FINALLY....

After ignoring the issue for years, the mainstream media are finally noticing the Christian genocide taking place in Nigeria. Yes, we did know about Boko Haram, and yes, it is true that some non-Christians have also been killed and kidnapped, but it has become increasingly apparent that Christians, whether because of their numbers or for other reasons, have been the primary target of ruthless attacks.

It is deeply troubling that so few Christians ministers, priests, bishops and other leaders have miserably failed to speak out on an issue they should have been deeply aware of. Sadly, the mainstream denominations--who have long searched to increase their dwindling relevancy--are probably the most culpable in their neglect of their co-religionists. Many times we have witnessed mainstream leaders decry Islamophobia and any other real or perceived discrimination, but their was little appetite to speak out on behalf of Christians. This needs to change. Immediately. Those who claim that Christianity is worthy of our allegiance should at least be willing to speak out in its defense. 

To be fair, many non-denominational and conservative Christian leaders have indeed spoken out, but their voices too often have been squelched by the wider media. Regardless of where we stand politically or spiritually, we all need to speak out and educate ourselves about this and other issues involving morality. Yes, life and human affairs are complicated, but that is perhaps why we are given brains to sort things out.

A NEW PATH FOR AN EDUCATION WARRIOR

Ryan Walters, the young and principled state Superintendent of Education in Oklahoma, has recently announced his resignation in order to assume leadership of the Teacher Freedom Alliance, an organization dedicated to fighting teachers' unions and their disastrous grip on American education policies and curriculum.

Although teachers' unions have lobbed torpedoes against nearly every effort to improve education, at the same time, sadly, sometimes they are necessary in order to protect teachers who have been targeted unfairly by self-serving administrators. Given the fact that our schools are overstuffed with highly paid administrators, honest teachers do need a voice to speak for them. But our present unions carry too much baggage to fulfill that role effectively. The time for change is long overdue.

Mr. Walters is a fair and reasoned voice in the midst of the ongoing battle to develop an educational system that actually serves our children and their families. We should all stay tuned to follow his decisions and directions in his new post, and we wish him great success.

HOW MUCH DOES IT TAKE?   2.0

Although this blog is dedicated to discussing "education, music and life in general," our emphasis recently has focused heavily on the field of education. Currently education is facing many severe challenges in the United States and in many nations throughout the world; without sound education, the enjoyment and understanding of music and "life in general" would be greatly hampered. Many would agree that we are at a crisis level. As consumers and taxpayers, it behooves all of us to take a deep interest in education to the extent our busy lives will allow. By providing concise and direct summaries of current developments in education, we hope that our articles will aid in that effort. At some point in the near future, this blog may divide into two or three separate and independent blogs, on this or other major platforms. Our readership has grown tremendously. Thank you for taking the time to view our articles and enhance our collective knowledge on these vital subjects!       --Gary Liam Scott

Even as standards continue to plummet in many public and private educational settings, astonishingly, the salaries and number of administrators continue to spike upwards. Recently in Fairfax County, Virginia--the 12th largest public school district in the nation--Superintendent Michelle Reid's salary was increased to $424,146, plus a $12,000.00 automobile allowance and other perks. Even with a salary higher than that of the President of the United States, Ms. Reid will now also be granted a personal bodyguard, hired by taxpayers at a beginning salary range of $84,500-$143,000. 

In a similarly dramatic move, the school board of the Francis Howell School District in Missouri recently hired a new superintendent, Mike Dominguez, who resigned before his first day on the job in order to take an assistant superintendent position with the Shawnee Public Schools in Oklahoma. As a reward for breaking his contract, the Francis Howell board awarded Mr. Dominguez a going-away present of $229,000--and then refused to give taxpayers any explanation. Thankfully, the Missouri Auditor's Office has decided to investigate this matter and hopefully get to the bottom of this abuse of local citizens.

The frustrating aspect of the growing financial giveaways to educational administrators is that they come even as American education continues to decline. We are handsomely rewarding incompetency. If taxpayers are OK with this, well, we can call it part of the price of democracy. But one wonders...how many Americans are even aware of what is going on behind the closed doors of school management? Most of us were assured from childhood that educators were above reproach and could always be trusted. We now can realize just how naïve and costly that attitude is.

Always remember:  Each of us is entitled to a voice, and each of us has a stake in our educational system. We need to demand accountability and answers to our questions. We need to see improved test scores, and even more importantly, we need to see evidence in our daily lives that our fellow citizens can read, communicate, do basic math and have enough knowledge of history to be able to learn from its lessons. 

 

A PERSONAL NOTE...

The community of St. Louis, Missouri is blessed with many fine musical ensembles, as is the entire Midwest. One of the newest groups to form is the Black Tulip Chorale, founded and directed by Robert Stumpf. The mission statement of BTC highlights the organization's unwavering commitment to "...advocate for social consciousness through excellence in the performance of choral music, while providing an affirming environment for all, regardless of expression, gender, identity, or orientation." I have had the privilege of reviewing their concerts many times, and have always found the performances, along with the shared testimonies of chorale members, very moving. This past year I reviewed their annual holiday concert in December, 2024.

I have always noticed that the Black Tulip Chorale is able to present its message of advocacy of the LGBTQ+ community, and of humanity in general, without expressing hatred of oppressors and without mounting personal attacks on those who disagree with them. When we believe strongly in a cause, it can be difficult to hold back resentment, hatred and fear of those who believe strongly in the opposite direction. Yet BTC has magnificently resisted any sort of temptation to denigrate others. There seems to be an inherent and ingrained desire to foster communication and understanding rather than driving a wedge even further. I learned that lesson on a trip to Germany several years ago. We met a former SS officer and his wife, who had devoted themselves to caring for my wife's aunt, who had immigrated to Germany from Poland with her husband, seeking a better life during the postwar years when life behind the "iron curtain" was acutely difficult. The officer and his wife made a snap decision to give my two young daughters--whose only living grandmother bore a tattoo from Auschwitz--special gifts that they had originally bought for their own grandchildren. 

Recently, Gabriella Flores, the Senior Student Success Advisor at the Berklee College of Music in Boston and who identifies as a queer woman, posted a classified ad to sublet her apartment. She specified "no Zionist" in the ad. We can give Ms. Flores the benefit of the doubt and assume that it is more than likely she does not hate Jews as a whole, but her wording without any sort of disclaimer is understandably off-putting to most Jews. Even though the BTC concert focused on Christmas and was held in a church, it was deeply gratifying to see at least two persons wearing kippahs (yarmulkes) present at the program, and who clearly felt comfortable in so doing. I have always noticed that the Black Tulip Chorale is able to present its message of advocacy of the LGBTQ+ community, and of humanity in general, without expressing hatred of oppressors and without mounting personal attacks on those who disagree with them. When we believe strongly in a cause, it can be difficult to hold back resentment, hatred and fear of those who believe strongly in the opposite direction. Yet BTC has magnificently resisted any sort of temptation to denigrate others. There seems to be an inherent and ingrained desire to foster communication and understanding rather than driving a wedge even further.

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

How much money should a school superintendent earn? What if the district he/she manages is a failing district in which a majority of students are not reading at grade level?

Writing for the Lansing Journal, Paul Czapkowicz penned an excellent article that speaks for itself, outlining the decision by the Dolton School District Board to raise the salary of Superintendent Kevin J. Nohelty from $450,000.00 by an additional $30,000.00 per year for the next two years:

https://thelansingjournal.com/2025/03/21/already-at-450k-dolton-sd-board-approves-pay-raise-for-superintendent/

To be fair, Mr. Nohelty also fulfills the duties of the "chief school business official," whatever that might mean, but we have to ask ourselves if even such a double appointment is worth that much money. Average household income in the area served by the Dolton School District is $42,000.00 per year, and the district spends $28,000.00 per student per year, with a teacher/student ratio of 1/10.

Make your own decision:  Is this salary reasonable? Given the amount spent per student and the ratio of teachers to students, should the district be able to do better? Whether they agree or disagree with the Board, how should citizens respond?

HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

Recently St. Louis-based commentator and radio host Jamie Allman addressed the issues surrounding the withholding by the federal government of $400 million to the university because of its administration's refusal to rein in anti-Israel demonstrators who have gone beyond the bounds of peaceful protest. Most citizens are probably unaware of just how much money the US government doles out to public and private institutions every year. $400 million is a huge amount, but it becomes staggering when you realize this is only a yearly donation--and yet more staggering when you realize that Columbia is only one of many, many institutions that receive federal funds, and is far from the largest recipient.

Allman dropped yet another bombshell:  The current endowment of Columbia is nearly $15 billion dollars ($14.8 billion as of June, 2024 to be exact). Mr. Allman was astounded not only that our educational institutions received such vast amounts of money, but--perhaps even more troublesome--why there was no outrage from US taxpayers about such an outward flow of public dollars.

Ask yourself:  Should heavily endowed institutions continue to receive such large funding? Should they receive any public funding at all? And why have college tuition increases generally outpaced the rate of inflation--sometimes dramatically so?

 
KEEPING KNOWLEDGE CENTRAL TO EDUCATION

There seems to be a movement in education to replace simple, basic knowledge of facts with an awareness of principles and ideas. Thus, for example, sometimes rather than knowing the names of various countries and being able to find them on a map, it is considered sufficient to simply know that maps exist; if we ever need to know the name of a country, we can just scrounge our eyes across the map until we find it. 

It would be unfair to say that this state of affairs is found in all educational settings, but it can safely be said that it is found in far too many. When I taught in secondary education, I was shocked to realize that many of my students not only could not find countries on a world map, but did not fully understand political divisions such as cities, counties, provinces, states, nations and regions. To cite another example, I was thrilled when my daughter studied Latin in high school, but halfway through her first year when I asked her how she was handling the case endings, she simply gave me a bewildered look and asked, "What do you mean by a case?" She later explained that the class focused primarily on watching videos and discussing bits and pieces of Roman history (at least they got that much). I knew the teacher personally and knew that she understood Latin completely, but she, like the students, was a victim of our prevailing educational philosophy. Later on, the school received an award for the strength of its Latin program, but we had already removed our daughter from that school. I wonder if the school administrators had ever studied Latin, the mother of so many languages....

Knowing how to think is important, and we need to teach that. Concepts and principles are important. But without a library of knowledge in our brains, we can scarcely apply critical thinking and understanding.

How can you determine if a person, young or old, possesses a storehouse of knowledge in their heads? Easy. Just observe or ask questions to see what they know--a good start might be to find out if they know, say, whether Canada is divided into states, or has a monarch. And remember that none of us possesses complete and total knowledge, and sometimes it is not our fault if we don't. We need to hold our schools, and the administrators who run them, accountable. And always, we should recognize that outstanding teachers do exist and give them all the support and gratitude we can. Sometimes we meet them in schools, good or bad, and sometimes we find them in all sorts of unlikely places that we might not expect. 

REQUESTING FORGIVENESS...

Nearly 20 years after accusing three lacrosse players at Duke University of rape in 2006, igniting a firestorm of indignation and kangaroo-style judgments in the press, Crystal Mangum has recanted her assertions and begged forgiveness. Mangum did so from the North Carolina prison where she is currently serving time for murdering her boyfriend in 2013.

Back in 2006, most people of intelligence did not buy into the story. But the media --not always known for their intelligence and scrutiny--smelled blood and ratings and ran with the story. Much of the faculty and staff at Duke also jumped to declare the accused lacrosse players guilty, case closed. Sadly, society is coming to realize that the halls of academia are no longer nearly so hallowed or honorable as we once thought. Perhaps most heinous of all were the actions of Mike Nifong, the prosecutor of the young athletes, who smelled not only blood but opportunities to gain political capital and thrust himself into the limelight.

Fortunately, Nifong was removed from office, disbarred and even briefly jailed for his zealous commitment to glorifying falsehoods. The three athletes also mounted a lawsuit against Duke, which was settled out-of-court for an undisclosed sum. It is not known if any of the dozens of ill-informed professors and staff who rushed gleefully to judgment were ever fired or disciplined. Today, no doubt much bitterness and hostility remain, but at least some measure of justice was obtained in 2007, thanks in large part to then-attorney general of NC, Roy Cooper, who dismissed the charges for lack of evidence, and who now serves as governor of the state.

Now that Crystal Mangum has apologized, admitted her guilt, and asked for forgiveness from those she accused, many pundits are venting their anger at her, denouncing her for what she did to lives and reputations of the three athletes. Yes, Mangum lied; yes, she waited nearly 20 years to fully admit her guilt; yes, she presently is in prison for second-degree homicide--but we should all admit that, at least, she has openly admitted her own culpability and has requested forgiveness from those she wronged. Admitting guilt and remorse is tough. How many of us would have the guts to come forward as Crystal Mangum has done?

Could Mangum be speaking out now only as a stunt to curry favor from prison administrators? Perhaps. But maybe she felt a genuine need to confess and atone. Only she knows for certain. And it is up to the athletes to forgive, not us. However, I have to admit that I respect Mangum for stepping onto the world stage to make such a bold statement. If only politicians, corrupt business tycoons and corrupt professors could find the courage to do the same thing.... Crystal Mangum has one or two things they never will have--guts, and remorse.

RETURNING TO CLASSICAL EDUCATION

Looking back on my own education, I can point to one elective choice that furthered my grasp of all other subjects and helped me achieve all my goals:  the study of Latin.

Today it often seems that the study and acquisition of hard knowledge, factually based, has taken a back seat to contemporary concerns and the politics of managing schools. Although many decry the loss of critical thinking in our population, it is arguable that proficiency is unattainable without a sound bedrock of knowledge. Latin forces us to not only learn the grammar of a foreign language and how English is directly impacted, but Latin impels us to delve deeper into history, philosophy, geography, literature, political science, art and architecture. Latin is also part of our shared heritage as human beings. For better or worse, those who spoke Latin left their mark on every settled continent.

Commentator Micah Meadowcroft, writing on the Thomas D. Klingenstein website, has spoken eloquently of the importance of classical education. His articles are well worth reading (a recent one linked below). He notes that classical education, which certainly would include exposure to Latin, promotes intellectual development rather than simply a mass leveling off of the population. Ironically, classical education could promote individualism by making individuals aware of the common ground from which we all spring. 

Thankfully, the movement toward classical education is growing. Schools are springing up around the country; here in St. Louis, the Classical Lafayette Academy in just a few short years has established itself as a potent force in the region. This movement is not for the select few; it is for all of us.

https://tomklingenstein.com/classical-education-ed-and-the-ends-of-schooling/

The music of our lives...

CAN MUSIC BRING US TOGETHER?

Although I remain a cynic, the performance of a German masterpiece linked below, performed by Israeli conductor Daniel Barenboim, German opera singer Waltraud Meier, an orchestra comprised of Israeli and Middle Eastern musicians and named after the work of German poet Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, co-founded by Barenboim and Edward Said, a Palestinian, is mesmerizing. The music is not about race or culture, but about life. I'm sure Wagner would be touched by hearing this, and I hold out hope that maybe a few terrorists would find a shred of humanity in themselves.

Richard Wagner's opera Tristan und Isolde is a remarkable tale of unbridled and irresistible passion. The closing aria, know as the "Liebestod", or Love Death--against the composer's wishes, who desired it be called "Verklaerung", or Transfiguration--is one of the most famous moments in operatic literature, sung by the heroine Isolde as she realizes that she and her lover Tristan can only be united by passing through the door of death--or rather, as Wagner would have it, the door to transfiguration.

The West-Eastern Divan Orchestra was established in 1999 and is based in Seville, Spain. Its members come from Israel, Spain and the Middle East. The renowned pianist Martha Argerich has partnered with Daniel Barenboim many times and was named an honorary member of the orchestra in 2015. The orchestra draws its name from a collection (divan) of poems by the great German poet Goethe, inspired by his reading of works by the Persian poet Hafez. The formation of the orchestra stemmed from the friendship of Daniel Barenboim, a Jew, and Edward Said, a Palestinian. Today, the Barenboim-Said Akademie in Berlin sponsors music students from Israel and the Middle East.

It is sad to contemplate that on October 6, 2023, Gaza and Israel existed in (relative) peace. The next day shattered that illusion. Peace cannot be achieved until the hostages are released.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wu02skyFCyI

TEACHERS AS INDEPENDENT CONTRACTORS?

Although we don't normally think of teachers in private practice--self-employed, in other words--in actuality it can be a very rewarding way for teachers to do what they are trained to do. The image of a teacher tied to a particular school building or site, answerable at all times to a bevy of administrators and imposed policies, is a common and often accurate perception, but it is not the only model for successful teaching. 

Music, dance, arts, crafts, martial arts instructors, coaches and many others are examples of teachers in private practice. The advantages are numerous:  

1. A teacher in private practice is freed from a wide range of bureaucratic entanglements that are pervasive in our public school systems.

2. Self-employed teachers are free to follow their own agendas and are not bound to the agendas of their supervisors and administrators. However, self-employed teachers do need to be attentive to the needs of their students and clients.

3. The income derived by independent teachers is far more likely to be merit-based than in schools that are tied to union policies.

4. A self-employed teacher is under no obligation to be "certified" (or "certificated," the bizarre term employed by school districts these days). This means that a self-guided teacher is free to design his/her own path to acquiring necessary expertise in a chosen field. It is not even necessary for an independent teacher to hold an actual college degree, so long as that person can demonstrate competence.

5. Disciplinary issues are generally much decreased in a non-conventional classroom setting.

6. Independent teachers generally find themselves to be doers and demonstrators of knowledge or skills rather than simply emcees for video instruction and textbooks. They will teach by showing as well as explaining. (Ever notice how many public school physical education instructors never demonstrate techniques of swimming, tennis, soccer, etc.--for obvious reasons--but instead can only rely on explaining what needs to be done? Independent teachers, on the contrary, are expected to fully demonstrate what needs to be done.)

Of course, there are drawbacks to being self-employed: financial security is not automatic, resource tools may not be readily available. At the same time, sometimes the rewards might be far greater; some music teachers might earn very little independently, but some command very high hourly rates. However, any individual considering a commitment to educating others might want to carefully weigh out the advantages of selecting a personalized path to achieving their goals as educators. Knowledge--and its dissemination--is too important to be under the control of any sort of oligarchy.

STIFLING FAIRNESS IN A PUBLIC SCHOOL CLASSROOM

One more story from Missouri:

Controversy erupted recently in Kirkwood, MO, an affluent suburb of St. Louis. At an evening meeting at Nipher Middle School designed to introduce parents to the school curriculum for the coming year, a Palestinian flag was prominently displayed on the wall of social studies teacher Jason Kipp's classroom. Although the Jewish population of Kirkwood is not large, it so happened that one parent in attendance was a descendant of Holocaust survivors, along with her daughter who was scheduled to be a student in Kipp's class (she was later removed). She asked if the flag of Israel could also be displayed, but Mr. Kipp refused, and then added fuel to the fire by making a remark to the lady about "your version of history." Understandably, the lady was upset and complained to the school administration. Since then, meetings have been held and school district administrators have attempted to address the conflict, but anger remains.

It is difficult to understand why a teacher of middle school students would refuse to allow students to learn about both sides of a controversy; if he is convinced that he is correct in his opinions, then he should have no fear of presenting an alternative viewpoint and allowing facts to speak for themselves (although one wonders at this point if the facts would be presented fairly). 

After the attacks of 9-11, the government and citizenry of the United States encouraged study of Islam in order to understand the thinking and real or perceived grievances that led to such a vile act. Government policy did not seek to punish an entire people or way of life. Regardless of which side an individual supports in the Middle East conflict, it is shocking that a teacher would openly side with one side, and it is equally shocking that his employers would allow that to happen.

Links:

https://stopantisemitism.org/08/20/middle-school-teacher-prominently-displays-palestine-flag-in-missouri-classroom/

https://defendinged.org/incidents/nipher-middle-school-social-studies-teacher-displays-palestinian-flag-in-classroom-refuses-to-display-israeli-flag/

https://stljewishlight.org/news/news-local/controversy-erupts-over-palestinian-flag-in-kirkwood-classroom-parent-raises-concern/

 

WHAT IS A SUPERINTENDENT WORTH?

Legislation was recently proposed in Missouri that would limit the salary of public school superintendents to no more than 5.5 times the minimum salary of a beginning teacher. According to the Fox news affiliate in Kansas City, the minimum salary for a first-year teacher in Missouri is $40,000.00. That means the highest salary a superintendent could earn under this bill sponsored by State Representative Ben Keathley (R) would be $220,000:    https://fox4kc.com/news/missouri-lawmaker-eyes-limits-on-school-superintendent-salaries/

Naturally, the Missouri Association of School Administrators opposes the bill (what else might one expect?). So we have to ask, does education improve when administrators--who generally do not teach a single class--get paid more? Most readers will surely be able to answer that question for themselves.

Interestingly, there is currently a shortage of superintendents, or at least a perceived shortage, despite the large salaries and generous benefit packages, golden parachutes and promises of an early retirement. The issues in American education have possibly discouraged applicants. But is the solution to that problem simply to throw yet more money into the hands of a few? Many communities already bestow salaries on their superintendents far in excess of the limits proposed in the Missouri legislature. Taxpayers might be surprised. The bottom line:  Are we receiving our money's worth?

WHO SHOULD CONTROL EDUCATION, AND TO WHAT EXTENT?

Question:  The U.S. Department of Education has added a new layer of bureaucracy to many aspects of education. It is difficult to argue that education has improved in the years since the Department was established. If the Department were to be abolished, then more control would be granted to states and local authorities. But would we then find ourselves in the position that each local authority might eventually develop vastly different curricula for core subjects? Books that are read and studied in Idaho might differ greatly from books that are studied in New York. Would we still be able to establish commonality in our shared heritage? Projecting further, could an engineer/doctor/teacher/researcher from one part of the country offer vastly different techniques and opinions than a counterpart raised in another area, and would that be a good thing, or not?

Local control is necessary in order to honor the freedom of stakeholders to chart their own destiny, but how do we ensure that knowledge and skills are properly inculcated?

 

ESTABLISHING COMPETENCE

Probably all of us have experienced meeting a "well-educated" person, laden with degrees, who somehow just doesn't seem to know what he/she is doing. And yes, many of those individuals can present glowing credentials, stellar recommendations and degrees from "prestigious" institutions. This brings us to the question:  Does the possession of a degree indicate competency in a given field? Sometimes yes, but clearly, sometimes no.

Sometimes, too, the completion of practicums, internships and such experiences as "practice teaching" fail to demonstrate the familiarity that we would expect. So how do we establish competency objectively? Should we rely on standardized testing--which also leads us to wonder if curriculum in a given field of study or profession should be standardized as well? Many grassroots educational reformers feel strongly that curriculum control should emanate from the local level (school board, local advisory committee, university department, etc.), but we then face the dilemma that varied curricula can lead to varied levels of competency.

And perhaps the basic question for our times might be:  Do we best help the underprivileged and underserved segments of our society by lowering standards, or by marshalling our resources so that the underprivileged gain the intellectual and critical thinking tools they need in order to demonstrate a uniform level of competency?

Many of us feel that education is currently in crisis in the U.S. and across the globe. For that reason, education will become a central topic on this blog in future posts, although not the sole topic. May we all live, learn and grow to the best of our abilities!

BRINGING EDUCATION TO ITS KNEES

To those who were blessed to receive an education that included basic reading, writing, mathematics, history and at least a smattering of the arts, it might seem like a shock to learn that this summer Governor Kate Brown of Oregon signed Oregon Senate Bill 744, which abolishes competency in core subjects as a requirement for graduation from public high schools in Oregon.  Proponents of the bill lobbied for it in the name of "equity" for minority students, but it is difficult to understand how such a bill will would help any student of any background.  Some even view this law as a direct assault against minorities, whose innate abilities might now be dismissed as a result of a largely Caucasian legislative body's attempts to downgrade education and academic accomplishment.

To be fair, the law holds place for the next five years and then will be subject to review, but the harm that it could potentially generate could last much longer.  Tragic that the very institutions that were granted the sacred task of imparting knowledge are now working against it.

It is imperative that we ALL learn as much as we can about our schools, even those who have no children, because their lives will be impacted as surely as children's lives.  We should all study the funding, the curriculum, the training of teachers, the philosophy in place, the percentage of funds spent on administration and non-essential expenditures.  It is our right and our duty.

MARINO GARDENING:  A NEW APPROACH TO OLD WAYS

Imagine a small plot of land, maybe a suburban front yard or back yard, or maybe even just a few square feet, filled with a rich variety of plants, selected perhaps only by their immediate appeal to the gardener.  The planting space is crowded and perhaps not well-planned, but it provides a feast to the eyes and the nose, and energizes the surrounding area with an infusion of oxygen and nourishment for wildlife and humans.  This new (or old?) approach to gardening is being popularized by John Marino of St. Louis, Missouri, and is little by little capturing the attention of gardeners both in the Midwest and elsewhere.

When John acquired the suburban house left to him by his parents, he began to sample the joys of gardening more intensively than ever before.  He planted evergreen bushes, roses, flowering trees, hydrangeas and a host of other species.  Although his property was spacious enough for a suburban location, his appetite for new varieties of plants quickly began to soak up the available space, and perhaps the spacing may not have been ideal to an experienced landscaper.  However, the myriad assortment did provide privacy, cleaner air, little spots to lose yourself as you wandered through the front and back yards, and perhaps an air of mystery, somewhat like a small enchanted forest.

In time, a professional landscaper up the street from John's home became inspired and began to apply John's notions to his own property and to adventurous clients who wanted to make the most of their own properties.  Eventually some of John's friends and associates also decided to become more experimental in their own garden design and implementation.  A local psychic even commended John for fostering an "energy vortex" through the pairing of majestic trees of various species side by side.  If you think about it, Mother Nature herself adopts a very pragmatic--and oftentimes crowded--approach to filling spaces on our planet with as much vegetation as possible, paying no heed to any sort of principles of garden design.  Now we are beginning to see "Marino gardens" pop up here and there in all sorts of places.

Basically, Marino gardening boils down to a "do your own thing approach" to garden design and layout.  The only constraints are that you need to make sure each plant has sufficient light, soil and space to grow and prosper on its own.  The possibilities are endless, and the only boundaries are Nature itself and our own creativity.

WORDS OF CAUTION FROM A WISE MAN

Like visiting with old friends, re-reading books we love brings its own rewards.  Recently I picked up once again Umberto Eco's brilliant novel from 1980, "The Name of the Rose".  Few scholars can match the insight, wisdom and vast reservoir of language and knowledge that this great man brought to bear upon a medieval detective story.  Near the end of the novel, the monk William of Baskerville gives us these wise words of caution:

"The Antichrist can be born from piety itself, from excessive love of God or of the truth, as the heretic is born from the saint and the possessed from the seer.  Fear prophets...and those prepared to die for the truth, for as a rule they make many others die with them."

(Translated by William Weaver)

Although Eco couches his literary commentary in Christian terms, his caution should not be limited solely to the Christian religion.  Sadly, far too many religions and belief systems are stained with blood.  May we all take Eco's words to heart.

 

VOICES IN THE HEARTLAND

Music has a way of haunting each of us.  Sometimes a single piece can take hold of a person and become almost an obsession.  I keep a mental list of several pieces that always impact me profoundly.  Over the years, my choices have evolved to include a wide variety of genres and performers.

One such piece that I find haunting is "The Call"  from the Five Mystical Songs by Ralph Vaughan Williams.  This short work, written for baritone soloist and instrumental accompaniment, is redolent of Gregorian chant as well as the Romanticism of the 19th and 20th centuries, set to words by the 17th century British poet George Herbert:

The Call
Come, my Way, my Truth, my Life:
Such a Way, as gives us breath:
Such a Truth, as ends all strife:
Such a Life, as killeth death.
Come, my Light, my Feast, my Strength:
Such a Light, as shows a feast:
Such a Feast, as mends in length:
Such a Strength, as makes his guest.
Come, my Joy, my Love, my Heart:
Such a Joy, as none can move:
Such a Love, as none can part:
Such a Heart, as joyes in love.


The Gateway Men's Chorus of St. Louis performed this entire work, and many others, as part of their holiday concert on December 8 and 9, with baritone Robert McNichols, Jr., conducted by Robert Stumpf.  Both men are consummate musicians.  McNichols sings with boundless energy and precision honed by years of careful practice.  His voice boomed throughout the auditorium at Union Avenue Christian Church, backed by organist John Cargile. 

Robert Stumpf is one of those conductors who breathes with the music and makes himself a complete part of it.  He clearly understood the drama and pathos intended by Vaughan Williams.  Stumpf has built on the legacy of previous conductors of the GMC to craft a skilled and unified ensemble that continues to grow and mature, now in its 31st season. 

Interestingly, Vaughan Williams was an atheist turned agnostic, yet is renowned for his Christian music.  Perhaps he understood that mysticism sooner or later tugs at each of us.  Here is a performance from YouTube of the song by baritone Carl Frank and organist Colin Knapp:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DAxc7zuqFyU

THE BOOKS WE READ: RUDYARD KIPLING'S "KIM"

Lately I had been noticing that I was spending too much time watching the world go by, but not taking time to read.  So I adopted a midyear resolution and commanded myself to begin reading all the books collecting dust on a "to read" shelf.  One of the very first was "Kim", by Rudyard Kipling, which appeared in print in 1901.

Today in the United States we need to read more of the classics.  It is amazing how timeless the themes are in Kipling's work:  devotion to one's passions; persistence; the legacy of colonialism; racism; religion.  "Kim" tells the story of an orphaned Irish boy raised as a Hindu in the streets of Lahore in India.  Kim becomes the devoted guide to an elderly Tibetan lama as he searches for the River of the Arrow in India and who becomes as a father to the orphaned boy.  Along the way, Kim acquires a European education paid for by the lama and gets involved in colonial espionage.

Reading "Kim" is challenging; Kipling throws around terms from Buddhism, Hinduism, Christianity and Islam on almost every page.  His own father commented on the difficulty of the text.  But the effort is well worth it.  Seldom has there appeared a book that speaks more deeply to the very essence of the human spirit and all our inner and outer struggles. 

Kipling's own life was very difficult--separation from parents, abuse by foster parents and legal battles--so I suspect there are many autobiographical moments recounted in the pages of "Kim", rendering his words all the more poignant.  

Next on my list:  Faulkner's "Light in August".  Anyone else care to share their thoughts on a particular book that moved them?