Passing the Music Down by Sarah Sullivan & Illus by Barry Root

This is such a sweet book. 

(And I always forget how hard it is to take pictures of books outside... One of these days, I am totally going to learn how to take phenomenal pictures. You can say you knew me when... )

This book is a true story about a young violin player, Jake, meeting one of the greats of the Appalachian fiddlers, Melvin Wine.

Melvin sees talent in this young boy, so agrees to tutor him. 

Jake's family moves to live near Melvin so Jake can learn more from him. 

Melvin thinks it is important to do more than just play music though--he teaches Jake all about Appalachia through daily life and living. 

I love this so much! This old man giving his wisdom to Jake, passing it on to live after him.

They do find time to fiddle together though. Always time for fiddling.

On the porch...

By the fire..

...and at festivals. 

They play together everywhere.

Years pass, following the same pattern.

Eventually, Melvin teaches Jake about the ending of life. 

And finally, Jake is a grown man and playing at festivals on his own, as a world class fiddler.

And Jake never forgets the man or the place that helped him be everything he is today. 

I so love this! The passion for music, Jake's parent's commitment to his talent, the eventual success. 

I think one of the things I like the most is Melvin insisting that other things were important too. He didn't just tutor Jake on the fiddle and send him home, but taught him how to live life as well. 

America the Beautiful by Woodie Guthrie & Illus by Kathy Jakobsen

We have been roaming and rambling, which is why I haven't been on here very much this past month. It was a lovely month, packed full with all kinds of good things. And now we are back home, getting back to normal summer laziness. The girls are binge listening to the Anne of Green Gables books. Gilbert and Elsie have been outside getting wet more often than not. And I am contemplating the mountains of laundry that a month of merrymaking produces. 

I meant to do this book for the fourth of July, but clearly, I didn't. And since we drove all the way to California (but didn't get to see the redwoods) and back to New York, it seems like a good book to start with after a month of absenteeism. 

I love this song. And I love America and seeing the country and.... I just really like this book. 

It lives at my school library. I just happened to see it one day this spring and glommed onto it. Must. Read. Kids love song books. Totally going to sing this one with kids this fall. 

Woody Guthrie wrote this song in the Grapes of Wrath era, so it is appropriate to have a little nod to the exodus to California. 

I think the art works well here. Definitely a fold art sort of feel to it!

As I was walking that ribbon of highway, 

I saw above me that endless skyway. 

I saw below me that golden valley,

This land was made for you and me

California to New York. 

When we travel we aren't too big on landmarks. My husband dislikes cities in general (mostly this has to do with traffic and noise) so we don't generally hang out in or around cities. (I was just reading something about The Mixed Up Files turning fifty--Claudia's voice just came to me as I read that over. "...hang out in?! What kind of English is that?") The only exception we make is Las Vegas, since family lives there. 

So we have never seen the Golden Gate or the Statue of Liberty. It does strike me as funny that we live in New York and have all been to California, Washington, and Oregon, but never New York City.  Hmmm.....

Redwoods!

Apparently Woody wrote this in a sarcastic response to Irving Berlin's "God Bless America." Woody thought everyone's America wasn't quite as blessed as Berlin was portraying. 

On the chorus pages, the edges have additional pictures as well as Woody Guthrie lyrics in the corner squares. 

This lyric isn't quite as common, but I get a good kick out of it. 

As I went walking, I saw a sign there,

And on the it said "No Trespassing."

But on the other side it didn't say nothing. 

That side was made for you and me.

This verse is equally uncommon--

In the shadow of the steeple I saw my people,

By the relief office I saw my people

As they stood there hungry, I stood there asking

Is this land made for you and me?

Clearly, these lyrics are slightly more challenging to the capitalist nature of America. Questioning the concept of private property and then discussing the poor and destitute. Since this song was written in 1940 and recorded in 1944 (Woody sort of forgot about it for four years), you can see why artists might not have been anxious to record a song that may have sounded like it had communist leanings. 

Woody and his co-horts

Nobody living can ever stop me,

As I go walking that freedom highway;

Nobody living can ever make me turn back

This land was made for you and me.

Love this verse!

Fold out! I enjoy a good fold out. 

Let Your Voice Be Heard: The Life and Times of Pete Seeger by Anita Silvey

I liked the cover of this book. I really didn't know much about Peter Seeger before, but he was a fascinating character. I love that he never backed down on the things he really cared about. And,,, the banjo. I love the banjo. 

Today would have been his 98th birthday. 

Pete's family actually came from money. But they set off in a little car and trailer to listen to the songs of Appalachia. I think they intended to bring classical music to isolated areas, but instead were enchanted with their music. 

Pete was a failed journalist and artist, trying to make a buck when he took up playing music for money. One of his first "groups" included Woody Guthrie on the left there. 

He cared about workers rights, so he played a lot of Union rallies.

This is his portrait in the National Portrait Gallery. Doesn't he just look delighted with life? 

With the Seekers, he became popular and wealthy. 

Pete's story is pretty much a fairy tale--we have the true love and happy ever after marriage to Toshi (70 years together).

And we have the villan--J Edgar Hoover, who painted Seeger as a Communist sympathizer and destroyed his successful career with the Seekers.  

The Seeger family. I mean really, he always is looking delighted. 

Pete knew he was going to have to face the Committee on UnAmerican Activities, but he didn't let it ruin him. 

When he was finally called before the committee, he showed up with his banjo. 

I like his style. 

He never wavered in his defense. He loved America and no longer believed in practical Communism. He was only exercising his American rights when he spoke up in defense of Unions and the ideals of communism. 

After being cleared, he went on to march with Civil Rights activists. He is the one that made We Shall Overcome an anthem for the Civil Rights movement.

In later years, when he wasn't performing at inaugurations, he was cleaning up the Hudson River and launching Clearwater, a river schooner he would use to take kids on day trips to teach them about taking care of the river.