If you are a regular reader of my blog, you know I love books. I also love music—almost as much as I love books. Both these treasure troves contain magical powers. In the words of Emily Dickinson, they can “take us lands away.”
This month my ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ reviews focus on those two transports.
The Enchanted Symphony (©2023 Abrams Books for Young Readers) by Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton and The Bear and the Piano (©2016 Clarion Books) by David Litchfield are lovely books about the connective power of music.
I had the privilege of “meeting” Julie Andrews at an NCTE conference in Philadelphia several years ago. This talented actress, singer, and writer was a keynote speaker; and she was promoting her collection of poems, songs, and lullabies.
I loved this book and often used it during rocking and reading sessions with my young niece. I sometimes sang the poetry to her and reflected upon the poems I remembered from my own childhood.
More recently I discovered Andrews’ The Enchanted Symphony, written by her and her daughter Emma Walton Hamilton. This book, created as a result of the isolation from Covid-19, celebrates the connectivity of music.
When a mysterious purple fog falls upon a village, the world and everything in it become disconnected.
“Trees and flowers began to wilt. Birds no longer sang, and the sun, moon, and stars disappeared from view. People grew listless and dispirited. They stopped visiting with one another, or even going outside, and the town fell silent.”
Eventually, however, the mystery behind the music reunites the villagers, and their hearts become filled with joy.
Many of us remember the helplessness we felt during the Covid pandemic because of our connectivity restrictions. Disconnection can occur for many reasons, such as health issues or an obsession with technology or the busyness of life. Nonetheless, people need to stay connected, and music and words can be vehicles to make that happen.
The Bear and the Piano tells a similar story of connection.
One day a young bear discovers a strange-looking instrument in the forest. Having never seen a piano before, the cub touches it with his stubby paws and discovers he can produce sounds with this mysterious object. At first, the sounds are awful, but determination motivates him to discover the wonder that lies within its keys.
“The next day he came back, and the day after that, too. And for days and weeks and months and years, until eventually . . . the sounds that came from the strange thing were beautiful.”
Through dedication, the bear makes a connection with the piano and also discovers a beauty that lies within himself. He learns the value of perseverance as well as the value of friendship.
Both The Enchanted Symphony and The Bear and the Piano share the mysteries and wonders behind music and words. Whether we play a musical instrument or enjoy listening to the talent of others, or whether we write words or read them, we can benefit from those connections.
According to pbs.org, “Learning a musical instrument boosts language and reading skills.”
Hans Christian Andersen said, “Where words fail, music speaks.” I understand his sentiment, but I believe in the beauty of both words and music.
When I was a child, I was a poor reader; and I was horrible at piano lessons. Now, I am an avid reader, and I teach piano and play for enjoyment.
Music and words are important elements of God’s world, and they allow us to see and hear the good in the world if we will look and listen.
In both these books there is an audience that longs to hear the music.
The world is our audience. It needs to hear our words and our melodies. I am beyond grateful for support from readers of my debut picture book. From loyal family members to former students to readers I’ve never met, I have been humbled by the words of support and the testaments of people being moved by my words.
Whether our words are spoken aloud or written on a page or set to music, they have the power to connect because they are a gift from God.
Like the 1970s Coke commercial, “I’d like to teach the world to sing.”
I’d like to see the world for once
All standing hand in hand
And hear them echo through the hills
For peace throughout the land. (lyrics by Roger Cook and Roger Greenaway)
“After silence, that which comes nearest to expressing the inexpressible is music.”—Aldous Huxley
“Music is the universal language of mankind.”—Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
“Music is the great uniter. An incredible force. Something that people who differ on everything and anything else can have in common.”—Sarah Dessen
“We don’t have much, as you can see. But one thing we do have is music. . . . Some of the finest musicians of Czechoslovakia and Austria . . . feed our souls with song.”—from Tricia Goyer’s Night Song
“I will turn my ear to a proverb; with the harp I will expound my riddle.”—Psalm 49:4
Ephesians 5:19; Psalm 150:4; Colossians 3:16; Job 21:12; Psalm 45:1
Impressed.