Eric Olsen (2)

INTRODUCTION

After taking the World Music course at VanderCook College of Music in
Chicago, IL I decided to design a world music course for my high school students in
Joliet, IL. I designed a curriculum and handed it in to the administrators. They all gave
the course the green light and then asked me what texts we would be using. In searching
many web sites and music stores I was able to find numerous books on African
drumming, Irish hand drums, and other percussive instruments. There were no texts for
other instruments especially wind instruments.
After more searching I did find texts on how to play the Irish tin whistle. Our
school did have quite a few recorders and most of the students did receive recorder
instruction at their grammar schools. A few weeks before St. Patrick’s Day we worked
on an Irish jig on recorder and the students loved it. When asked why this was different
than the other units we had been studying, the students said they liked it because they
could perform the music and not just read about it and listen to it.
That summer I did more searching for music from different cultures for the
recorder. There was none that I could find, but I did find music for specific flute
instruments from different countries. One of the first books I found had music for the
South American kena. I was able to teach the students some simple tunes by rote and
they enjoyed it. I also found music for the Japanese shakuhachi, but when I received the
book it was entirely in Japanese script. Through the help of different people I was also
able to find music from the Middle East, China, and Native American songs and dances.
Now that I had all of this music the question was how I make this available to my
students. Most of the music was written for specific instruments and many were vocal
pieces. I have rewritten many of the pieces for the recorder so the students in my world
music course can not only listen and learn about different cultures, but they may also
participate in the cultures by performing the music that is such a vital part of these
people’s lives.… (más)

This took me forever to read. Not because it was bad or boring, but neither was it strongly propulsive. Chatty, is what I'd call it, but with a lot of good commentary from a lot of different angles about writing, the writing life, the pursuit of an MFA, etc. I just I kept getting distracted by all sorts of other shiny things.

It's a collective anecdotal narrative, with input from people you've heard of (T.C. Boyle, John Irving, Sandra Cisneros, Allan Gurganus) and then a bunch you haven't, because it's not all about becoming famous or successful but rather the process of becoming a working writer, whatever that means to the people in question.

And there's something very sweet about it, all these people talking about craft and what it means to them to be writers -- they manage to sidestep what could be a super narcissistic chorus. Instead it's very affirmative, that there are as many different ways to be a writer as there are writers. Which I know, doh. But it hit me at just the right time, and I do recommend it for anyone who's interested in that kind of discussion.… (más)

Imagine that you have an opportunity to spend an evening sitting around in an informal environment, listening to well-established writers talk about their lives, their writing, and their experiences in the 1970's at the Iowa Writer's Workshop. Some are more interesting than others, certainly, but if you have any interest in the process of creative writing, or if you aspire to write yourself, this book will please you. It won't teach you about writing. I don't think that was the intent of the collaborative authors. It will give you a tremendous insight into the feeling of being a writer; an unprecedented opportunity to peek inside the process itself and see how it feels.

I read this book in multiple sittings which were, in some cases, many weeks apart (Hence the lateness of the review. I've had the book for a shamefully long time) and frankly, I think it was better read in this manner. Even the best and most stimulating company can pall after extended exposure. By reading the book in installments, my interest and enjoyment remained high and the experience fresh.… (más)