Where it all began

I suppose that if we are wanting to see how attitudes and values change over the course of this blog, it is important to know where it all began.

I was fortunate enough to have a Grade One teacher who played the piano and lead us in singing daily. She was a substitute teacher, but we had her for most of the year because the original teacher went on stress leave shortly after I entered her class.

Fine Arts, for me in elementary school revolved around music and drama. We sang regularly and also put on the mandatory Christmas concert including spoken word, the singing of songs from then popular musicals like "Oliver" ( "consider yourself at home, consider yourself part of the family...) and the big production which was "A Christmas Carol" when I was in Grade Six. An extravagant musical production in which I sang the part of Harry Hawkins, the Rag Picker, in my soprano as it was voice. I also danced as a penny whistle flute, but that is a whole other story.

Music and Drama constituted Fine Arts. Visual Arts was not of great insight, although we could tie die and batick like a damn.

Once in Junior High, art did become more visual and less musical and dramatic. It was largely unstructured. We did dabble in ceramics as Peace River clay is world renowned.

Art, as a subject, became an elective in about Grade 10 and branched off into Drama, Creative Writing and music, including Band and Guitar. I never followed these branches and art was of limited importance in my education. Such exposure to fine arts as I enjoyed came from attending concerts by notables like The Stampeders, April Wine, Sweeney Todd and Trooper.

Once in university, Art became prints which we bought to take up space on the walls of an assortment of residence rooms and apartments. Flags hung in windows were of particular significance, for some reason. University did open up some opportunities to see new artists and their stylings, like The Nylons, Chuch Mangione and The Sex Pistols. There were some great theatrics in which I was involved at university, but nothing that can sensiblly be discussed in mixed company.

Following all of that formal education stuff, I found my thoughts and involvement regarding Fine Arts drifting to Drama, Musical Theatre and some Visual Arts. I have seen Les Miserables three times, Phantom of the Opera and Miss Saigon twice and a variety of other musicals like Showboat and Cats and Bard on the Beach on occiasion. I have always wondered how I could incorporate the beautiful music and lyrics of Les Miserables and Miss Saigon into elementary classes, even as background music during silent reading, given the bawdy content. I have, of course, also visited art galleries in every major city I have visited including Athens, New York and Ottawa.

I feel, however, that my art background is deficient. I view my strengths, if I have any, in Drama and musical theatre and have always hoped that I could use music, which I find both relaxing and powerful in evoking memories, which I used when I studied for many years, to educate classes in the beauty of music and the greater beauty I find in lyrics.

So I approach this course being many years out of school and feeling that such hobbies as I have do not include much which is included in this area, but with an open mind to the possibilities. I keep thinking that as I canvass the wide range of material which could be dealt with in this course that I will have a few "ah ha" moments, and sometimes wonder what they will be.

I say all this merely as preparation for the journey which lies ahead and which is why I view this blog as searching or seeking for my hidden inner self.