SATURDAY NINE FOR DECEMBER

I'm playing along with the Saturday 9 meme even though I have never heard of this song and I studied to be a vocal music teacher for my undergrad! 

 

Saturday 9: Ja-Da (1918)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here. 

 

1) The lyrics tell us the melody is soothing. What calms you when you're upset or anxious?

the thing  that most calms me if I'm anxious, which I rarely am, is a walk in the woods or just a walk around my neighborhood.  Also a good cup of tea and some Chopin music. Reading one of the Psalms is also calming if I'm upset about something. 

 

2) There was a lot going on in 1918 – like WWI and the Spanish flu pandemic – that left people upset and anxious. In those days, radio wasn't yet a staple in American homes so people received their news through newspapers. Today with podcasts and 24 hour cable news and social media and other news outlets available, do you ever feel like taking a break from current events?

We have taken a break from the 6 pm evening news..mainly because I'm in the kitchen cooking dinner then and Dave is just getting home from work.  But also because.....well...I won't go into it here. HA! Let's just say our nation is a mess and it's depressing to watch the news. We do turn it on for the first 15 minutes of The Today Show with Savannah Guthrie. She's a Christ follower and the news is unbiased. They just report the latest happenings.  I like that. Sometimes I go online to our digital paper and read community news.  We do get the Sunday paper every week and I do read most of it in the evening...I tend to skip the national news. 

3) In addition to newspapers, magazines were a big deal in 1918. Women turned to publications like Ladies Home Journal and McCall's for trends and tips about fashion and housekeeping. Do you have any printed magazines in your home now? 

Yes.  I have the Adirondac and The Adirondack Explorer magazines.  They come quarterly. 

 

4) Today schoolchildren often learn "Ja-Da" because it's easy to sing and play. Was music part of your grade school curriculum?

I don't know of any local public school here in NYS that has that song as part of the grade school music curriculum. It definitely wasn't in the curriculum when i was student teaching for my undergrad degree nor did my children learn it when they were in elementary school.  The tune is familiar so my mom, who was born in 1934, might have hummed it around the house when we were little. I'm not sure. 

Yes vocal music is a requirement for all schools K-6th here in NYS. I loved my vocal music teacher. She is what made me want to be in the chorus (I was in chorus from 2nd grade thru 12th grade and even went to All State a couple of times and All County every year.  She was the first gay person I had ever met. I didn't end up teaching music though, as I got my MS in EdPsych/Special Ed and became a Special Ed Prek teacher. I did use music in my classroom curriculum  though and employed some music therapy lessons into my weekly language lessons. 

 

5) Composer Bob Carleton published more than 500 songs in his career. He had no songwriting partner, handling the words and lyrics himself. What's your favorite song? Was it written by a single composer or a songwriting team?

This is a difficult question because it depends on the genre of music you're talking about and the author of this meme doesn't specify what kind of music!!  Way too hard to pick one fave. I can tell you my fave pop  singer is Taylor Swift mainly because she writes her own music/lyrics and they are full of metaphors which I love. One of my faves of hers is Epiphany (look it up...the lyrics!!  based on the pandemic Covid 19 and WWII.....it's outstanding). I also absolutely love her new one "The Fate of Ophelia" and the metaphors in it of her own sadness and heartbreak, etc  but finally being won over by Kelce. It's brilliant!

One of my fave Xmas songs (Since it's the Christmas season) is Carol of the Bells.  Another fave is Amy Grant's Breath of Heaven.  

6) Bob got his start in his hometown of St. Louis, playing piano in his parents' saloon. When you think of St. Louis, what comes to mind?

The arch.  I got to see it when I drove through Missouri from western NY in 1984 and landed in Kansas City, MO.  I also think of a classic movie we own and watch called Meet Me in St Louis with Judy Garland. 

 

7) In 1918, Americans were buying more cars and Studebakers were a familiar sight on the streets and highways. Today that name is mostly forgotten. Can you think of a brand that used to popular but has disappeared?

My parents owned a Studebaker when I was a baby-early childhood days. 

Brands that used to be popular but are no more: Blockbuster, Tab soda, Kodak. I can't think of anymore. 

 

8) During WWI, Americans were familiar with "Meatless Days." Back then we were encouraged to cut back on the consumption of meat as a patriotic gesture to help the American and Allied troops. Today "Meatless Monday" highlights health and the environment. Think about your diet. Do you try to eat more grains, fruits and vegetables?

I am mostly plant-based so yes a lot of fruit, veggies and grains are consumed in my diet. I like making grain bowls with brown rice, quinoa, broccoli, cauliflower, green beans, yellow and red peppers, sweet potatoes.  I often eat whole grain toast with avocado for breakfast. 

 

9) Random question: Where did you get the shirt you are wearing right now?

I'm not wearing a shirt right now: I'm wearing a flannel pj top that I bought at Kohls years ago.  The shirt I plan on wearing today is a LLBean winter hiking shirt as I'm leading an afternoon hike. 

HAPPY SATURDAY!!