First Public Performance Tonight

Dateline: Seattle. Tallis Scholars Summer School

We're singing the Palestrina Mass tonight at St. James Cathedral, so that will be our focus in rehearsal today. We haven't even sung the Credo yet. I would guess that will be first up in rehearsal this morning.

It was interesting, yesterday, running through other segments (Kyrie, Gloria, etc) that we already "know." We've had so little rehearsal time and covered so much new music (at least compared to what I'm used to) that it almost felt as though we were doing new pieces rather than ones we have already worked on. This will be the biggest challenge for me, I think - singing out confidently in performance when I'm still very reliant on the score to simply find the notes and rhythm. Fortunately, there are many singers here who are much more experienced than me, and I know they will carry us through. Still, there are only six of us in the First Alto section, so you can't exactly disappear into the crowd!

David Woodcock is our rehearsal conductor, and Peter Phillips has been sitting quietly behind him during these rehearsals. You almost forget that he is there until he hears something that he is unhappy with. Then, Phillips stands very quietly and gradually makes his way to the podium, very slowly as we keep rehearsing. Though we do our best to keep singing away and fix whatever we're struggling with, once he's on his feet it won't be long until he takes over to work on a point that he finds particularly important.

It will certainly be interesting, tonight, to be singing in a totally different venue (cathedral acoustics, rather than the dead room we've been rehearsing in at the University), with a new conductor (Peter Phillips will conduct in concert). We have one hour of rehearsal in the Cathedral before the Mass, so I guess we'll figure out the transition then.

Antonio Lotti's Crucifixus à 8 Voix

Dateline: Seattle. Tallis Scholars Summer School

This is another amazing piece of choral music that I have only heard on recordings, and never thought I would have the opportunity to sing. It was composed around 1718, decades later than the Palestrina works we've been singing, and I must say, it was a pleasure to dig into the lush dissonances in this piece.

We're working terribly hard, and the concentration required to keep sight-reading all this new repertoire a cappella is really draining. Despite how tired my brain is, I find myself in a continual state of exhilaration. One transcendent musical experience after another.

And, Kathleen (my choir director) will be happy to hear that my sight-reading, and in particular my counting, get better every minute. Improve or die!

Random Moments from Tallis Tutor Sessions

Dateline: Seattle: Tallis Scholars Summer School

• After working for ten minutes on a single phrase ("et tibi da bo," meaning "and I will give unto you"), Tutor David Woodcock finally seemed satisfied. "That is absolutely....." (loaded pause) "......nearly very good."


• "Polyphony requires that the quavers be strictly in rhythm, absolutely together." This is British for talking about eighth notes. "Crotchets" are quarter notes. We're in another world here, and we're spending a lot of time on our quavers.


• Peter Phillips worked with us on a Gesualdo motet for an hour after dinner last night, 'just for fun." Actually, sight-reading Gesualdo a cappella is kind of fun - the kind of satisfaction you get from finding your way through a very dark forest. At one point, Phillips cautioned: "Tenors, you're flat. Singing out of tune in Gesualdo is a dangerous game."

Mt. Rainier Rises Above Seattle University

Dateline: Seattle: Tallis Scholars Summer School

We've had gorgeous weather, atypical for Seattle, all week. The days are crisp and sunny - cool enough for a jacket in the morning and evening, getting up into the seventies during the day.

As Seattle natives are wont to say when they have clear weather: "Oh, look - the mountains are out!"

The Allegri "Miserere"

Dateline: Seattle. Tallis Scholars Summer School

Last night we all attended a concert at St. James Cathedral here in Seattle, where our teachers (the Tallis Scholars) sang along with a local professional group, Peter Phillips conducting. It was amazing, and enlightening to see all the things they keep haranguing us about put into practice. In particular, they are all over us about brighter vowel sounds (much brighter and more forward than the way we have all been taught to sing by choir directors here in the U.S.). Hearing this very small group create such a full, sparkling sound pretty much convinced me.

They did a stunning performance of Allegri’s famous Miserere. It is one of the most famous pieces of a cappella religious music performed today. I have heard recordings, but never heard it live before last night. It was gorgeous – the main, 5-part choir in the center of the cathedral, the small, 4-part “chant” choir (with Jan as the soprano soloist doing all the famous High Cs) up at the altar, and Andrew at the back of the aisle singing the lines of the psalms (which fall in between the chorus bits). To think that we’re going to perform this same piece on Friday night….can’t imagine it.

They were singing from an version of the piece that is Peter Phillips’ own edition – he has worked hard to try to restore it to what he believes is something close to the original, mid-17th century edition. Earlier in the afternoon, he gave us a brief lecture about the history of this piece. It was commissioned by Pope Urban VIII to be sung in the Sistine Chapel during matins on Wednesday and Friday of Holy Week. At the end of the Tenebrae service, 27 candles would be extinguished one by one, and at the end, the pope would kneel in prayer as the Miserere was sung by the Cappella Sistina (the Vatican Choir) in an embellished, improvisational style that included improvised counterpoint. The piece was so highly valued that it was forbidden to be copied or performed outside of the Sistine Chapel – under penalty of excommunication!

Several copies were smuggled out, but none included the signature improvisations, so it was hard to duplicate the magic of the Vatican choir. Then, during Holy Week, 12-year-old Mozart was taken by his father to the Vatican for services. He listened, and went home and wrote the whole thing down from memory! That copy has unfortunately been lost, and there have been many, many versions over the centuries (including Mendelssohn’s, who also listened to a performance and then attempted to capture it on paper). The one we will learn this week is the Phillips edition, and he was quite passionate in talking about what he believes was authentic, and why. As he admitted, “It’s not Renaissance, it’s not polyphony, and it’s nothing at all to do with the Sistine Chapel.” But it certainly is beautiful.

Such an interesting week this is. I am off to dive into another morning of rehearsal. We will finish learning the Palestrina Mass today (and a good thing, since we’re performing it tomorrow night).

Our First Alto Section

Dateline: Seattle. Tallis Scholars Summer School

There are five first altos and we’re feeling pretty good about our section. I am sitting next to the most incredible singer – a countertenor named Omar, from Puerto Rico. He is so musical and absolutely note perfect (which is a blessing, since I am not the world’s best counter, as anyone in my St. John's choir can tell you). I am a better singer just by virtue of singing next to him. What a stroke of luck for me!

Day Two Begins

Dateline: Seattle. Tallis Scholars Summer School

We’ve had a half hour warm-up followed by 2.5 hours of rehearsal, with just one short break. I didn’t realize that we are singing the Palestrina Mass in public on Tuesday night – no wonder we are rehearsing it with such intense focus! As of lunchtime, we have pretty much got the Kyrie, Gloria, Sanctus and Benedictus at the point where we are working on nuances. Incredible.

This is challenging me to the absolute limit of my talent, concentration and experience. We do not rehearse again until 2:30. The young ones have all headed off to start rehearsing in their “small groups.” I personally do not plan to talk again until 2:30, so I can rest my voice. My goal by the end of the day is to have formed one small group and picked some music. If I can get that far (plus survive further rehearsal and singing all the way through Compline at 10pm), I’ll call that a great first full day.

Taking A Cappella to New Heights

Dateline: Seattle. Tallis Scholars Summer School

Wow. This is very intense.

After a brief barbeque and some opening remarks, we headed into the ballroom for our first Full Chorus rehearsal, conducted by Peter Phillips. We were split into two separate choirs (so that we had eight parts – SATB + SATB) and began to rehearse Palestrina’s Missa Laudate Dominum omnes gentes – his setting of a full mass, 64 pages long.

There is no piano in the main rehearsal room – it is simply a big, empty ballroom with chairs for the two choirs, a conductor’s music stand, and three other chairs for the Tutors to observe. We get our pitches from David Woodcock, who strikes a little silver tuning fork on the bone behind his ear and sings the opening notes. Then we are off, in eight parts, sight-reading in Latin, completely a cappella.

We would work on a section, then he would stop us and talk, giving us performance notes. Then, without ever giving us a pitch, he’d say “OK – rehearsal bar 25, a G minor chord. And….3….4” and we’d be away again, somehow opening our mouths and remaining perfectly in pitch.

I’ve never done anything like this in my life – definitely my most challenging musical experience ever. Both exhausting and absolutely exhilarating.

Lauren is a lovely young woman from Georgia, currently in college, studying to be a choral director. Her enthusiasm is palpable, and as we walked together from dinner, she marveled at the once in a lifetime experience of being among people “exactly like me.” I share that feeling. Singing choral music makes my heart sing - I have loved it my whole life, and especially like singing in Latin, which I have done since I was a little girl. This is not exactly a mainstream hobby – it can be hard to explain the passion I feel for choral singing to other people in my life. So, to find myself among a group of people exactly like me – as Lauren said – is a bit like going through life as a closeted alien, and suddenly finding yourself among a whole group of aliens that you didn’t know were out there! And, since we are bound together by the music, it is an unusually diverse group demographically speaking. The 59 of us come from all over the U.S., as well as a smaller number from Canada and Europe, one each from Kenya and Japan. I would say about ¼ of the attendees are college music students. The rest of us range from late 30s to late 70s. We speak exactly the same language. It’s extraordinary.

And the evening wasn’t over yet. At 9pm we walked to the Chapel, where Andrew Carwood ran a rehearsal in which he taught us the Compline service. It is an ancient, contemplative evensong service – all sung, in Gregorian Chant (complete with chant notation). At 9:45 we sang the service, as we will every night. It is beautiful, but I must say that by this point, I was completely exhausted.

Carwood is an extraordinary singer and conductor. He has just been appointed Music Director of St. Paul’s Cathedral in London. The opportunity to sing for him (and to do the Compline with him) is quite something. Welcome to St Paul's Cathedral - Appointment of new Director of Music

I’ve made another friend here, a soprano my own age, named Roberta. As we walked together from rehearsal to Compline, we shared our fears about the “small groups” that will be forming over the next 24 hours. These consorts can choose from 150 pieces of music that the Tallis Scholars have brought with them, we’ll perform for each other in a private showcase on Thursday night, and some of the best may be slotted into Friday’s concert, which is open to the public. Roberta and I both confessed to being nervous about this. There are some great singers here, and people who know each other from coming in previous years. I have a sickening “please pick me” feeling in the pit of my stomach – worried that no one will want me in one of these groups. I was glad to hear she is feeling the same. I suspect that all the newbies do. We will see how it goes in the morning.

At the moment, I am completely exhausted (having arrived at 2:30 am this morning on a long delayed flight from New York's JFK). Do not pass "Go," do not collect $200. It is straight to bed for me.

The Singing Begins

Dateline: Seattle. Tallis Scholars Summer School

We’ve begun, and as with any performance-oriented endeavor, the butterflies calmed down once the singing started.

We started with a warm-up and then began what was called a “Singing Safari,” designed both to let us get to know each other, and to let each of the four Tallis tutors know us. We rotated through four, 25-minute sessions, in groups of approximately 16 people. Each session was with a different tutor and devoted to reading a different composition by an Italian Renaissance composer.

It was pretty rough around the edges, but by the time we were through, I was feeling as though I can, indeed, do this. My final session was with David Woodcock, who is a powerful conductor - he was working on musicality and phrasing even as we were learning the notes. And the two Tallis members who will be our singing teachers, Janet Coxwell and Andrew Carwood, were simply outstanding. I was amazed at what they were able to accomplish with us in 25 minutes, and can’t wait to work with them all more!

Summer Singing School Starts Today!

I arrived in Seattle late last night, to participate in the Tallis Scholars Summer School at Seattle University. The Tallis Scholars are the premiere performing/recording group dedicated to Renaissance choral music. The theme of this year's program is "Music for the Sistine Chapel."

This is something I have wanted to do for a long time. I applied last year, but was only wait-listed. This year, I applied and was accepted. A week of singing challenging choral music is so exciting - culminating in a performance (that will be recorded) on Friday night. I feel both very excited to start singing, and also a little nervous about whether I am good enough.

I will know very soon. Our first rehearsals start mid-afternoon, and go through 9:30 pm!

Click on the link below to see more about program.

Tallis Scholars Summer Schools, TSSS, Seattle, Peter Phillips, Tallis Scholars, Renaissance choral music

Post-Potter reading? Suggestions from the Cincinnati Enquirer

Reading experts are recommending Seymour Simon's "Einstein Anderson" series for post-Harry Potter reading. I heartily agree. Si Simon and I are collaborating on a new multi-media series. He is a wonderful writer for kids and tweens.

The Enquirer - Post-Potter reading? Some ideas

Harry Potter Night

It's an amazing thing. I have been producing television for kids and teens for over two decades, and everyone knows that as teenagers grow, they distance themselves from things they loved in their childhood. "My Little Pony," "Pokemon," "Bratz." "In Synch," "Digimon." They are absolutely passionate about it, and then they outgrow it.

Somehow, these rules do not apply to Harry Potter. As I write this, my high school junior and her friends (some of them recently graduated) are at Barnes and Noble, taking part in the Harry Potter party that will culminate with the release of the books at midnight. They are wearing handmade t-shirts that read "Harry Potter Fan Since 1998." Mind you, they were seven years old when this phenomenon started. They were so little, the first Harry Potter books were read aloud to them. And still, they love it.

Author J.K. Rowling has expressed extreme dismay at the "spoilers" who have reviewed copies of the book that were obtained via early, unauthorized release. She shouldn't waste another second on this. Would any real Harry Potter fan read a spoiler review? NO WAY. They want to be there, buy their own copy of the book, and sit down to read it cover to cover.

For a change, it's not hype, and it can't be spoiled. It is the real deal.

Chasing Rainbows

My friend, the painter Rebecca Darlington, has launched a blog that explores the thoughts behind her current work, in which she paints all manner of everyday items strung on clotheslines. I love her creative impulse, that our lives are like wash hung on the clothesline for all to see.

I'm both tickled and a little embarrassed to see that one of her earliest entries is about a painting called Chasing Rainbows

© 2007 Rebecca Darlington

In her post, Rebecca writes This painting was inspired by a pair of shoes that a good friend of mine wore home from a trip to L.A. Designer shoes from who knows what fancy avenue. My mind started spinning about where the shoes had been and how the gal had experienced life while wearing them.....Dates, love in the air, traveling across the continents for love, chasing rainbows in her dreams. These are definitely articles from a 21st Century woman.

I lent Rebecca my shoes for this painting, and I've known all along that it was somewhat biographical. The NYC subway map, the vintage linens, an empty wineglass, a book open to the page where the reader left off, a casual bunch of roses.....items personal to me, pinned to the line. I am smiling now, as she writes about it. These past two years have certainly been an adventure for me, both personally and professionally. And I have, indeed, traveled across continents for love.

In fact, I'm in the last stages of writing a book proposal for a memoir/self-help book about online dating for women over 40. I can’t tell you how many times women have asked me where I met my partner, and when I tell them I met him online they exclaim, “Oh, I could NEVER do that.” And I think to myself, “Oh, but you MUST do that!”

I decided to write the book as a practical guide to getting started, staying safe, and using the many resources available on the Internet to help women over 40 in their search for a compatible, loving partner. I think of it as a personal toolkit for women who hope to be in love again. The response so far has been very good, and when and if it's published there will be a lot more of my intimate life "hanging on the line"!

See Rebecca's blog by clicking on this link.
You on line: Chasing Rainbows

Sublime Summer Morning

I've just come in from whacking my way through the brambles (even in long sleeves my arms are scratched). It's wild raspberry season here in the Hudson Highlands, and breakfast starts with a bowl of fresh berries. It's a competition between myself, the birds, and the deer to see who gets the most, but I did pretty well this morning.

Incident in Manhattan

Shortly after 6:00 this evening I was at my computer when a news alert popped up on MSNBC: "Explosion Reported in Midtown Manhattan." Simultaneously, my cell phone began to ring. I answered the phone and heard my sister Joan's voice, sounding strained and scared. "Elizabeth. The explosion happened right outside my building. What is happening? I am trying to decide what is the safest direction to walk."

She was in her office on the seventh floor when the building started to shake, the windows were suddently covered with mud....and then the glass blew out. Everyone headed for the staircase and, since the building felt stable, had decided to stay there. They didn't know what they would encounter if they headed outside. Suddenly the police burst in, yelling "Get out, get out!" Which is when my beloved sister called me.

She said frantically into the phone, "Can you hear the sound?" I couldn't, given all the confusion. "It sounds like the biggest wind I have ever heard, and it just keeps going and going," she told me. My only advice, given the sketchy information available, was "take off your shoes" (being Joan, of course she was wearing useless shoes), "and head east as fast as you can."

Hours later, we know the details, and thank goodness, it was not as bad as we all originally feared, though certainly bad enough. I love my sister so much. It touched me more deeply than I can ever explain to know that her first call was to me, her big sister "Elizabeth." Thank you, God, for letting it be ok.

Nealons in residence at Highland Lake!

Every summer, in the second week of July, my family gathers at Highland Lake, Pennsylvania, near where I grew up. Most of us manage to make it every year, though we are scattered throughout the northeast, Minnesota, and Texas. This year nearly everyone is present - both of my parents, all nine of us siblings, six assorted spouses, and 22 of the 24 living grandchildren, who range in age from 2 to 20.

It is a wonderful time, with the kids constantly either in or on the water in paddle boats, canoes, and kayaks. We have to cook enough food for an army every day, but that's ok because my sisters and I make the most of the time we spend yakking, chopping and cooking together. I snapped these two photos, of lacrosse sticks and fishing rods, thinking with a smile that even if no one was in evidence outside the cabins, it would be obvious to any observer that the family is here in full force!

Lab Notes : Science, Censored

The Bush government continues to get away with murder, in this case censoring key scientific data because it does not support administration policies.

Click on the link below to read the article from Newsweek Magazine.

Lab Notes : Science, Censored

GOP blocks Gonzales no-confidence measure

GOP blocks Gonzales no-confidence vote -
Politics - MSNBC.com
The vote was 53-38, in favor of a "no confidence" resolution, two votes short of the 60 votes required.

"There is no confidence in the attorney general on this side of the aisle," said Arlen Specter of Pennsylvania, the senior Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee. Specter voted to move the resolution forward, but he said many of his GOP colleagues would not because they feared political retribution.

The Senate Democrats pushed for this vote specifically to try to get their Republican colleagues to go on the record with their disapproval of Gonzales' performance, and by extension, the Bush administration. When there is a close vote on a major issue, I am always interested in both how my senators voted, and who did NOT make the vote. In this case, despite the closeness of the vote on this hotly debated this issue, only 91 senators voted (out of a possible 99 votes - Wyoming senator Craig Thomas died last week).

I took a look to see which 8 members of the Senate missed the vote (and incidentally avoided putting their sentiment, either way, into the Congressional Record). Five of them were presidential candidates - Christopher Dodd, Joe Biden, Barack Obama, Sam Brownback and John McCain. Hillary Clinton was the only candidate for president who was present for the vote. The election is 17 months away. Wouldn't you think this vote was important enough to come off the campaign trail and be present for the roll call?

For those who are interested, here is how it broke down:

Voting "yes" were 45 Democrats, seven Republicans and one independent.

Voting "no" were no Democrats, 37 Republicans and one independent.

"Present" denotes those who voted they were present at the time of the vote but did not vote yes or no on the issue.

Democrats Yes
Akaka, Hawaii; Baucus, Mont.; Bayh, Ind.; Bingaman, N.M.; Boxer, Calif.; Brown, Ohio; Byrd, W.Va.; Cantwell, Wash.; Cardin, Md.; Carper, Del.; Casey, Pa.; Clinton, N.Y.; Conrad, N.D.; Dorgan, N.D.; Durbin, Ill.; Feingold, Wis.; Feinstein, Calif.; Harkin, Iowa; Inouye, Hawaii; Kennedy, Mass.; Kerry, Mass.; Klobuchar, Minn.; Kohl, Wis.; Landrieu, La.; Lautenberg, N.J.; Leahy, Vt.; Levin, Mich.; Lincoln, Ark.; McCaskill, Mo.; Menendez, N.J.; Mikulski, Md.; Murray, Wash.; Nelson, Fla.; Nelson, Neb.; Pryor, Ark.; Reed, R.I.; Reid, Nev.; Rockefeller, W.Va.; Salazar, Colo.; Schumer, N.Y.; Stabenow, Mich.; Tester, Mont.; Webb, Va.; Whitehouse, R.I.; Wyden, Ore.

Democrats No
None

Democrats Not Voting
Biden, Del.; Dodd, Conn.; Johnson, S.D.; Obama, Ill.

Republicans Yes
Coleman, Minn.; Collins, Maine; Hagel, Neb.; Smith, Ore.; Snowe, Maine; Specter, Pa.; Sununu, N.H.

Republicans No
Alexander, Tenn.; Allard, Colo.; Bennett, Utah; Bond, Mo.; Bunning, Ky.; Burr, N.C.; Chambliss, Ga.; Cochran, Miss.; Corker, Tenn.; Cornyn, Texas; Craig, Idaho; Crapo, Idaho; DeMint, S.C.; Dole, N.C.; Domenici, N.M.; Ensign, Nev.; Enzi, Wyo.; Graham, S.C.; Grassley, Iowa; Gregg, N.H.; Hatch, Utah; Hutchison, Texas; Inhofe, Okla.; Isakson, Ga.; Kyl, Ariz.; Lott, Miss.; Lugar, Ind.; Martinez, Fla.; McConnell, Ky.; Murkowski, Alaska; Roberts, Kan.; Sessions, Ala.; Shelby, Ala.; Thune, S.D.; Vitter, La.; Voinovich, Ohio; Warner, Va.

Republicans Voting Present
Stevens, Alaska.

Republicans Not Voting
Brownback, Kan.; Coburn, Okla.; McCain, Ariz.

Others Yes
Sanders, Vt.

Others No
Lieberman, Conn.

Wal-Mart Heiress's Museum Unnerves Art Elite

Wal-Mart Heiress's Museum Unnerves Art Elites -
Newsweek Entertainment - MSNBC.com


I am not a fan of Wal-Mart. I find their stores to be overcrowded and disorganized, with not a single helpful person in sight. And, as a media producer, I am well aware of their massive economic power as the major "buyer" of creative content. The conservative political views of the Wal-Mart corporation, combined with their influence in the buying chain, means that unless we, the consumers, start to pay attention, we may find ourselves struggling to access any content that does not meet Wal-Mart's conservative "moral" standards.

All that said, I applaud Alice Walton's investment in the arts. And, I was taken aback at the vicious, racist tone of the comments on the article. People seem to think that Wal-Mart is solely responsible for American workers being downsized, outsourced, and outperformed. There is a whole lot more wrong with our politics, our economic policies, and our work ethic than Wal-Mart can possibly be responsible for.

I posted this comment on the Newsweek site, hoping to bring a bit of historical perspective into the dialogue. "Ruthless Industrialists" also happen to be our most avid art patrons, and it's a good thing!

(To The Editors)
Alice Walton is following in the long, distinguished tradition of philanthropy practiced by our nation’s powerful, wealthy, industrialist families. The United States, founded on a belief in the power of hard work and entrepreneurship, has built its “culture” in the same way that it built its economy – through deliberate investment in the long term by families who believed in the value of knowledge, as well as the acquisition of wealth.

Members of the Rockefeller family founded both MoMA (New York’s unparalleled Museum of Modern Art) and the Asia Society. Gertrude Vanderbilt Whitney (an heir to the Vanderbilt shipping/railroad fortune) founded the Whitney Museum, one of the world's foremost collections of twentieth-century American art. The J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles was established with his publishing/newspaper fortune. The Ford Family Foundation, whose goals are to strengthen democratic values, reduce poverty and injustice, promote international cooperation and advance human achievement, was established in the early 20th century by Henry and Edsel Ford. The list goes on and on.

The United States does not have a tradition of expansive public funding of cultural institutions, as do major European cultural centers like Britain, France, Italy, etc. We are a capitalist nation, and if developing our cultural resources and legacy depended on meeting a bottom line, we would be in trouble.

Thank goodness for patrons like Alice Walton, who recognizes that given her good fortune and great wealth, she has an obligation to give back. It seems obvious to me that all the hoopla around her art investing is pure snobbery because the Walton family is from Arkansas, and not part of the East Coast/West Coast “aristocracy.”
Liz Nealon

Spring Dispatch from Storm King Mountain

Like all gardeners, I have been mostly out of commission for the past three weeks, engaged in the annual race to clean up the remnants of the autumn leaves and get seeds and plants into the ground after the danger of frost is past, but before it gets too hot for delicate seedlings. Normally I take a week's vacation from my job specifically to work in the garden. This year, since I'm working at home, I had the luxury of spending quality time, and it has really paid off.

My house is situated deep in the forest on the north face of the mountain. Though it is a beautiful spot full of native wildlife, it also means that I am engaged in an ongoing struggle with the deer who eat all my plants and shubbery. In addition, this year I have been doing battle with a little gopher, who has worked diligently behind me each evening, digging up everything I plant, neatly laying it on its side next to the empty hole! I don't use traps in the garden (I figure the animals and I are sharing this patch of earth). I also don't use chemicals, since we eat herbs, edible flowers and vegetables that grow there. Luckily I found a biodegradeable, granular spread called MoleMax, which is activated by water and repels burrowing animals. For the deer, I am using a spray called Liquid Fence (all natural ingredients like hot peppers and rotten eggs which make everything taste terrible), combined with a technique suggested by an Amish gardener near Highland Lake, Pennsylvania (where I grew up, and still vacation with my siblings and their kids). She puts chicken wire on the ground around plants that she doesn't want deer to eat, and told me that they hate to step on the wire. I have tried it around my azaleas and some flowering perennials. So far, so good.

Today, for the first time in weeks, I didn't spend the cool morning hours hauling gravel, digging, and planting. Instead, I took a cup of coffee, my camera and tripod, and photographed the results of my work.



Usually, the sage in my kitchen garden is an annual - I have to replant every spring. This year, the weather was so mild that my sage wintered over, and I have a HUGE patch which is flowering (I've never had sage flower before - very exciting!).

This is a Dock-Spider, which I found warming itself on one of my paving stones. It is a beauty - nearly 3-inches in diameter.







My Clematis didn't flower last year (often the case with a new planting), but it is in full bloom this Spring.









I love the perfect symbiosis between ants and peonies. The ants drink the nectar, and their constant movement is thought to help open the dense, double flower buds. This bloom was literally trembling on the verge of opening when I photographed it this morning. As I post this afternoon, the flower is open and the ant is gone - his work is done!


Lots of wrought iron - both new and antique - in the shady "Angel Garden."
































The Garden Shed











And finally, the porch. We are ready for "a long summer's rest" here in Cornwall-on-Hudson!

Showers with Occasional Sunny

The weather was generally good for Memorial Day weekend, though we had an odd mix of sun and thunderstorms on Sunday. Jules Kelly captured the moment in a striking photograph.

Flowers in our Hair

I was so pleased that Jules, my 15-year-old, decided to give me a "breakfast hike" for Mother's Day. I used to do it often as a treat when she was little, but in recent years she has flat-out refused to consider an early morning hike to be a pleasant thing. Which is fair - she's a teenager, after all.

This year, she knew that a hike in the woods would please me more than anything she could buy me. We prepared breakfast together (lox & bagels, and a bowl of fresh strawberries), packed our knapsack, and headed up into Black Rock Forest for a wonderful morning - just like the old days!

The Hush Sound

Great set - which will be on YouTube before the night is out. The crowd in front of me is a sea of camera/phones...

Dusk at the Bamboozle Festival

Amazing. There are 200 bands on multiple stages, and this schedule runs like clockwork....bands go on EXACTLY when the program says. I saw the lead singer for a band called The Audition surreptitiously glance at his watch while he was rocking out on their last song, to be sure he was finishing on time. How times have changed! Heading over to see The Hush Sound (who I love), and we'll call it a night.

(posted from my mobile phone)

On the Scene

Our girls (and their friend Matt) looking really "scene."
(photo taken shortly after one of Julia's Converse shoes fell off and a random guy picked it up and threw it away in the crowd. Yikes!)

Boys Like Girls

Jules posted this photo of Martin Johnson - Singer/Guitarist for Boys Like Girls. So much for my caution to stay out of the mosh pit!

Bamboozle Festival Day

This morning I'm psyching myself up for the 12-hour Bamboozle Festival, 5 stages in the parking lot of the Meadowlands Arena. I am chaperoning three 15-year-olds.....so funny, after all my years at MTV, to be the grownup, rather than the participant! It's actually a pretty great lineup - The Hush Sound, New Found Glory, My Chemical Romance, and a whole lot of alternative bands I've never heard before but will probably enjoy. And out of the blue, M.C. Hammer is on one of the small stages. So, at least there will be SOMEBODY else as old as I am in the house!


..// THE BAMBOOZLE \\..

After the Deluge, An Explosion into Spring

Wow. No sooner did the flood water abate (six inches of rain in less than 24 hours) than the trees in my garden leapt into bloom.

If my beloved Grandma Ruthven were still here, she would quote the springtime poem that I loved as a little girl:

Spring is sprung
The grass is riz
I wonder where
The flowers is?




posted from my mobile phone

Nor'easter Slams the Hudson Highlands

Nearly 6 inches of rain have fallen in the last 24 hours, with more still to come. As the heavy rains tapered off this afternoon, traffic nearly stopped on Route 32 in Cornwall as people gathered at the edge of the bridge over Moodna Creek to marvel at the power and intensity of the water.

Click on the link below for a slideshow of photos of the flood waters here in Cornwall-on-Hudson.
C-o-H Flood Photos

Do-It-Yourself IMUS

I'm smiling to myself this morning, listening to Dierdre Imus and Charles McCord host the last day of the Imus show, which happens to be the last day of their annual WFAN Radioathon to benefit the CJ Foundation for SIDS and the Imus Ranch for Kids with Cancer. They are going to raise more money this year than they ever have in the previous 17 years. If you have to get fired, this timing couldn't be better!

The tone today is very serious - I am sure Don Imus is wishing that he had told Dierdre to lay back and let Charles take the lead. He can't say it to her while she's on the air, and Charles is courteously laying low - almost a non-presence on the show. Her sincerity and passion for the work with children are carrying her through what otherwise would be a dull, stumbling, amateur presentation.

So, if you want the show to feel like Imus in the Morning, you need to fill in the blanks yourself. I just heard Station Manager Joel Hollander come on and do a passionate defense of the work they do together, promising to carry it on (it was the death of Hollander's infant daughter, CJ, that inspired Imus's passion for finding the cause(s) of SIDS). Hollander was outspoken and supportive - brave coming from an executive who is still working for CBS Radio. If Imus had been there, he would have said "Joel, I'm starting to feel bad about all the times I have trashed you on the show.......but then again, you are a butt-kissing wienie." I was wishing Charles would have said it, but I'm sure many long-time listeners like myself were saying it anyway!

It's 10am, Charles is signing off WFAN for the last time. I will miss Imus in the morning, and look forward to his return in another forum, hopefully one that I can access in my car!

Tiny capsules (containing reproductive spores) are sprouting from the moss in the forest this time of year. They looked so soft and delicate, I just had to brush my face against them. In fact, they are even softer than I had imagined. Diminutive velvet fronds caressing my cheek…..

Spring Comes to the Hudson Highlands

Though it is wet and foggy this morning, Spring is definitely in the air!

I've been out photographing all morning (just finished wiping the mud off my camera gear). Here, especially for my NYC friends, are some images of Spring. I expect we'll be hearing the Peepers (thousands of tree frogs who live in the woods & marshes) any night now.

Snowdrops are always the first to push through the leaves. They have been open for a couple of weeks now.


Some of the brightest greens of early Spring are in the mosses.




How is that for a fungus?! Looks like the tail of a whale breaking the surface.....





The Lenten Roses are open right on schedule. It is always such a thrill to see them nodding in the leaves.


Last but not least, the Pussy Willows. Happy Spring, everybody!

Final post from South Africa - online from the airport. On my wrist are a South African flag bracelet that I bought in Soweto this morning and a band from the Cradle of Mankind caves (hence the bare footprint & early homnid skull images).
It has been a busy week - I'm ready to go home and. I'm happy to leave with a pocketful of cards from new friends who I feel sure I will visit again someday....
(posted from my mobile phone).

Soweto Part 2

While in Soweto, we also visited the famous Regina Mundi church, which opened its doors to shelter four thousand children and teens during the violent Soweto uprisings in the 1970s. The authorities entered the church and fired on the children; bullet holes, the statue of Christ with its hands blown off, and the marble altar defaced by a rifle butt still stand as evidence of the violence that happened in this place.



Wonderfully, though, we visited today during a lunchtime service. The altar steps were full of children singing, dancing and praying as their teacher beat an African drum. So although this place is a National Historic Site due to the tragedy that happened here, we found an oasis full of hope and joy this afternoon.

Soweto

I made a trip to the Soweto Township this morning, and we walked through Motswaledi, euphamistically known as an "Informal Settlement," which was established in 1993. There are about 20,000 residents here living in corrugated iron shanty houses that have no electricity, although there is access to safe, clean water at various central points in the camp. After a week of talking with South African teens about improving their prospects for the future, it was sobering to see the conditions that these preschoolers are growing up in. There is a preschool in the settlement, but the nearest primary school is a thirty-minute walk away. Children who attend there are required to wear uniforms (which are expensive) and to purchase their own books, as well. It is late autumn here, so not terribly hot, but the heat inside the metal shanty was stifling. I can only imagine that when it is cold, it is terribly cold, as well.











A sobering finish to my stay here in Johannesburg.

California Teen Chimzam Mbelu Blogs from Johannesburg

KOCE

Chimzam was sponsored by Orange County PBS station KOCE, and she has received several hundred emails since the conference started. U.S. teens are suggesting questions for her to ask people, lines of questioning to pursue, etc.

I watched her interviewing other students - she is a very poised interviewer. I asked her mother (an attorney who is here as a chaperone for her daughter) if Chimzam wants to work in media. "No, she wants to be a dentist," her mother replied.

Go figure. Whatever she choses, I suspect this young woman will be a success!

India - Children of Nomads

(Dateline: Johannesburg. Posting from the World Summit on Media for Children)

Vinay and Meenakshi Rai presented an extraordinary project at the final session this morning. We saw excerpts from their award-winning film, “Children of Nomads,” in which nomadic and non-nomadic Indian children interview each other. The contrasts in their background knowledge and cultures were simultaneously funny, touching, and thought-provoking. Some excerpts from the dialogue:

Non-Nomadic Child (NN): How often do you take a bath?
Nomadic Child (NC): I take a bath every day.
NN: You don’t feel cold?
NC: Cold….what is cold?
NN: You know…..Brrrrrrrrrr……when we wear warm clothes.
NC: (duh) I take a bath in warm water.

And this one, about traveling by airplane:

NC: What do you get in an eagle-cart?
NN: Toffee, food, blankets.
NC: What do the clouds look like?
NN: White, very pretty.
NC: Do you get to see Rama?
NN: (puzzled silence)
NC: Rama…the God.
NN: No, but if I see him, what message should I give him?
NC: Tell him I need food, home, water, banana.

When the excerpt ended, to loud applause, Meenakshi Rai said: This film made us understand the difference between Literacy and Education. My child is literate but not educated. The nomadic children are educated, but not literate. This is the unique strength of nomadic culture. She added, It’s not really a film, it’s the beginning of a poem.

The pair have a broad vision plan for the next five years, in which they will be running government-sponsored media literacy workshops in which nomadic children will make films in their own voices, about the problems and issues they face. The Rais have also started creative writing projects, putting writing professionals together with these children to capture their oral history, stories, and songs. Here at the Summit, Radio JOJO in Germany has agreed to broadcast all the stories produced by the Indian nomadic children.

They are also using the award money from the film to start five culture schools in nomadic communities. Their goal is to discover and document lost music and lost traditions, which she described as crumbling under pressure of survival. And again here at the Summit, the Cairo Film Festival agreed to devote one day to screening these completed films.

As is the case at any conference like this, one is always looking for gems amidst many droning, bureaucratic presentations. We found a diamond here in Johannesburg with Children of Nomads.

MTV in the House

(Dateline: Johannesburg. Posting from the World Summit on Media for Children)

Having traveled the world as the Head of MTV International Programming at the birth of the global network, it was really a delight for me to see two representatives from MTV channels front and center in the AIDS/HIV panels.

Mauro Dahmer (left) is a producer with MTV Brasil who specializes in pro-social issues. We work in a developing country where young people don’t always have the right education nor even a guarantee of basic rights. Drugs, homophobia, machismo, poverty are key issues in fighting AIDS and getting results in Brasil. We have a strong connection to young people and understand our responsibility around these messages.

According to Dahmer, MTV Brasil is the most pro-social MTV, launching more issue spots and campaigns than any other territory. Their on-air commitment is impressive: 20-minutes per day on AIDS prevention programming from December through March, and 10-minutes per day the rest of the year - a huge amount of programming real estate from which to deliver these messages. In addition, all the PSAs plus their documentary “Sex-Press Yourself” (produced in Kingston, Jamaica, Mexico City, and Rio de Janeiro) are available for download online and available for free broadcast anywhere in the world. STAYING ALIVE

Dahmer added that Brasil is a liberal, sexual country. We try to approach these messages by talking about rights and the social aspects of prevention. The key is not to scare our audience, and preserve their right to a free sexuality, not a paranoia sexuality.

Presenter Sizwe Dhlomo (left) from MTV-Base (the African component of MTV’s global network) was also present, and was a huge draw for the teenagers present.
Dhlomo showed excerpts from the MTV campaign “Staying Alice,” an AIDS prevention campaign that is currently running on 50 MTV channels across the world – at least one primetime minute on every channel, every day. Dhlomo called on other broadcasters to join MTV. There is no vaccine available for AIDS; the only vaccine currently available is knowledge.

MTV’s approach to AIDS prevention came under some fire during the day, as people questioned how genuine their effort is, given the highly sexualized tone of their general programming mix. They were also questioned as to why their PSAs were so slick and fast-moving, rather than letting individual teens tell their stories in a more measured way.

I have always felt that MTV speaks to young people in a tone of voice that is unlike any other – and for that reason it is a powerful platform from which to do good. They are not a “public broadcaster,” nor a public service organization, and shouldn’t be expected to speak in a measured tone. While the forum may be imperfect, when MTV speaks to issues relevant to youth, they have a powerful impact.

As Dahmer put it, If we were to stop playing the videos that people say are “irresponsible,” the programming would be less interesting and you would go to other channels. We want to keep the audience and deliver a mix of socially responsible programming. It is all about finding a balance.

When I look back at my time at MTV (1981-1990), I have always been proudest of our work internationally. In the late 1980s the broadcast universe outside of the U.S. was still dominated by huge public broadcasters (BBC, RAI, etc) and I believed that we were the instigators of a seminal cultural revolution, in which the voices of youth were recognized and respected for the first time. I was so proud this week, seeing these two men “own” MTV’s point of view in such a powerful way. Twenty-five years later, our fledging group of MTV start-ups has turned into a legitimate global voice for youth.

Day 3 - HIV & AIDS

(Dateline: Johannesburg. Posting from the World Summit on Media for Children)

The theme of Day 3 of the World Summit on Media for Children is Health & Wellness, which means that today was largely focused on HIV/AIDS. Dr. Gilda A. Glasinovich, UN Technical Advisor on Immigrant Populations (a well as a physician and oncologist) opened this morning’s session by saying: We are heading into the third wave of HIV, and 13-25 year olds are now the highest risk group. Two-thirds of the new infections here in African will be young women.She called out to all the teenagers and asked them to move forward in the huge lecture hall – this session is for you. Your role in society is to educate yourselves and educate others. The discussion right now is going to be on H.I.V. as it pertains to you.

Everyone moved up front, and we seemed poised for a real discussion that would involve the youngest participants. They are the constant target of HIV/AIDS public service announcements….any South African teen that you speak with will spout the SABC’s message: ABSTAIN, BE FAITHFUL, CONDOMIZE. I was hopeful that today we would get into a discussion about what is working for them, what is not, and how we can be more effective in protecting young people from HIV infection.

Early on, we heard from 16-year-old Lerato Ntuli, of the Alexander Township here in South Africa, who spoke on behalf of the organization FRIENDS FOR LIFE, which has provided support for her since she lost her mother to AIDS and became, in effect, the parent for her younger brother.

I lost my mother when I was only 6 years old…I feel like a lot has been taken away from me. I am only 16, and I am doing things that older people should be doing, because I have a younger brother. He asks me questions, and I don’t even know the answers to those questions. I told my baby brother (13) just the other day that the reason our Mom’s not with us any more is because of AIDS. He cried so much and asked me “Why have you been hiding it from me for so long?” I was trying to protect him, but actually I was shutting him out.

Lerato’s strength created a palpable swell of emotion in the teenagers in the room. She has made a conscious decision to overcome her circumstances and act as an agent for social change.

I have been neglected by a lot of people when I talk about my parents’ situation, but I realize those people don’t push me down, they make me stronger. I can prove to them that I can build myself up, make other teenagers aware that this is just a trial, there are better things to come if we all learn from it.

Unfortunately, we lost the opportunity for real dialogue created by her powerful testimony as a number of other adult speakers followed her, including a delegate from Libya who was determined to talk about a tragic, controversial incident in her country, and refused to yield the mike. By the time we got to “Question Time” for the teenagers, time was very limited and they were rushed through. Although young people came to the microphone and asked questions, the reply was basically “That’s a very good question. Next question?”

Such a missed opportunity. Here are some of the questions that were asked. Despite the fact that they were not answered in the room, we, as media producers, can certainly think about how we contribute to the answers via our work going forward.

• Sonia Antonio, who has been sponsored at this conference by Angolan Television (speaking Portuguese). I have presented a program on public television Angola for the last five years, in which we have the opportunity of dealing with various issues. I am no longer a child (24), but I remain a symbol of children’s issues in my country, because I started on television when I was very young. My question is: What can we, as producers of children’s programs, do to ensure that we sensitize children to the fact that HIV-AIDS starts with each one of us? How can we help them not contract it themselves?


• Nonhlanhla Nellovu (left), age 16, from South Africa, spoke clearly and forcefully. What are we doing about child-headed families – children like Lerato forced to find a balance between education and the sustenance of their families? The media can play an imperative role in making children aware of the resources available to them so they don’t have to resort to unfortunate measures in order to get income.

• Mollie Vincent Louis, from Haiti: Parents don’t give sexual education to their children, so they undertake sexual activity and adventures under the advice of their friends. I would like to appeal to broadcasters to come up with programs that are aimed at delivering HIV information to children. Parents must not hide facts about sex from children, because from about the age of 11, when they’re trying to find an image for themselves, it’s very important to explain to them what sex is all about.

• South African boy, name unknown. We need to go back to our traditions, and if we do, AIDS will not be a problem any longer.

• Mobile Sange Kesadin, South Africa. What about the children who are being abused by their parents, children who are being raped, children who don’t have homes, children who have no one to take care of them.? She broke down, sobbing, was embraced by Dr. Mzamane and Nonhlanhla (the girl who had just spoken about child-led families), and helped from the room.

For all of us who create media that is designed to be used with kids in classrooms, afterschool centers, or youth programs, this represented a worst case scenario – opening the door to an outpouring of feelings from children, then not being prepared to deal with their outpouring. I walked outside to talk to some of the teens that I had met earlier in the week, to get their reaction.

Nonhlanhla said angrily, What a waste of time. They have been saying since day one that they wanted to hear from us. Today is the first time we have had an opportunity to speak. I had a huge list of questions. There is no time for serious discussion.


Mpho Moshweu, age 18, of the Northern Cape, Kimberley Youth Support Program, is one of the very enthusiastic group that I met on the first day (in the white shirt, above). He was outspoken today, much more pragmatic and action-oriented than many of the adults I have talked with here. I don’t see how this can be a successful conference without any resolutions. Is there someone who is going to take this forward? We should be given tasks going forward, so that we can report when we get together again in 2010.
Mpho (pronounced mmmm-PO) also questioned the lack of connection between the conferences (the 4th World Summit was held in Rio in 2004). Where are the delegates from Brasil, telling us their conclusions? Mpho’s assessment on the abbreviated “discussion” of HIV was succinct and devastating. When you are addressing issues, you must know that time is not important. We will stay as long as the matters are being solved. What is the benefit of all those experts, if nothing is solved?

I think this raises a question, going forward, as to what is the purpose of inviting children to the Summit. Do they belong at a professional conference? If so, why are they not at a table with the adults? A mature teenager who brings real insight and potential input needs to be respected. Let’s not be guilty of killing their optimism and enthusiasm.

Media as a Tool for Peace Building

(Dateline: Johannesburg. Posting from the World Summit on Media for Children)

This afternoon was the best session that I’ve attended so far, “Media as a Tool for Peace Building.” There were many powerful speakers on the program, including my friend Dr. Charlotte Cole from Sesame Street International, L. Randolph Carter from the grass roots advocacy organization Search for Common Ground, our friend and producer Beathur Baker from the SABC, who facilitated powerful documentaries produced & directed by girls who have been victims of violence, and others, equally committed to peace building.

But for me, Sarah Crowe, who is a reporter for UNICEF Television, completely nailed the topic. She is a veteran, accomplished reporter who covers her stories with an acknowledged bias – UNICEF’s advocacy on behalf of children. In her words: Our goal is to influence the media agenda to cover children’s issues, which are often forgotten in the ‘fog of war.’ In areas of conflict, media is often used as a tool of war, spreading propaganda, division, stirring up hatred. Children are often the first to pick up on these messages…they intuitively know that they need to take a side. And, how do they flourish if they are constantly forced to flee from conflict? Do they wave a copy of the Children’s Bill of Rights when they’re being recruited as child soldiers?

What I found most eye opening was her view of the obligation that she believes journalists have AFTER a conflict has ended, and ‘peace’ is declared.

For a child to flourish in a climate of peace, more than peace is needed. The average person believes that the majority of civilian casualties are a result of conflict and violence. In fact, most of the children die from neglect, not bullets and grenades, because the war has cut them off from basic services. Diarrhea, malaria, malnutrition are the primary causes of death for children in conflict zones, and this continues after peace has broken out.

Sarah Crowe feels strongly that reporters have an obligation to continue their coverage once the guns are silent. She sees it as an often neglected duty, and believes that journalists must go back and follow up, reporting the previously unseen damage that has happened as a result of the war.

Her words reminded me of AP’s Ian Stewart earlier today, lamenting that his coverage of the society’s struggles and triumphs go unreported in the West. People so often talk about feeling helpless in the face of all the troubles in the world. Yet, no one wants to read these stories that explain the nature of the challenges, as well as how they can be overcome. We are not helpless. We are ignorant.

Informal Journalism Mentoring

(Dateline: Johannesburg. Posting from the World Summit on Media for Children)

Although I am still attending panels on topics of interest and networking with my peers here in Johannesburg, my attention has really shifted to all the young journalists who are here. There are several workshops scheduled for them in digital media – basic internet skills, blogging, even a mini-animation workshop. DK (no name, just DK) the hip, young Brit who runs the hot “media for teens, by teens” site Mediasnackers is here doing workshops in digital journalism. But it quickly became apparent that there wasn’t any provision for print journalism, although there are dozens of kids walking around here with cameras, notebooks and pens. So, I’ve taken it upon myself (and I’m sure I’m not the only one) to be an informal mentor for these aspiring journalists. The enthusiasm of these talented young people is irresistable!


Tasneem Amos, Josslyn Hlenti, Alfreda Rowena Nadar, and Sthabile Dlamini (above) are all from Durban, in South Africa. They told me that being here has really opened their eyes to all the different possibilities available to them in media, and they also auditioned to be on SABC’s daily program “Kids News” (which is broadcasting live from the convention center).













Tasneem: We haven’t heard back from Kids News yet, but I think they were quite amazed at our self confidence. I was, too.

Zodidi Dano and Nosiphino Nabata (below) are part of the group of children and teens who meet every Saturday morning at Bush Radio’s studio in Cape Town to create programs that reflect and represent themselves. The C.R.E.W. (Children’s Radio Education Workshop), which has been existence for eleven years, was born out of the South African bush radio movement, in which community activists and alternative media producers came together to utilize grassroots media to incite social change. These two young women are only part of the team that I met in Johannesburg. Every one of them is poised, well-spoken and well-versed in writing, interviewing, and technical radio production skills. As Nosiphino told me “Our job is to feed the children information that they need, that their parents don’t feel comfortable giving to them.”


The group above is from the Kimberley Youth Support Program, in Northern Cape, South Africa. As you can see by the energy of Mpho Moshweu, Stephen Hams and the others, they have brought a large helping of energy and enthusiasm to the Summit!