Music Empowers: SPREAD MUSIC NOW

THE ORDER OF THE SERVICE

PREFACE

Some musings about where to go when convention isn't cutting it...in medicine...at church...and at the ice cream parlor...

VESTIBULE (INTRODUCTION)

On April 23 of this year, I was at the right place at the RIGHT time...That's because I WAS NOT being treated by Dr. John (see further down), but, instead, I was visiting my amazing alternative medicine doc - Dr. Perry Perretz - in nearby Redding, CT.

After my appointment with Dr. Perry and my other alternative provider: Tusk & Cup - for gelato and the sacred coffee bean, I headed to nearby Georgetown for a photo shoot of a great wall art mural for my next post in the "Takin' it to the Streets..." series (link to first is below).

To get a close up, I parked across the street by an old stone church...After snapping a few, I returned to the parking lot and was greeted by two folks - Rich & Alec - who spotted my Playing for Change "PEACE THROUGH MUSIC” tee shirt. (More about PFC below)

"It musta been the RIGHT shirt at the RIGHT time..."

Applying “Strangers stopping strangers just to shake their hand”...they invited me into the Granite Church where they told me about plans to re-imagine this sacred space.

"Our aim is to provide a beautiful space for community connection and artistic expression. In doing so, we improve the daily-ness of our lives and become a beacon to others, promoting economic growth and tourism from within."

ENTRANCE HYMN/HER/THEM: "LET US PLAY..."

Here are some places to explore the people and ideas behind these efforts to expand arts education for our young:

be Foundation

Our Mission Our mission is to invest financial and human resources in collective efforts to strengthen the education of young people in Connecticut and the vitality of their communities.

To achieve our mission, BeFoundation encourages collective action between philanthropy, public education systems, nonprofits and municipalities to build and sustain effective pathways for our young people that lead to family-supporting standards of living.

If we commit to sustaining student success through post-secondary education and beyond, and to learning together as a community, we will build creative, smart, and civically engaged places to live and work.

The Granite Church

History In September 2022, BeFoundation purchased the landmark church to prevent it from falling into further disrepair and ensure its rehabilitation. The reimagined Granite Church will be a community focal point, helping unify the historic village of Georgetown with a central gathering space for neighbors and visitors alike.

[Enjoy more past and present history at the above link]

The Granite Church (Facebook)

Spread Music Now

SpreadMusicNow funds music education and creative youth development that centers equity in outcomes and access for students' educational, career, and life success.

See "Dismissal..." below for more about this spreading movement...

NARTHEX

Once inside, my senses were overjoyed at encountering the Ghosts of Concerts Past...who were milling around a mini-Wall of Sound. It was starting to be disassembled for a trip to its next destination...

Walls can divide or unite...I'm for building the second...

(So is this CT guy...)

Note: I added to the shirt’s original message by using my John Lennon Imagine-ation…

Moron Walls...

How cool is it that an outfit with "wall" in its professional moniker would choose to cover/uncover the legend of the Grateful Dead’s ‘Wall of Sound’. Ah, but the infamous "Subscription Wall" blocks the path...here's the link if you're willing to scale the wall...

Grateful Dead’s ‘Wall of Sound’ Lives Again in Some Dude’s Basement

Anthony Coscia spent two months building a working one-sixth replica of the legendary system, to the delight of Deadheads everywhere

Editor-in-Chief Emma Tucker, Tear Down This Wall!

I had to go to travel across the sea to the U K for this bloke's tale of the birth of the Wall...(02:47)

"DEW" I come here often???

On this day in April, I forgot that I had previously been invited in March into this historic granite building by a fellow patron at Tusk & Cup who, on spotting my Grateful Dead tee shirt ("Grateful I'm not Dead"), invited me to go to church to hear a Dead cover band practicing.

😁 IMAGINE? Who says churches are DEAD? 😁 I "Dew" !

(Traveler: Keep reading this post, then come back later and follow this link for a trip to the forest. And, if perchance you meet any dancing bears, they're friendly...)

After learning about the efforts of Rich, Alec and others to transform these stones ("into bread" - my early roots are showing : ))))...so they would once more cry out in song...

I donated to their cause and received two tee shirts sporting the organization’s “SPREAD MUSIC NOW” message and URL. Cool!

COFFEE HOUR

IMO...You're better off judging a church, temple, mosque...NOT by its BOOK...but by its COFFEE...

Hey, This pachyderm is a multipurpose image: Physician Luke's scripture passage (Chapter 19) about Jesus's entry into Jerusalem for his big show, the Granite Church (built with stone from a local quarry) and Tusk & Cup's logo: ALL GOOD VIBRATIONS...

**DISMISSAL: Go out into all the world and SPREAD MUSIC NOW...**

After this fun and enlivening encounter in rural Connecticut, I headed back home to the wilds of Long Island to spread music now...

My first teacher - Ram Dass - might have said it like this:

Be HEAR now

I’m planning to do at least another blog post on this amazing sacred stone space renovation project…Stay...tuned...in...

SpreadMusicNow funds music education and creative youth development that centers equity in outcomes and access for students' educational, career, and life success.

Facing the Crisis at Hand

Confidence. Creativity. Collaboration. These are just some of the things that improve when a child participates in structured, rigorous music education.

Multiple studies have shown that students who study music develop stronger academic skills, and in general, enjoy a higher quality of life than peers who do not have access to music education. Unfortunately, cuts to arts education budgets have left many students with minimal exposure to music education. This trend has taken an especially harsh toll on high-need students in under-served communities. (for more on this vital effort to support arts education see "Playing for Change" below)

SpreadMusicNow is committed to filling this gap by funding music programs that foster continual learning and that put students on a clear path to college, career, and life success.

We believe that by providing a child with music education and focusing on their continuous development, they will experience a better quality of life and develop skills that will help them to not only become successful students, but role models who strengthen their communities and benefit society as a whole.

For more info

As Jerry and the band say in “Scarlett Begonias”:

“If you get confused, listen to the music play…”

ADULTS: LET'S GET INVOLVED IN PROMOTING ARTS EDUCATION PROGRAMS FOR OUR CHILDREN IN OUR LOCAL COMMUNITIES...

Writing the above Grateful Dead lyrics just now...I got an idea that all of us could use to help promote arts education efforts in our communities. Let's help awaken voting-aged people (like our families, friends and neighbors) who elect school board members - who then make decisions about whether to fund music and other cultural arts education programs…

Here’s an idea:

…On your social media platforms create something like this:

“If you’re confused about whether to fund music (and other arts programs)…listen to the music play…”

Then add trailers about inspiring films like the following. AND PLEASE, share your favorites with me:

August Rush - Original Theatrical Trailer (02:24)

Next, add links to songs featuring children singing and playing instruments.

Celebration (Kool and The Gang) | Playing For Change | Song Around The World (03:52)

PLAYING FOR CHANGE (PFC)

PFC has many songs featuring children. To keep folks interested and coming back to your online presence, you could let them know you’ll be posting a new songs frequently.

AND, since PFC covers some great tunes from “yesteryear” - this can inspire adult viewers/parents/voters to get involved in doing what THEY CAN DO (as I mentioned above) to insure programs for music and the other arts get properly funded.

FYI - Here's a NYC group helping parents pass on their love of music to their children (01:28).

Playing for Change Website

FYI - A few of the musicians from my past who are still playing in a band AND supporting PFC’s “Peace Through Music” mission include Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann, Keith Richards, Buddy Guy, David Crosby, Jimmy Buffett, the members of Bob Marley’s family…and a whole lot more…

Oye Como Va ft. Carlos Santana & Cindy Blackman Santana | Playing For Change | Song Around The World (04:58)

Here’s a list of their musical supporters:

Playing For Change | Playing For Change | Artists

A few more PFC videos featuring young musicians:

Don't Worry Be Happy (Bobby McFerrin) | Playing For Change | Song Around The World (03:59)

What a Wonderful World (Louis Armstrong) | Playing For Change | Song Around The World (03:40)

--->> I’ll let you have fun exploring for their other ones…

Playing for Change 501c3 Foundation

Creates arts programs so children in under-served places in our shared world can experience the benefits that come from music and other arts.

As the above and similar videos show - music is a universal language - helping us come together by uniting us in CELEBRATING our “differences” - rather than fighting because of them. This is a major reason to insure arts programs continue.

Here’s Buddy Guy and PFC with some accompaniment from adults and kids in showing us how to care for one another:

Skin Deep featuring Buddy Guy | Playing For Change | Song Across the USA (05:32)

Playing for Change's work building music programs for the under-served is also integrated into the mission of Spread Music Now.

PFC ALREADY HAS FRIENDS IN TOWN

Some Wilton, CT folks already dig PFC:

https://patch.com/connecticut/wilton/4th-annual-playing-change-day-wilton-ct-0

LOCAL TAKIN' IT TO THE STREET ARTISTS

Local artist: Ross Clark

Post link

Local artist: Kristen Terrana

On Monday after completing my healthcare appointments (Dr. Perretz & gelato at Tusk & Cup), I wandered around town and spotted this street art masterpiece. It will become my third in the series. Like Ross Clark's uplifting piece, this new one is also signed by the artist, so I’ll include in my post what I learn about her. I saw a lot of material as I skimmed her site.

RIGHT PLACE...WRONG TIME...

Dr. John & Eric Clapton - Right Place, Wrong Time 1996 (05:07)

CODA...

I’m a Grateful Dad who's constantly discovering and rediscovering the healing power of music. With the active support of Eileen - my companion of 45+ years - we raised a son who’s now 34 and encouraged his pursuit of a musical education all the way through post graduate studies.

John began teaching piano students even before he was old enough to drive in NYS. WE had to chauffeur him to these early lessons HE was giving younger students. Later, as a trumpet player at LIU’s C W Post, he got to travel around the world with the Post Band led by adventurer and leader of the band - Dr. James McCroy.

John's first teacher - Long Island's Merle Langs (Facebook) is this young gal's grandma:

Former Kid Piano Prodigy Emily Bear Returns - The Ellen Show (07:47)