Sarah Goslee Reed: News

Check out the blog from Camp Nuhop and learn more about this camp - http://campnuhop.wordpress.com/

Pleasant Street Elementary School students spent the past several months working on a song writing project with me as an artist-in-residence.  Working with students during their music class, music teacher Laura Ackert's students were encouraged to brainstorm ideas for song titles.  Formerly the music teacher at Dan Emmett Elementary, Laura said "last year my students and I worked with Sarah writing songs about science.  The project was so much fun and so successful that I was really eager to work with Sarah again.  I wanted to try and recreate the experience with my new students."   Incorporating the state standards in Language Arts, students made lists of potential song titles.   From the chosen song titles, the students shaped the story of the songs and created a chorus while Laura and I took notes on big rolls of paper which could be rolled up and brought back out for further use when fine tuning the writing.  I said, "This beats using the chalkboard and frantically copying and erasing before the next group comes in!"  The original tunes seemed to emerge from the words the children wrote, as did the stories.  Many of the ideas were related to life at school and "School Rocks!" became the title of the project.

      The fifth grade wrote the song "What's This Doing Here?' about their messy desks, lockers and backpacks while the second grade generated a clever song called "Antonym Land", bringing to life knowledge they have gained this year about synonyms and antonyms.  "The Mysterious Case of the Missing Homework" is a story the third grade wrote about "Detective Sherlock Homework" leading the search for a missing assignment.  The Kindergarten classes wrote a new version of the ABC song using words that start with each letter of the alphabet.  Two other songs take place after the school is closed for the night following a story line similar to the movie "A Night at the Museum."  "After Hours", the song the fourth grade wrote, imagines the equipment and supplies in the music room, art room and gym coming to life at night after the kids go home and the first grade's song imagines their favorite story book characters coming to life in "The Library."

Every student in the school was involved in the writing, learning and recording of the album.  Fifth grade students Fredi Bockover, Jenna Williams and Jacob Grimes designed the covers and label for the CDs.  Several songs feature percussion instruments played by students and 4th grade teacher, Jim Thayer, added percussion on "After Hours."  Principal Karen Boylan can even be heard on one of the songs.  "School Rocks!" is available for $5 through me by emailing me or through Brian Ackert's website listed on my links page (web.mac.com/backert/music) It is also available at Paragraph's Book Store on South Main St. in Mount Vernon, Ohio.

Greetings to the new decade! I have been frequenting the wonderful Vino Where You Live wine-tasting place in Mount Vernon - check out their web page www.vinowhereyoulive.com for details and look for me to be playing music there again soon!

Also, there are some exciting things happening at Pleasant Street Elementary School - thanks to music teacher extraordinaire, Laura Ackert, the entire school is writing songs with me, just as we did last year at Dan Emmett Elementary. Watch for exciting details soon :)

Join me for some fun Friday evenings in Gambier, Ohio at the Village Inn - otherwise known as the VI - come for food and drinks and good music, starting Friday November 6. Also on for the evening will be a folk trio from Kenyon College. Stay tuned for updates throughout the year's end and into 2010.

The CD is READY!!!!!!!!!!! For purchase, send me an email - $20 each plus $2.50 S/H

Songfest, a new CD of music from the Camp Nuhop Songfest celebrations is available as of June 1, 2009. This CD features 24 songs and is the complete version of my performances at Camp Nuhop over the past 18 years. $5 of each sale goes to the Endowment Fund in Jerry Dunlap's memory. Email me to order a CD. Also visit www.campnuhop.org to find out about this wonderful camp experience for children with special needs.

Here is what people are saying about the songwriting project from Dan Emmett Elementary:

"The love of music that you have instilled in the students at DE are immeasurable. Thank you for spreading and sharing your amazing talents and love of music with the students in our district. I would be honored to purchase a CD of your recorded music."

"Thank you for a wonderful presentation. I was telling my research assistant about it this morning. The song was delightful!"

Visit this website for pictures and more details web.mac.com/backert/music

CDs can be ordered from the above website and are available at Paragrahps Bookstore in Mount Vernon, Ohio.

The new CD is available! Complete with children's cover art and their wonderful singing! If you would like a copy, send me an email. This CD is $5 and proceeds go to the Dan Emmett Elementary in Mount Vernon, Ohio. It is fun to listen to their earnest voices and is a real pick me up in these drab economic times!

I am working on compiling a CD of all the songs I have sung over the years at Camp Nuhop Songfest. This CD will be in memory of Jerry Dunlap, the founder and former director of the camp, who passed away June, 2008. The CD will be available this summer, and will sell for $20 a piece, $5 of which will go to a fund in Jerry's honor. For more info, drop me an email at sarah@sarahgosleereed.com

Songwriting at Dan Emmett Elementary
A very exciting songwriting adventure is taking place at Dan Emmett Elementary School in Mount Vernon, Ohio. I am working with the music teacher, Laura Ackert, and we are writing a song with each grade level. The students brainstormed ideas; Laura and I studied them, and we noticed there were many about animals, nature, the environment, etc. This seemed like a great theme to pursue, and the topics that they had chosen all relate to something that each grade learns in science!! Wow!
The songs range from what kinds of animals live in Ohio to the life cycles of a tree and a duck-billed platypus. There is a great song about the chemistry of water called “It’s Messy at the Melting Point”, a song about Gravity and one about “The Three New R’s” as in Reduce, Recycle and Reuse, as opposed to “reading, ‘riting and ‘rithmetic”.
Once the students learn the songs, we will record them onto a CD. There is a contest going on now for the cover design, and when it is completely finished, we will celebrate with a school concert and have each grade sing their composition. CDs will be for sale for $5 each, and a portion of the sales benefits the school. Great fundraiser!!

As far as the Christmas Cards from Dad show goes....this would work well with kids and families...we would sing some songs and then design a special card. A card is like a song - it needs to tell a story and it should include something of "you" in it. Thus, everyone attending would bring a special item to incorporate into the card - other supplies will be included by the artist (that would be me!) Suggestions to bring are: pictures, drawings, ribbon, yarn, small trinkets, etc. Be creative!!!

My new show is popular at this time of year as we move in to holiday mode. Think about friends you want to keep in touch with, and celebrate that feeling with songs and stories of my dad's Christmas card making. You will see the old black and white photographic cards he used to make without the use of Photo Shop! It is full of stories, heartwarming songs, and inspiration and will create a holiday feeling.

In celebration of Earth Day, here are the lyrics to Earthsong, written by 2nd and 3rd graders for the 20th anniversary of Earth Day. I think Earth Day gets more important every year!!

EARTHSONG by Sarah Goslee Reed and Jo Portzline's 1990 class at East School,
Mount Vernon, Ohio

Let's go fishin' where it's clean;
We can walk along beside the stream.
When we get tired, we'll ride a horse.
Or we might take our bikes of course.
Let the insects protect the plants:
We don't need pesticides to kill the ants.
We like those spiders and ladybugs
Even though it's hard to give them hugs.

CHORUS:
Oh give me bees (bees, bees) in flowers and trees (trees, trees)
A mountain stream (stream, stream) bubbling clean (clean, clean)
There will be no zone without the ozone
We've got to keep the earth healthy.

When we are walkin' we pick up cans;
When we get home we wash our hands.
And on our bikes though it makes us pant,
We take them all to the recycling plant.
When we play outside we like the air
To be squeaky clean, not merely fair.
We want those songbirds up in the sky
To have a peaceful place to fly.

CHORUS:
Oh give me bees (bees, bees) in flowers and trees (trees, trees)
A mountain stream (stream, stream) bubbling clean (clean, clean)
There will be no zone without the ozone
We've got to keep the earth healthy.

Stories we read and write because it's fun.
We illustrate them, too, and when we're done,
We use the front and back of every piece,
So we don't waste paper, so we don't waste trees.
Each tree is special, no creature's too small.
To keep our earth green we need them all.
The plants need animals, animals need plants,
For we are all earth's inhabitants.

CHORUS:
Oh give me bees (bees, bees) in flowers and trees (trees, trees)
A mountain stream (stream, stream) bubbling clean (clean, clean)
There will be no zone without the ozone
We've got to keep the earth healthy.

You can now download mp3 files of my songs through CD Baby - just go to the cdbaby site on my links page and see for yourself! Thanks!!

A great opportunity to hear and vote on new songs from independent artists exists through Monstervox. You can vote on songs you like best to help the artist with his or her ratings. Check out monstervox.com right away!!

Are you tired of your ringtones? or maybe you would just like
something new and different? Well, if so, you can now download three
of my songs!

Simply go to the links page of my website and click on one of the Myxer Tones. There are three songs available: White Picket Fences, Fireflies, or Smilin' on Me

Have fun and enjoy!

Good things are happening at Seattles in Wooster and at the Amish Oak Furniture Stores in Pataskala and Loudonville...check my calendar for dates!

Songwriting in the schools is taking off too - St. Peter in Chains in Hamilton, Ohio and soon Dan Emmett Elementary in Mount Vernon..keep posted for the details!

You can find my CD at the Blossom Gift Shop at Blossom Music Center and after the orchestra returns to Severance Hall, the CD will be available in the Cleveland Orchestra Gift Shop at Severance Hall. Isn't that exciting??

Hi everyone - if you sign up for my email list, then I can let you know about upcoming concerts and things! Don't worry, I won't send you any junk mail...also please make a comment if you feel so inclined, but let me know who you are! Thanks!!

You can find my new CD, It's About Time, in some stores in Mount Vernon, Ohio: ~ Paragraphs Book Store, 105 S. Main St., and The Pink Cupcake, 109 S. Main St. You can also come to the new location of Craftsman Hill Fibers at 19785 Nunda Rd., Danville, OH. Or visit The Weather Vane in Gambier, OH near the beautiful campus of Kenyon College.

Now available through CD Baby, "It's About Time" - Sarah's newest CD is a tribute to her dad, George Goslee, former principal bassoonist with the Cleveland Orchestra. This recording features many new original songs, as well as one written and sung by her daughter, Meredith. In addition, her father's bassoon makes a "guest appearance", with a selection from a previous CD.