Christmas Time is Here

One of the greatest Christmas albums of all time is A Charlie Brown Christmas. It is so pleasant that you can really listen to it any time of year.  My husband gives me a hard time for doing this, but he knows he married someone who wanted to name her son Charlie after Charlie Brown.

Sixty years ago, Vince Guaraldi took inspiration from Charles Schultz and created something that is unmistakably a “Guaraldi sound.” There is a comfort that comes with hearing A Charlie Brown Christmas.  Years later, the music and movie are still beloved by all ages. It doesn’t matter how many times you have seen or heard it, it’s simply a classic! Guaraldi and Schulz were a dream team complimenting each other; they were magicians.

Guaraldi said, "I want to write standards, not just hits." He did just that, his sound naturally energizes and transports you to a jazzy elegant place in time. His music is a blend of many cultures: Latin, European, and even African…it all comes together as Guaraldi.

My favorite kind of party is the kind with a piano player in the middle of the mix. A piano player is like a magician is for children; they make you smile and leave you wanting more. If the piano player plays Guaraldi, then they make you feel like a kid again. Children of all ages respond to Guaraldi’s music. I think it’s because his jaunty sound instantly puts you in a good mood.

Just like Lucy leans over Schroeder’s piano, party goers naturally want to do the same when there’s a piano player present. Holiday jazz classics spread cheer like no other style of music. Jazz is music of individualism but when you hear old standards done in a jazzy style, it is more expressive than any other kind of music. The piano has an expressive voice right through their fingertips of the musician and the music and mood of the party is created.

Harry Connick Jr, Diana Krall, and David Ian are all jazz musicians of today who have followed suit...each playing piano and creating their own voice through jazz.

Sometimes what sounds fresh are the tried and true classics just updated. That's the way I feel about David Ian's new CD, A Vintage Christmas. There is a cozy warmth felt with his mellow arrangements. Listening to I'll Be Home for Christmas, an intimate mood is created no matter where you listen. Ian's soft piano should be heard at every home this season. Whether you’re at a party or snuggled up in front of the fireplace with some eggnog at home, you will enjoy his vintage sound just as you still enjoy Guaraldi.

David Ian, an Armenian Canadian, is also a rock guitarist. His background in classical piano helped to breathe new life into jazzy Christmas standards. You can hear that Ian was definitely inspired by Guaraldi. He seems to produce that festive vintage sound of the 1950s that never gets old.

Like the song goes…Christmas Time is Here! May you ears and heart be filled with happy sounds and may you have yourself a swingin’ little Christmas!

Christmas time is here
Happiness and cheer
Fun for all that children call
Their favorite time of the year

Snowflakes in the air
Carols everywhere
Olden times and ancient rhymes
Of love and dreams to share

Sleigh bells in the air
Beauty everywhere
Yuletide by the fireside
And joyful memories there

Christmas time is here
We'll be drawing near
Oh, that we could always see
Such spirit through the year
Oh, that we could always see
Such spirit through the year...

Blondie, Still Number One

Blondie recently released their ninth album, Panic of Girls which is full of international flowing flavors like Latin, French, reggae…all of those multilingual sounds on one album scream where they’ve been and breathe like a fine wine that improves with age. I’ve been sipping Blondie with deliberate pleasure since I saw them last week at Dallas’ Granada Theatre.

Blondie has an ethereal and infectious sound that is singularly identifiable and emotionally haunting; they are respected and appreciated to this day.

Harry says, “Music is a funny thing; kind of like this creature that’s always evolving and layering and forming different identities.”

Hearing Blondie, you are exposed to so many genres: disco, punk, club, new wave, dreamy pop, rock, rap… all rolled into one great band. With this wide range of genres comes a wide range of demographically diverse fans. The Blondie audience cannot be stereotyped.

They were so prevalent during the 70s and 80s; hearing them today it is obvious that they are still relevant.  Being able to hear from so many artists from this time period like Stevie Nicks, Cyndi Lauper, The Cars, The Pretenders, The Go Go’s creates reflections on a great time in music. Hearing Blondie with a line-up of old and new feels very right, very current, and very Blondie.

Blondie’s name derived from comments made by truck drivers who catcalled "Hey, Blondie" to Harry, and the name just stuck.

Debbie Harry, the voice and face of Blondie, has a sexy maturity that adds to her je ne sais quoi; it’s smoky, husky, sophisticated, and still exudes her signature flirty vibe. She is mesmerizing; she demands stage presence placing her hands on her hips and staring into the audience. You can’t take your eyes off of her.

She walked out onto Dallas’ Granada stage wearing Audrey Hepburn style sunglasses and a long romantic style tutu. It was like a Tim Burton costume and with each song; she’d peel off a layer to add more drama-- changing her costume right before our eyes… going from white to black…oh so Blondie!

I imagine Marlene Dietrich and Marilyn Monroe inspired some of Debbie’s confident style. Debbie Harry has always been a style icon. She was a dancer, Playboy bunny, and one of the sexist women in the world. Harry’s fashion forward style is legendary; once wearing a double-sided razor blade dress she inspires current artists like Lady Gaga. Debbie Harry made that type of avant-garde fashion a swirly part of her performance signature long before Lady Gaga.

The band Blondie has been around for nearly forty years now and is still the coolest of the cool. Debbie Harry says about finding inspiration, “I like to go out dancing and dance around to stuff. You can just, you know, feel it.”

Debbie Harry is sixty-six and admits that she finds ageing to be rough saying, “I rely on looks a lot. Women’s calling cards, unfortunately, are based on their looks. I’m trying my best now. I’m healthy and I exercise like a fiend and do all that stuff that recovered drug addicts do.” She also says when asked if she was sorry she did not have children of her own, “Sometimes, sometimes. I guess it never struck me as being part of survival and for many people it is, it’s a way of surviving.”

There are places that have such a heavy past it’s almost like they are haunted. I’d like to go back in time to the heyday of Studio 54 and CBGB’s. I’ve visited both of those places in NYC (seeing Cabaret at Studio 54 and my sister perform at CBGB’s). I couldn’t help but think of all the good times that were had. Blondie wrote a love song to another NYC club, Mother, that holds mesmerizing memories of their musical past.

Two highlights that weren’t on the menu for the Dallas show were when Blondie blended “Rapture” with Beastie Boys’ You Gotta Fight for your Right to Party and as a surprise for Dallas played a ZZ Top cover of Sharp Dressed Man that had everyone singing along.

Blondie’s Heart of Glass was the final encore that left everyone feeling so good. Blondie’s music gives off so many emotions…Maria and Dreaming are some of my favorites, she can bring tears to your eyes. My daughter can’t get enough of her new Latin song, she’ll sing Papi, papi ven y bésame as we drive home. I honestly love everything Blondie does; they’re still my number one!

The tide is high but I'm holding on
I'm gonna be your number one
I'm not the kind of girl who gives up just like that
Oh, no

Blondie original members include Debbie Harry, Chris Stein, and Clem Burke, along with new players Leigh Foxx, Tommy Kessler, and Matt Katz-Bohen.

Head Over Heels for the Go-Go's

The Go-Go’s make me feel nostalgic for the ‘80s. Their songs are happy, feel good music and always made me hungry for fun! You can tell The Go-Go’s clicked together as friends; you can just feel their sisterly energy. My friend Jen and I used to make mixed tapes for each other and I remember Belinda’s voice blaring from my boom box. Oh, the power of good music and friends…life can always feel like a vacation!

The Go-Go’s are a very special band! No one sounds like The Go-Go’s but The Go-Go’s. These ladies wrote their own music, played their own instruments, and played by instincts which translate to a fiery, zippy sound. They are considered the most commercially successful all female rock band in history and are still loved by all ages. Just hearing their music makes you want to sing Let’s Have a Party!

My five year old daughter will scream AGAIN to hear “Our Lips Are Sealed” and I happily obey. My sister jokes that most little kids know who Justin Bieber is; my daughter doesn’t know him but she knows Cyndi Lauper, The Go-Go’s, and The Pretenders. She’s a product of an ‘80s music lover.

Belinda Carlisle’s voice has the sound of experience, cigarettes and that sexy trembling vibrato similar to the one Edith Piaf had.

Opening for The Go-Go’s Ladies Gone Wild tour was an all-female band Girl In A Coma. I’m sure many people thought this young edgy and energetic Texas band reminded them of when the Go Go’s first started. The Go-Go’s have a poppy reputation but they began as a punk band in ‘78. I will always think of them as California girls singing “This Town” about their hometown LA.

This town is our town
It is so glamorous
Bet you'd live here if you could
And be one of us

Last month The Go-Go’s received a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.  August was a busy month for them as they finished up their summer tour. My friends and I watched, listened, and danced like crazy as the Go-Go’s took the stage at the House of Blues in Dallas for a set that packed 18 songs into an hour and a half.

Five fabulous women make up The Go-Go’s: lead singer Belinda Carlisle, singer-guitarist Jane Weidlin, guitarist-keyboardist Charlotte Caffey, drummer Gina Schock and bass guitarist Kathy Valentine (from Austin).

The Go-Go’s gave the audience what it wanted at the House of Blues: “We Got the Beat,” “Vacation,” “Our Lips Are Sealed,” “Get Up and Go,” “Cool Jerk” and the grande finale “Head Over Heels.” They sounded exactly as they did in the ‘80s…totally awesome!!

The Go-Go’s sound is timeless, not dated; it’s rock! They are fun, energetic, sassy, and when they play, you never want them to stop! They “Go Go” from start to finish.

After the concert, I picked up Belinda Carlisle's autobiography Lips Unsealed; I couldn’t put it down! It is one of the most fascinating books I have read in quite some time. Her life is almost unimaginable!

She writes about being the first of seven children, her father leaving, stepfather beating her, the kids at school nicknaming her “Belimpa” and teasing her for her one outfit. Being unhappy at home, she signed up for all kinds of activities at school. She was a cheerleader and the first female on the all male basketball team. She left home at eighteen living on oatmeal, shoplifting, and trying to meet Freddie Mercury.

I appreciated her honesty and feel confident that she will help a lot of people with drug addictions. Belinda on Cocaine: “It sent me into happyland, far away from whatever else was on my mind. It always made me feel better no matter what else was bothering me.” She’s been drug free since 2005 and gives thanks to her family and friends who kept encouraging her.

I loved seeing Belinda on Dancing with the Stars. I thought she had a beautiful presence and that her exit was premature. I read that she wished she could have stayed longer too but that she didn’t enjoy being judged in such a mathematical manner.

While living in the South of France, she was inspired to make an all French album called Voila that is absolutely magnifique!

Belinda is like the Zelda Fitzgerald of California; always looking for a good time, moving from place to place to keep from being bored. Just as F. Scott Fitzgerald's wife Zelda didn’t really belong to Montgomery, Alabama-- Belinda didn’t belong to California; she was a product of her environment and the world…a gypsy. I bet Zelda would have partied like a rock star too!

Belinda's tweets tell it all, she is still restless and always on the Go Go! She has been running away since she was a teenager. Nomads make perfect rock stars. It sounds very glamorous to be a jet setter and not have to be responsible for making your bed or putting away the dishes.

You can see a change in Belinda’s eyes compared to her earlier years; she’s much more mellow now. I read that she likes the discipline of yoga. I’m happy for her that she found something to give her balance.

Their debut album, Beauty and the Beat from 1981 was just the beginning of something magical. The thirty year anniversary album is a masterpiece, and even the album cover is classic! The face masks and towels show a look that all women can relate too. Five decades later The Go-Go’s still ROCK! I read Charlotte Caffey and Kathy Valentine just wrote a new song for the band…fingers crossed we’ll be seeing them sing again soon. Long live The Go-Go’s, and long live the ability to recognize and respond to inspiration in all of us!

My Let's Have a Party friends who danced the night away with the fabulous Go-Go's!

Edie Brickell: My First Musical Love

 

Do you remember your first music concert? The memory is a bit like the feeling you experienced from the rush of your first infatuation … that delightful, dreamy feeling you never wanted to end and it always holds a special place in your heart leaving a mark on it forever. My first concert was Edie Brickell and the New Bohemians. Edie was my first musical love. 

I was fifteen and wearing the coolest outfit I had in 1989 (jeans my mother didn't care for because they had a hole somewhere they shouldn’t have and lots of hippy jewelry). My parents took my friend and I and I’ll never forget that it was everything I thought it would be…my kind of scene and total definition of cool! 

I have very clear memories of the songs that were played, where we were standing in the Bronco Bowl theatre and what the stage looked like, how Edie would stand balancing with one leg crossed, what she talked about before she played the next song. But mostly, I remember that unforgettable feeling that I would always love her music and it fit me personally (it still fits me today). It’s amazing how we can be influenced and shaped by the music we listen to.

I’ve been lucky enough to attend many different kinds of concerts…but to this day when I leave a concert and feel that high from a musical buzz, the smell the smoke in my clothes and hair, and hear that ringing in my ears I think of Edie Brickell.  We all have a musical artist that defines us; the one who we listen to when we’re sad or happy because it’s comforting to sing along with the words you know by heart.

Surely you have a favorite Edie Brickell song; What I Am and Circle were the two most popular. For me, my favorite depends on my mood. She sings with many emotions… happy, melancholy, and deep. I’m very fond of her version of Bob Dylan’s A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall that was featured in the movie Born on the Fourth of July. 

Edie Brickell is a native Texan who grew up in Oak Cliff, went to high school at Booker T. Washington, and attended SMU for a while. I remember reading that after a few shots of tequila she made the decision to get up on stage with the New Bohemians. You can tell from the way she stands that she’s shy and awkward, but I always found this to be an endearing quality. With eight albums: Shooting Rubberbands at the Stars (1988), Ghost of a Dog (1990), Picture Perfect Morning (1994), Volcano (2003), Stranger Things(2006), The Heavy Circles (2008), and most recently her third solo album titled Edie Brickell, and her new band The Gaddabouts (2010), she has managed to stay relevant. In between her musical career she’s had three children and lives in New York with husband singer/songwriter Paul Simon who she met on the set of Saturday Night Live in 1992.

Edie has a very distinct musical style that’s laidback, cool, refreshing, and very Texas. She has an easy to feel energy and groove that makes you feel like you are listening to her live even if you’re not.

I’ve always thought if I could sing I would want a voice mixed and married with the soft folkie sound of Karen Carpenter, the natural musicality of Linda Ronstadt, and the punchy rock of Heart's Ann Wilson…you know what? That voice might just be Edie Brickell’s! The beauty of Brickell’s voice is that it’s not perfect, it’s real. I think her new album, Edie Brickell is simply titled for that very reason. Do you have some musical memories that transport you back in time?

Finding Whimsy

Whimsy to me is playful, eccentric, original, and can evoke a child-like feeling that brings fantasy in a fun and colorful way. Whimsy doesn't have to be saved for big events like weddings and baby showers; it can be added to your everyday life in fashion, décor, and food. Whimsy is everywhere for children; perhaps it's because so many whimsical things are childlike. An adult world is not a fantasy and there are many times we would like it to be because adding that playful quality can bring us back to our carefree childhood. You can bring whimsy into your everyday life by thinking about the following:

• Don't be afraid of colors, mixing them with patterns and shapes.
• Wallpaper can be whimsical; it can take you into a garden or a rainforest if you are brave enough.
• Contrast in textures can create playfulness.
• Anything that produces a feeling of nostalgia may be a feeling of whimsy.
• Start small and slowly add as you feel comfortable.

My mom has a charming English village called Whimsy on Why made up of a series of highly detailed and colorful porcelain houses and buildings found in the typical British village. Just looking at it and imagining living in such a place makes me feel good.

I've always thought of Alice in Wonderland as hands down the most whimsical story in the world. Sesame Street is also whimsical; I especially love how the puppets are not high tech because of this children can use their imagination along with Elmo and friends.


Everyone's house is most whimsical during the holidays. Think about Christmas decorations: the twinkle lights, garland, glittery ornaments... I turn to my mom who is the queen of thinking outside of the box to add whimsy.


For a restaurant, Rise Soufflé is not only fabulous French cuisine, but it also has a whimsical atmosphere with its mix of old and new. It's cozy and intimate with twinkle lights in tree branches in the middle of the restaurant to bring in an outside charm.


Neiman Marcus at Willow Bend had the perfect sensory simulation to get you in the mode for shopping. Who wouldn't want to walk under and be tickled by soft butterflies? Going up the escalator inspires you to touch and feel the different fabrics. Birds and butterflies naturally come to mind when I think of whimsy in nature because they playfully flutter and their colors can be fanciful.
Some say I dress my daughter like Cyndi Lauper. I love patterned tights with spots, stripes, and a mix of bright colors. It's young and youthful. On an adult, a little goes a long way. It's easier to focus on small accessories like a clutch, scarf, broche, or earrings. Playful adornments add glamour.


The French are experts at whimsy, always making it look so easy and effortless. Just look at this gorgeous cake from The Sugar Plum Cake Shop in Paris. I also think of French furniture: shells, scrolls, branches of leaves, flowers, and bamboo stems dance their way around the legs of an armoire. The French have such an appreciation for Chinese art that inspired chinoiserie motifs. The Louis Vuitton City Guide to Paris is mesmorizing, watch it and I promise you will feel inspired to create something whimsical.

Songs I find whimsical and that make me feel happy:

• Corrine Bailey Ray- Just like a star
• Annie Lenox- Little Bird
• Beatles- Blackbird
• Paul Simon-You can call me Al
• Henry Mancini- Moon River

You can find fanciful architecture in other places than Disney World. Gaudi decorated Barcelona, Spain with such whimsical character that you can't help but feel like you're in a fantasy.

Find your eccentric side and look for everyday flourishes, you'll be surprised how much whimsy you find in the most unexpected places.

Culinary Art

I love this quote by Sister Wendy, "If people can look, and look, and always come away from a work of art enriched it is a great work of art." There are certain pieces of art I always come back to because they inspire me. What I love about art is that every person may see and feel differently but if you are touched by it, you feel inspired.

Two shows I loved back when I watched more T.V. were Breakfast with the Arts and Dinner and a Movie. Both shows were themed around food; watching them inspired me to be creative in the kitchen. I've paired four of my favorite paintings with four inspired courses: cocktails, appetizer, entrée, and dessert.

In the first painting, David Hockney's Mr.& Mrs. Clark and Percy, a newly married couple looks like they could enjoy a cocktail before they prepare for dinner. I love the 70's vibe and can imagine them listening to The Carpenter's, We've Only Just Begun and heading out to NYC's Monkey Bar and drinking a Harvey Wallbanger!

Harvey Wallbanger
.5 oz Galliano
4oz orange juice
1 oz vodka
Pour vodka and orange juice into a Collins glass filled with ice cubes and stir. Float Galliano on top by pouring slowly over a teaspoon turned bottom-side up.

When I first saw Pino's, Ester, my husband and I were in Santa Fe, New Mexico and I remember being mesmerized by her. She is soft yet hardworking; she is tired but willing to serve. I absolutely adore this painting! I imagine Ester starting us out with an appetizer of Fried Green Olives with Blue Cheese while we listen to Mazzy Star's Fade Into You.

Fried Green Olives Stuffed with Blue Cheese
1 ounce blue cheese
24 pitted Spanish olives
Cooking oil for frying
1 large egg, beaten
½ cup Panko bread crumbs



This is a woman who looks like she would prefer something glamorous, trendy, and sophisticated. John Currin is another artist we saw a lot of in Santa Fe. I remember eating at Santa Fe's Geronimo restaurant; it was cold and we sat by the fireplace. This lady looks like she might like to have dinner somewhere warm. I have a love/hate feeling about Currin's art. I find his technique to be exquisite but he also frightens me! He reflects beauty in an impure way that hypnotizes the viewer. He reminds me of Jeff Koons the way he is both mysterious and timeless. This image is actually the artist's wife, Rachel Feinstein; I think she might order something unique and elegant for her entrée. She might be listening to Just Call Me Angel of the Morning or maybe The Look of Love...

Sumac Sirloin Steak with Pomegranate Reduction
2 Cups bottled pomegranate juice (16 oz)
1 t sugar
1 t salt
1 T sumac
1 t pepper
2 lb Sirloin Steak
3 T butter
3 T finely chopped shallot
¼ Cup Port
1 t fresh lemon juice



I love the color of Jeff Koons' painting, tulips. It reminds me of how a tatin looks when you flip it over; it makes a beautiful design and the pears look like flowers. You might recognize this painting when you do your holiday shopping; it's on the Kiehl's body lotion! To me this painting screams finale, that's why I think of dessert! I would want to listen to something romantic like Amy Winehouse's Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow?

Pear Tatin
6 T butter, room temperature
10 pretty pears, cut in half
1 ¾ Cups sugar
2 eggs
1/3 cup sour cream
½ t grated lemon zest
1 t vanilla
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour
½ t baking powder
¼ t salt
Confectioners' sugar

Preheat oven to 350. In a buttered pie dish, arrange pears cut side down. Combine one cup of sugar and 1/3 cup water in a small saucepan and cook over high heat until it turns a warm amber color. Pour evenly over the pears. Meanwhile, cream the 6 tablespoons of butter and the remaining ¾ cup of sugar until fluffy. Add sour cream, zest, and vanilla and mix. Slowly add the sifted flour, baking powder and salt mixture. Pour cake batter evenly over the pears and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Cool for 15 minutes, then invert the cake onto a flat plate. Dust with confectioners' sugar and edible flowers.

Do you have a work of art or song that inspires you to create? I think happiness comes sooner and stays longer for people who find inspiration more easily. That's enough to inspire me, how about you?

Music is a Heart Form

Imagine yourself in a restaurant, your car, a beauty salon, or in a theatre before the show begins ... There's always music in the background, making that moment with your family or friends special and memorable. Music sets the mood and enhances or creates the atmosphere.

Music is a universal language. It brings people together, connecting us through rhythm and sometimes through lyrics also. There's an intangible link intertwining language and music between people. Language and music define us as human beings. People all over the world love music; it is one of our basic needs and a reliever of stress.

Music is not only an art form; it's a heart form that expresses every emotion we have. Music changes our mood; inspires creativity, uplifts the ambience and sooths the soul. We are all better people with music in our hearts; it seeps into the spirit and makes us come alive. We simply can't live without it!

When I'm in my ballet class I prefer to stand closest to the pianist so I can feel the music and energy in my body as much as possible. The accompanist and the dancer have a special relationship that is very powerful. It can lift, pull, support, encourage and celebrate--all without words being spoken.

We each have those songs that transport us back in time to important events and special memories. Think about high school, college, birthdays, weddings, vacations and family gatherings.... When I hear the Simple Minds song, Don't You Forget About Me, I'm instantly transported back to my high school graduation because it was our class song.

This time of year sororities in colleges are preparing for rush. I fondly remember practicing the beautiful Alpha Chi Omega songs at the University of Alabama before rush began. The last day of rush is the most special because that is when we serenade our hopeful new pledges. I love to sing my Alpha Chi songs to my children as lullabies.


When I was three I fell and hurt my eye and had to have stitches. I was crying hysterically until my Dad started singing, Blue Moon. I was instantly relaxed and entranced.

I love to hear the Lord's Prayer sung during church. There is something so peaceful and beautiful about hearing music in church. Think about hearing Pachelbel Canon during a wedding; it sets the mood for love and makes you feel good all over.

Music is powerful because it stirs our emotions, heals the temporarily painful wound of daily living and breaks down stereotypes. Music enables us to avoid inhibitions that prevent us from feeling closer to others, promotes self-expression and has magical medicinal powers.

I have had the good fortune of having many great musical experiences. I recently saw Cyndi Lauper with a group of friends and I can tell you when Cyndi played, "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" we all threw our arms up dancing and smiling with more energy than the energizer bunny.

The music teacher at the school where I teach ends all her emails, "Music is what feelings sound like." This is so true because music can change a mood instantly. There's always a song to accompany the mood that you're in: happiness, joy, sadness, passion, anger, or even frustration... Music allows people to express themselves without having to speak. No one is invulnerable to the power of music.

Think about songs that make you happy and give you a feeling of nostalgic pleasure; those are the songs that bring back good memories and make you want to "just dance."

We all have our "favorites" playlist of songs that simply make us feel good. I'd like to share a few of mine with you:

• Debussy's Clair de Lune
• Tracy Chapman's Baby Can I Hold You
• Van Morrison's Into the Mystic
• Cyndi Lauper's Time After Time
• Michael Jackson's Butterflies
• Carla Bruni's Quelqu'un m'a dit
• Gipsy King's Bamboleo
• Abba's Dancing Queen
• The Bangles Going Down to Liverpool
• Barbra Streisand's Woman in Love
• Bob Marley's Jamming
• Carole King's So Far Away
• Corinne Bailey Rae Put Your Records On
• Donna Summer's Bad Girls
• Duke Ellington's She's Too Pretty to be Blue
• Edith Piaf's La Vie en Rose
• Janis Joplin's Summertime
• Madonna's Holiday

What's on your playlist?

The arts are a necessity for the soul (and make kids smarter, too)

Some people may think of art as a luxury they can't afford for their children. Music, dance, and art lessons can get expensive but art should not be thought of as an indulgence. The arts should be available for children in every school; every child has the right to be exposed regardless of the price. Fine arts should be a mandatory part of every school's core curriculum. The arts give students creative tools for life; they are a necessity for the soul to grow.

Visual and performing arts play an essential role in how children learn to read, write, and do math.

Even if a child's art work just hangs on the refrigerator, that child will feel proud. It's a personal creation and pride that arises from that accomplishment can spark more self-expression. Picasso said, "Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once we grow up."

Photo: This Degas pastel, The Star, embodies all art.

The arts are basic to a child's biological, emotional, and educational development. Exposure can help students build self-confidence, express their creativity, and perform better in math and reading. Through creative arts, children can learn valuable skills that support using imagination, self-discipline, and confidence.

Children who learn these skills are also less likely to drop out of school. Some kids who have it rough at home see art as a safe haven. Choreographer Twyla Tharp says, "Art is the only way to run away without leaving home." Art can be a saving grace for some who truly need it.

As soon as I found out I was pregnant with my first child, I started listening to more classical music because I read that music stimulation forms new and permanent connections in children's brains even as early as in the womb. I continued with ballet until I was full term with both my children. Dancing together to beautiful music was an amazing feeling.

When my daughter was 12 months old I enrolled her in UNT's music program. Learning music is just like learning a foreign language; each takes practice and dedication. I've read that students who took piano lessons scored an average of 34 percent higher on tests of spatial ability. The arts make you smart! I've always thought ballerinas are geniuses! You must be able to listen to music while: doing math to figure out the combination, have mental concentration, timing, and coordination to tell your brain to move your body a certain way, and at the same time feel the music in your heart.

This past week I had a student play the piano in music for the first time. He loved it so much he came back to the classroom and made a ribbon for his shirt that said "piano star". He was inspired and so happy the rest of the day. Teachers know that all children learn differently. The arts can be a way to enhance creativity in those high achieving students and stimulate the children who might otherwise be left behind.

Last week for my class was a very cultural week! Thanks to the Greater Denton Arts Council, our school was invited to see the Denton Ballet Academy's performance of the Nutcracker. In preparation for the field trip I decided to dance in my pointe shoes for my children. I wanted them to see close up and appreciate that ballerinas are athletes. It was also important to me to make ballet cool!

When the lights dimmed in the theatre the kids were on the edge of their seats. I loved hearing the boys say, "Wow! Dang, that's hard! How did they do that?" Of course the girls are all about the beautiful ballerinas. When we got back to school we had inside recess. I turned on Nutcracker music and let them dance. A creative spark was ignited!

It's sad to see with our poor economy the arts are the first to go. Some schools may assign other teachers to teach the arts in addition to another subject. In my classroom my children are learning Japanese, German, and now French. When my qualified volunteers come to teach us, I turn into a student too! I wouldn't teach something I didn't know myself. Students have the right to learn from qualified instructors.

My second graders recently had visitors from France. The children are starting to hear and recognize similarities in other languages now. It's simply amazing! I can't say enough about how languages should be taught at an early age. Not only does it make a child worldlier and breed humility; but it expands their brains and allows them to see the world is not so very big after all. Children can relate to more people and gain additional ways to express themselves. Thereafter, they don't hear an accent and think it's weird; it's simply another culture and language to absorb.

Artists inspire future artists. How wonderful it is to have school curriculum that introduces children to important creators such as: Picasso, Van Gogh, Mozart, Duke Ellington, Shakespeare, Baryshnikov... We all have a favorite song and painting. Wouldn't it be great for children to tune into their favorites early on and be able to recognize a certain artists or composer?

All children should have the opportunity to benefit from art. We should help them learn to seek it out. It's not hard to find when you are looking for it.

Click on these links for more inspiration:
University of North Texas Early Childhood Music
Dallas Goethe Center
Denton Ballet Academy