More community-based music....

[fasstrack]

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 Buhaina 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).

This would be the place for you good people to share your own stoires.....

Community-based music. Arts alive and thriving in American communities far and wide. Grimes Elementary Performing Arts School.

Can I get a witness?!

[fasstrack]

For 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.

[Ron Thorne]

Thanks for two very positive posts, fasstrack!

[fasstrack]

Originally Posted by Ron Thorne

Thanks for two very positive posts, fasstrack!

Just reporting what I saw.

I guess I have a sort of bug up my ass about all the great things, musically and otherwise, going on culturally in all sorts of communites totally under the radar---and on miniscule budgets. People seemingly don't know because they don't read about it in the 'Gray lady, or 'hip' jazz press. Well, the dailies and the jazz press is sleeping on this one, trust me.

I saw no press at St. Mark's documenting all that great music (which goes on routinely) and I guess they figured why waste man power covering some kids out in the sticks in Mt. Vernon. Wrong. They missed a bitch of a story. Plain stupid.....