who needs a life less ordinary?

On the subway today, I was surprised to find a profound quote printed on the back of my MetroCard (from one of my favorite novels, no less: George Eliot's epic Middlemarch). It definitely gave me food for thought during my ride home.

Here's the quote: "We do not expect people to be deeply moved by what is not unusual.... If we had a keen vision and feeling of all ordinary human life, it would be like hearing the grass grow and the squirrel's heart beat, and we should die of that roar which lies on the other side of silence."

These words—and the fact that such wisdom even appeared on something as mundane as a transit pass!—remind me that within the seemingly ordinary lies an amazement that our limited comprehension usually bypasses; we must open our eyes, ears, minds, and hearts to experience the divinity that is latent everywhere and in everyone.

lights, camera, action!

Audio, video, disco (i.e. "I hear, I see, I learn" in Latin) . . . literally!

Here are two videos for your viewing enjoyment:

1) A three-part documentary short on the Children's Music Campaign NYC (filmed in May & June 2008):

http://www.acjw.org/cmcnyc_videos.html

Here is what I wrote in the introduction to one of the segments:

Pass It On—At the heart of CMCNYC's mission is to pass on the gift of music. We believe that the universal language of music is one of the most powerful ways of bringing people together. Each human being can make a difference, even with something as simple as a song. How? Music can symbolize our shared humanity; represent our views of the world; provide us with a healthy outlet of expression; manifest our thoughts, emotions, and ideals; and engender greater harmony and understanding. While working on this project, I was struck by the connective thread that ran between me and my colleagues; and our students, schools, and communities. Numerous individuals—of diverse ages, cultural backgrounds, personalities, and abilities—joined together in the unified pursuit of making beautiful music. As I witnessed my students create and collaborate, I realized that we as Teaching Artists are simply there to pass on our passion, to start a chain of positive acts, and to light the artistic fuse that is already latent within these bright young souls. They, in turn, enrich our lives beyond words, giving us infinite inspiration to keep our music and our dreams alive.—Elizabeth Joy Roe

It is the one-year anniversary of CMCNYC's culminating concert at Carnegie Hall. Ah, the memories...

2) A brand-new Anderson & Roe Piano Duo music video (filmed last month):



"Variety is the very spice of life that gives it all its flavour." -William Cowper