The Kitchen Musician ~ August 2012

Hello Friends,

This month I share a wonderful gift I received from the kids in the young animators class at Creative Arts at Park – an animation of my song “New Hampshire Wind”. I also have several great shows to tell you about. Come into my kitchen! Please close the screen door behind you.


Index
  News:
  This Month’s Music: New Hampshire Wind
  Upcoming Shows
  Featured Non-Profit: Ample Harvest

Front Porch
“Here on the front porch, ‘neath a roof made of tin
I’m singing along with the New Hampshire Wind.”
Jaffrey, NH


News

Save the date! I am ecstatic to tell you that I will be opening for the great David Mallett at Amazing Things Arts Center in Framingham on Friday, Nov. 2nd. You can purchase tickets at this link. David is a true American treasure. In the millenium edition of The Bangor Daily News, in his home state, David was named along with Marshall Dodge, Andrew Wyeth, E.B. White, Stephen King, Edna St. Vincent Millay, and others, one of the most memorable “Mainers” of the twentieth century. David is a master songwriter and superior musician. Please join us on Nov. 2nd so that you can hear for yourself how songs should be written and sung by one of the very best practitioners of the craft.


This Month’s Music
“New Hampshire Wind (Animation)”


“New Hampshire Wind” © Tom Smith.

Every July I provide technical support for Creative Arts at Park, a five week emersion in the arts for children 7 to 15 years of age. It is so much fun to hang around this great collection of teachers and to see the joyful art and performance of over two hundred children. One of my favorite classes to walk through is called “Linestorm”, taught by master animator and teacher Pell Osborn. Pell’s class creates animation using old fashioned tools and techniques – pencils and a light box. To make just a few seconds of animation is a large commitment that requires care, attention to detail and talent – particularly since the animators in this class were seven through ten years old. When I learned that Pell’s beginning animators were using my song “New Hampshire Wind” I was a bit overcome by the scale of their effort, and the honor that these kids bestowed on my music.

This song is a perfect soundtrack for the last week of work before I head out for a month in the woods at our simple cabin in Jaffrey, NH. If you are in the area, consider joining me on Saturday August 11th at the Listening Room at Mindfull Books where I will co-teach a songwriting class with the talented John Schindler, and then split the billing at a concert in the evening. Click for details. It is less than a two hour drive from Boston!

Wishing you peace and music.

Sing on!

~ Tom

(If so inclined, I invite you to leave a comment by scrolling to the end of this page.)


Upcoming Shows

August 11, Saturday, Jaffrey, NH. I share a day with the gifted songwriter John Schindler. During the afternoon we co-teach a songwriting workshop. Then we split the bill for an evening concert in the Listening Room at Mindfull Books.

August 18, Saturday, 7:30 pm, Nashua, NH. I will be the feature performer at the Studio 99 Open Mic.

Sept. 6, Thursday, 6:30 pm, Dedham, MA. TENTATIVE. I will return to the Paradise Cafe in Dedham Square. We still need to work out the details on this so stay tuned.

Sept. 21, Friday, 7:00 pm, Groton, MA. I will be the feature performer at Main Street Cafe Open Mic. My set will be about 8:30 pm.

Sept. 23, Sunday, 2:00 pm, Concord, MA. My musical friends Kate Chadbourne, Linda Abrams, Bill Kehoe, Pat Kenneally, Bob Phillips and I have come to be known as the Chanticleers. Weather permitting, we’ll be playing and singing in round-robin fashion at Emerson’s old stomping grounds near the Olde North Bridge in historic Concord, MA.

Oct. 20, Saturday, 7:00 pm, Rochester, NY. Looking farther down the road, tell your Rochester, NY friends that I will be joining the wonderful duo Leslie Lee and Steve Gretz in the round at the Tango Cafe. Leslie and Steve recently released a new CD and I can’t wait to hear those songs live. Road trip anyone?

Click to view these and all all upcoming shows.


Featured Non-Profit: Ample Harvest

Are you a gardener? Here in New England gardens are producing a welcome harvest of fresh produce for many kitchen tables? But there usually comes a time when our gardens produce more produce than we can use.

“AmpleHarvest.org diminishes hunger in America by educating and enabling gardeners to donate their excess harvest to the needy in their community instead of allowing it to rot in the garden. One out of six Americans (including a quarter of all kids under six ) does not have access to healthy fresh food at their food pantry. The AmpleHarvest.org Campaign is a national effort utilizing the Internet that enables 40+ million Americans who grow food in home gardens to easily donate their excess harvest to one of 3,936 registered local food pantries spread across all 50 states.”

Click Using Nature’s Bounty to Feed the Hungry to view a video clip from CNN Heroes that describes the good work of AmpleHarvest.org.

Learn how you and your garden can help eliminate hunger in your own local community by visiting AmpleHarvest.org to find a food pantry near you, or consider a tax exempt donation.

What do you think?

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9 Comments
  • Karen
    July 27, 2012

    Wow Tom! This is fantastic! The minute Tag and I heard this song, we agreed that it needed to be illustrated!! Glad it happened. What talented kids!!!

  • Leslie
    July 27, 2012

    Wow, what a great job! I especially like the sunrise and sunset. Congratulations to artists and musician! 🙂

  • Cooper
    July 27, 2012

    What fun. Unfortunately, that sidebar is covering part of the animation and I couldn’t figure out how to make it go away.

  • Dan
    July 27, 2012

    That video made my day much better. Brilliant job! I love the sun and frog. Have you ever thought of making a children’s book out of that song? It could come along with a DVD of that video.

  • Joe
    July 27, 2012

    So very cool! Such a beautiful song, and a really special animation. Love the Coyote’s and Bull Frogs the most! Major kudos to the talented kids in Pell Osborn’s animation class!

  • Neal Braverman
    July 27, 2012

    Dearest Tom,

    I have Loved your song “New hampshire Wind” since I heard it for the very first time. In viewing this incredible animation by these wonderful children and their mentor, Pell, my breath was simply taken away by that very wind I loved so much to begin with!

    My sincerest thanks to you the wonderful scripture of this incredible journey home from day to night, as well as to those animation genius children that brought Life to the screen, these words you sing. What a wonderful tribute to all involved in this project and all I can think of saying is Thank you all, Bravo and lets see more!

    Most Sincerely,
    Neal Braverman

  • Susan Noble
    July 28, 2012

    Perfection! The New Hampshire Wind always lifts my soul when I listen to it. Now I will have the magnificent animation in my mind’s eye every time I play your CD. What talented youngsters and how lucky they are to have such a master animator as a teacher. So much artistry all wrapped up in a collaboration. I especially loved the wind and the bull frogs. Another monthly gem. Thank you. Susan

  • Pell Osborn
    August 18, 2012

    Hello, Tom. It’s most gratifying to read the responses of your colleagues to the LineStorm animation of “The New Hampshire Wind” which my CAAP students created this summer.

    Thanks also for your kind words about our work. It’s a pleasure to see the video up there on your site!

    A fine remainder of the summer to you, and very best wishes to you and the family!

    from Pell

  • Rob Ayres
    June 11, 2014

    The Jug Lite Band would love to do this song!

    [from Tom]
    Rob, It would be a real treat to hear the Jug Lite Band play this one. Margo and I will waltz in the aisles.