The Girl Who Walks the Street

I see her nearly every day as I drive around my neighborhood. Recently she has responded to my waves as I drive by. It is my goal to one day see her smile.

You see, as each time I see her she walks alone, this young girl of 13 or 14. I see in her face the longing for a friend to walk with her, to talk with her. Her head is usually down, long hair hanging so that it nearly covers her face, watching her feet plod along glancing up only when the sound of an approaching car catches her attention.

I worried at first about her. About her seeming loneliness. Then I saw it. The tell-tale signs of white earbuds snaking up to her ears. Evidence of her hidden iPod.

Now, knowing she is more than likely listening to music, I am less concerned about her loneliness for she has her music. Yes, she walks the streets - not in the manner you, gracious reader, might have thought - but she walks and finds solace, comfort, and/or friendship in her music.

Now, as I drive by, I watch her gait and feel the beat that she steps out to the music though I am unable to hear it. This is enough for me to adjust whatever tune is in my head at the moment to the beat of her gait. For that moment in time we are in sync.

Me and the girl who walks the street.

School House Rocks Live

Today was a trip to the past for a couple of reasons.

The first is obvious - School House Rocks! Who over the age of 30 does not remember these little educational commercials that were part of our Saturday morning cartoons? Hearing the music all over again brought me once again to my childhood.

The musical version of School House Rocks is energetic, child-like, and funny. The show is very wordy musically because there are a LOT of words pushed into the short time allowed on TV for the original TV versions of these vignettes and this transfers to the stage production. The music is reminiscent of 70s music though the use of only a keyboard makes it somewhat limited sonority-wise. (I must admit here that while I do understand the need for some groups to only use a keyboard, as a musician, I am biased toward the use of additional instruments.) The plot is fragmented and is written mainly attempting to segue smoothly into the next School House Rocks scene.

The second was to see college friends and acquaintances perform on stage - the place I remember them while at FHC. Somethings never change about the friends. Somethings...do.

The primary audience for this musical would be upper elementary or middle school audiences and adults who have a friend or relative performing in it (like me). It is not necessarily an adult musical so from that aspect I didn't enjoy it. Getting to see my friends perform made it worthwhile though.

Here's a couple of my favorite School House Rocks educational commercials. What are yours?

Conjunction Junction




Interjections