Music in the Schools, Minnesota Sinfonia — Spotlight Worthy

By Beth | March 28, 2012 |

As I mentioned in Monday’s post, I am honored today to be interviewing Jay Fishman, Executive and Artistic Director of the Minnesota Sinfonia. Jay was the founder of the Sinfonia, which is a professional orchestra offering all its concerts free to all who want to have access to their music. This policy was inaugurated under…

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The Arts and Learning — In the Spotlight

By Beth | March 26, 2012 |

One of my favorite quotes about the arts is one from an interview with Katherine Anne Porter in The Paris Review. It is about the influence and impact of the arts in general, but also, I believe, speaks to the importance of the arts in children’s lives as well as the lives of adults. “Human…

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Blake Edwards, Director — Wednesday Worthy

By Beth | March 21, 2012 |

There are 28 Blake Edwards DVDs on my shelf. 27 of those are productions he directed. For many of them, he wrote the screenplay. He acted in one, at the beginning of his career. Those DVDs represent only two-thirds of the movies Blake Edwards directed over the course of his amazingly diverse career. (Someday, I…

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William at Stages Theatre — for the First Time!

By Beth | March 15, 2012 |

I am honored to have another guest today. You had a teaser for this story yesterday, in Jennifer Kirkeby’s post about adapting Anna Dewdney’s Llama Llama Red Pajama as a stage musical. Today you get to read the story in its entirety. Nora Davis writes for the Hopkins, Minnesota Business & Civic Association newsletter. She…

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Jennifer Kirkeby — Wednesday Worthy

By Beth | March 14, 2012 |

It is an absolute joy to me to have a guest post today from Jennifer Kirkeby. Jennifer is a fellow member of the 12 x 12 picture book challenge, and the Children’s Book Hub Facebook Group, and I am so grateful that because of these groups I have come to know Jennifer, at least a…

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Llama Llama Sneak Preview!

By Beth | March 13, 2012 |

This post is intended to whet your appetite for Jennifer Kirkeby’s guest post tomorrow about adapting Anna Dewdney’s Llama Llama Red Pajama for the stage. I am grateful to Jennifer (and to the photographer, Bruce Challgren) for allowing me to use these photos on my blog. Sit back, get ready — the curtain is about…

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