the music we played, but joining in on creating it with us.  Thanks to their dad, we always had a recording studio, and he was always ready to record our original songs.  Thanks to him, Rick---husband, dad, musician/recording engineer---our family created our own cottage industry, and we continue to market our albums of music.

     In my childhood home, my dad, R.C., would borrow a reel-to-reel from the university science department where he worked for 25+ years as a microbiology professor.  He'd record the family warbling out holiday tunes: my mother singing, dad playing violin, big sis on piano, little brother on trumpet and me on guitar.  None of these takes were saved.  Dad must have captured some of my choral and duet singing from high school, too, but it seems the pleasure was in capturing the moment, not in preserving and storing it.
                                                                       

Mom and Dad on one of our many cabin/camping/day-trip outings

 
      Rufus Clay Hatfield, Jr. (he went by R.C. or Clay) hailed from Kentucky, and I've cherished those Bluegrass roots, sharing with my students fun, spirited songs like Black-eyed Susie, All Around the Kitchen, This Little Light of Mine, Little Wheel a-Turnin'..  But in my youth, the vibrant folk scene and the British music invasion of the 60s and 70s, whose influence flowed into my repetoires, seemed to waft by my dad as just an amusing fluke.

     It's those Big Band greats that always bring to mind the music of my father----those dynamic, dreamy, dance-able sounds from his weighty vinyl collection of 78s spinning on the family turntable.  And that is the sound he was listening to live, at a UCLA dance when he first met---and danced with---my mom, the French Major.
                                                                     

My dad, Dr. R.C. Hatfield

     I was with my dad at home when he died.  I was 21; my mom was there, too.  I'll always feel fortunate that I got his spirit of adventure, humor and lively tunes. Thanks to him, along with Mom and her world-travels, my siblings and I were given a rich musical heritage.

To Dance is to Live

     Happy Autumnal Equinox!  What better way to celebrate the changing of the seasons than to dance?
                                                         

"To dance is to live; to live is to dance."

     My mother, who taught me Greek and Argentine dancing, took great pleasure in celebrating each quarter, organizing events with neighbors and friends----kite-flying on the beach, margaritas on the patio, poetry readings in the barn...Her favorite was summer equinox, with its long light-filled days.  I like them all, each with its unique balance of light and its aroma of scents and scenic splendor.

     Since today was my Line Dance Class day, I was perfectly happy to celebrate the day by dancing.  When I arrived, though, I realized I'd forgotten my special dancing shoes.  Disappointed!!  Could I make it through two hours in my street clogs?  I'd try---it was either that or go home.

     To my great relief, a classmate, Betty, hearing me whining about the shoe issue, asked what size I wore and offered me her spare pair.  They fit perfectly.  I told her she had saved the day for me and given me another reason to celebrate----the thoughtfulness and generosity of an acquaintance.  Plus a special reminder that things always somehow work out for the best.  I'll always remember her kindness.

     What do you enjoy most about the changing of each season?

Singing with Littles

     Being the Music Teacher in a Montessori Pre-K School means I get to sing while I work.  And I get to invite children to sing with me, and of course, they do.                                                           

This is how good it feels to sing and move together!

     Ages 2-6, they haven't been taught yet, as many adults were, it seems, that they "can't sing", nor have they picked up the notion that singing is only for the "stars". As all my fellow Early Childhood educators know, Littles are naturally and eagerly guided to make a joyful noise!  We have a grand time joining our voices and enjoying the musical sounds we create together.
     
     On this music blog, I regularly focus on the voice---about the power of our voices, the nurturing and healing aspect of singing, and how to keep our voices strong and healthy.  Singing is good for us; singing feels good.  We are born to sing, and as we join in together, the vibrations and the sounds we produce are transforming.

     Children instinctively know that singing involves the whole body: voice, hands, ears, attentive mind, belly, feet, face, lap....our whole being, at various times, is in on the enjoyable act of sound creation.  They are encouraged to know that each voice is unique, and each voice is a valuable contribution.

     I trust that "my littles", when they become "bigs", will treasure their voices and always take great pleasure in singing.  May you, kind Reader, also take much pleasure in whatever songs you choose to sing!

     Here's a great songs resource: http://www.everythingpreschool.com/songs/all.htm   Enjoy!