Last Thursday, Chris Thile (used to be in Nickel Creek, now rolls with the Punch Brothers) played an intimate little performance talk hosted by the Harvard American Music Club. (Kelly went, too, which means there are more gorgeous pictures with which to commemorate the fine occasion!) He played some old bluegrass, some new bluegrass, some Bach violin pieces (on the mandolin) and some stuff that he's just written that blends bluegrass/folk instrumentation and style with classical form. It's an interesting question, the idea of how folk can (should?) be sophisticated. I liked the Bach and Thile's 'regular' originals, best. Either way, it was a perk-full, Harvardesque night to be sure!

Just back from a weekend in the Whites with a really lovely group of people. On Saturday, we climbed up Sugarloaf and hung out there for a few hours, soaking in the sun and the wind and the view. New Hampshire in the early spring is gorgeous-- good therapy! Now back to the reality of papers and projects and more to do than I can imagine, in these last few weeks before graduation. (photos from Aaron and Rory)

Eva, Amy and Reid

Close inspection of (very funny?) Sugarloaf

Aaron contemplating

So much going on, lots and lots to write about, and I am thinking about body stuff. Yup. In the midst of all this nutso-amazing head and heart business that fills my life, I am consistently aware of my physical self. Today, for instance, I am dripping and sneezing with a bout of my first-ever allergies! I am belly-grumbling hungry (a good thing to experience every now and again), sleep-deprived weary and conscious of the pleasant light and air in this room. And I am super aware of my tight pants...

This tight pants thing. For lots of reasons, I am too-often concerned by my butt, my hips, my "thunder thighs". I am aware of them now, in a relatively mushy phase of my life, and was aware of them two summers ago when I was sickly thin. It is from culture, yeah; we learn early on that being pretty and thin is 'good.' And it is from growing up in a family that sometimes fixates unhealthily on eating. For me it's an identity thing, too; I have always been string-bean, willowy Amy: super-model tall and thin and able to maintain it as I age.

Now, after a year of sitting and reading and writing, I have the soft beginnings of love handles, and my arms look a bit like my aunts'. When I lean back in my chair, there is a sweet little resting-place for my folded arms. My summertime clothes are a bit snug. But, surprisingly, this 'filling out' makes me smile! I have been running, too. I have a solidity and strength and stamina now that's different than before. I walk miles every day to school and back. This body o' mine gets things done.

In the past month, I've had loads of positive encouragement to finish a demo CD: A few weeks ago I met a lovely group of bohemian types at an open mic, one of whom is a sound engineer who's offered his equipment and skills to record and produce the rest of my songs (!!). Then Andrea T., brilliant and pleasant girl that she is, offered to design the CD cover below, which I truly love. And my friend Eve (actress, poet, best yoga teacher I've had) hounds me regularly to finish recording and actually make a product, so she can give it to her godfather who's in the independent film industry. Now to just finish writing the songs and find the time to make the recordings happen... (Just one more happy thing: Because of the myspace link name - www.myspace.com/amylousings - folks are calling me "Amy Lou." Feels like home!)

The daffodils here in Massachusetts are blooming away, and today
I noticed forsythia and some fabulous tree that was a profusion of pink.
Yay for spring! In that spirit, here's more gorgeousness from Saipua.
(Oh, I am sorely missing flowers... and a garden! Those are on my list of
things to look forward to in some more 'settled' phase of my life. The list
also includes having a dog, getting to know the mail delivery person,
joining a CSA and starting a documentary-watching, deep discussions type of group.)

ART. HERE. NOW.

An afternoon conference of Arts in Education workshops and presentations for HGSE students
and the broader Harvard and Cambridge communities.

Topics will include arts learning strategies for
strengthening life-skills, creating community, and deepening academic understanding.

May 2, 2008 * 1:00-4:00
Eliot-Lyman Room * Longfellow Hall * Appian Way * Cambridge, MA * 02138

Information * Registration

Questions? Contact ART.HERE.NOW.hgse@gmail.com

Here are Liz, Anna, Carissa and me (the 'Hootin' Annies'), singing Sylvie. It was the second performance for James' Theatre of Thought ("Thoughts about Theatre, Theatre about Thought"), which happens on Mondays at 12:03, between classes on "the mound" in front of Gutman Library. (Last week he did a fabulous sung history of schooling in the U.S.!) Photos, once again, are by Kelly.

(crazy hair!)

Some things I love
(that you might not know about):

1. teakettles
2. dancing!
3. almonds, avocados and blue corn chips
4. dogs
5. sitting on the porch in the sun with a guitar, cup of tea or book
6. when kids you barely know lean on you
7. french tulips and geraniums
8. skylights
9. pretty skirts, especially ones that twirl
10. a good crush

You know those moments when you are spontaneously overcome with gratitude for your life? They've been occurring on a happily regular basis, lately. Let's see if I can cover some of the fabulousness of the week:

Monday was the second day we actually got to meet with the kiddos at the Community Growing Center. It rained the whole time, but we stuck it out and had a great time. (Imagine a bunch of 4-year-olds lugging rain collection barrels, making and using shakers made from seeds, and singing to the rain!)

Tuesday... I can't really remember Tuesday, I think because I was writing a paper that was due the next morning. So I was up til 3, but so happy in the process! The paper was a brief literature review about Arts Integration (arts experiences used to support other learning). Very cool stuff.

Wednesday night, I got to hear a conversation between Yo-Yo Ma and Howard Gardner, that was part of Dr. Gardner's "Extraordinary Minds at Work" series for PBS. Those guys are pretty representative of the good of this place: passionate, intelligent, congenial. Mr. Ma played a bit of Bach and a new original piece based on Dona Nobis Pacem (that we got to sing with him!) and talked about his guiding principles: making things memorable; finding and following his passion, and helping other people find theirs; keeping a "disciplined imagination"; empathy. It's so nice to hear these intellectual conversations naturally turn to the subject of how to be good in the world. (Afterwards, Vanessa, Anna and Claire came over for a late-night fit of baking whole wheat goodness banana bread and blueberry muffins!)

Thursday morning we had an informational meeting for ART. HERE. NOW., the Harvard-wide conference on Arts Education that Anna, Amy and I dreamed up. We found out a few weeks ago that the SGA is funding it, and we've had great support from the folks in our program. Woo-hoo! It's going to be a lot of work...

And Thursday night I got to hear the Wailin Jennys live. Those ladies are SO GOOD. I think they're taking folk music and singing harmonies to the highest level possible, really pushing the edge, challenging themselves to learn and do more. SO beautiful. It was one of the best concerts I've ever heard. I'm inspired to sing harmonies again!!

Yesterday I worked at the Fogg, then hit a career fair, then had a group meeting for my Informal Learning class (our project about global warming is coming together. Yay!), and attended an eye-opening forum about international perspectives on education. There were representatives from India, France and Guatemala. I was impressed by the power of resources, of locally-driven education, of involving parents in the philosophy behind education.

So far today, I've made a lentil squash stew, applied for two jobs, made banana bread muffins and delivered them to Tatiana and baby Tanvi, had some great kitchen conversation with Anna (about storytelling, rural education, the power of looking at a concept through different lenses), and taken some books to the library. Now I'm at the coffee shop a few blocks from my house to do more job stuff, then Carissa, Liz and Eve are coming over for dinner and singing, and then there's dancing at ZuZu's in Central Square. Shew!

p.s. I'm particularly proud and excited that I haven't brushed my hair for three days straight! And I think it's looked o.k. SUCH a time-saving policy, particularly when there are so many other incredible things to do with one's time. (This is how you think in grad school...) I'm getting a haircut tomorrow morning, though. My friend LaurieAnn's doing it and her fee is only some red tulips. :o)