Tuesday #1 -True East

by karen Krolak

Look at this gem I discovered during my adventures!

Immersing myself in this residency has been spectacular so far. Just Tuesday I

*was greeted with farm fresh eggs donated by the community for breakfast,

* was welcomed on to Passamoquoddy tribal land by the faculty, staff, and students at the Beatrice Rafferty School,

*was invited to play a cello for the first time in my life in Alice's music class, 

Can you smell a new piece brewing?

*watched Ralph transform a fourth grader's insult into an engaging musical exercise,

* developed a top-secret project with those fourth grade students,

* was blown away by a group of phenomenal seventh graders who were not afraid to improvise silly sounds and movements,

* discovered during lunch that one of the seventh grade girls is related to the editor of the new Passamaquoddy dictionary (Keep your fingers crossed for me as I might get to meet him. How amazing would that be?),

* knit on the rocks next to Shead High School as we watched the first two innings of their playoff baseball game (One of the cellists in the Eastport Strings, Frank, is the team's shortstop. Shead won, by the way.),

* built a boat dance for a few very young violinists to accompany Wren's Waltz for Saturday's concert,

* analyzed how posture can improve the sound of the soloist in Bach's Chorale,

* led the Eastport Art Center's board through the parade route for Magnet to the Breakwater (What an enthusiastic group, they had a ton of wonderful ideas! Greg even offered to take us out on his boat to get an aquatic perspective on the area.),

* met the Editor of the Quoddy Tides,

*and discovered several reasons why people ship pregnant cows.

True East Residency

by karen Krolak

From the window at the foot of this bed, I can see lights from  houses in Canada. As I mentioned earlier, I am in Eastport Maine collaborating with Ralph Farris, one of the co-founders of Ethel, an amazing post-classical string quartet. Remind me sometime to share the story of how Ralph and I went from being mortal enemies in elementary school to creative partners.

Since I need to scramble out of the house early tomorrow to teach a 4th grade and a 7th grade class at the Beatrice Rafferty Elementary School on Passamaquoddy (Ralph has just reminded me that Passamaquoddy means "People of the Dawn" ) tribal lands, I will keep this post brief.

Scattered about this entry, you can see some my impressions from my first few days in Eastport. Our days have been really packed with activity as we prepare for

• A Play-Date/Workshop for Teachers and Performers (Saturday June 11, 9-Noon)

• The Eastport Strings Two Concerts in One-6pm Traditional & 7:30pm Rock (also June 11)
AND
• Magnet to the Breakwater -- a family-friendly mobile musical celebration of city and sea -- where we invite the WHOLE EASTPORT COMMUNITY to a parade down through the Eastport waterfront, flowing in and out of town like a wave, and guided by beacons of diverse performers.  Join us for movement and music!!! Magnet to the Breakwater kicks off  with a Fun Family Workshop on June 12, from 1-5pm at the Eastport Arts Center. More Play-Dates will take place on June 13, June 14, and the BIG EVENT takes place on June 15.

Stay tuned for more details!