Published inPlethora Of Pop·PinnedMember-onlyThe Harsh Realities of the Pop Culture Generation GapSometimes I want to go where everybody knows their names — My improv troupe was playing a guessing game where one member was trying to guess the name of a celebrity, based on clues from the rest of us. In this case, the celebrity was Groucho Marx. Someone referenced the commercial for Vlasic Pickles, in which a cartoon stork sounded like…Pop Culture4 min readPop Culture4 min read
Published inFanfare·PinnedMember-onlyHow Similar Are Taylor Swift and The Beatles?Reflections on The Eras Tour movie — Shortly after the movie Taylor Swift: The Eras Tour began, I had a realization. …Music5 min readMusic5 min read
Published inAge of Empathy·PinnedMember-onlySay Yes to the CookiesHow to use improv when put on the spot — The guy at the baseball game got a big surprise. During a break in the game, he appeared on the giant scoreboard with a plate of cookies superimposed in front of him. Inspired by Cookie Monster from the children’s TV show Sesame Street, the “Cookie Cam” scanned the crowd, selecting…Nonfiction4 min readNonfiction4 min read
Published inThe Riff·PinnedMember-onlyA Tribute: Tony Bennett’s Late-Life MiracleHis inspirational birthday performance showed the power of music — If I were to make a list of miracles I’ve witnessed, Tony Bennett’s final performance would rank in the top five. I’d always been aware of Tony Bennett, who died last week at the age of 96. …Music3 min readMusic3 min read
Published inSongstories·PinnedMember-onlyMaking Fifth Graders Sing an Inappropriate SongA clueless teacher — It wasn’t our usual plump, middle-aged-woman music teacher sitting at the desk at the front of the classroom. It was a young-ish man. A sub. Cool. We were used to our bland fifth-grade music curriculum. No instruments to play. No dancing. …Songs3 min readSongs3 min read
Published inFanfare·2 days agoMember-onlySchitt’s Creek and Kim’s Convenience: The Grand Finale and the Hasty ExitThe very different endings to two beloved series — I just finished the final episode of Kim’s Convenience. Or did I? After watching Season 5, Episode 13, I went back to the main menu of the DVD to make sure there were no subsequent episodes that I might have missed seeing. Nope. That was the end. I enjoyed the…Television4 min readTelevision4 min read
Published inSix Word Photo Story Challenge·2 days agoMember-onlyConfidence in the BarnyardSix Word Photo Story Challenge: “Freestyle Six” — Freestyle1 min readFreestyle1 min read
Published inAge of Empathy·Nov 30Member-onlyMy Preschool Students Are Screaming — Even My Best Tricks Aren’t WorkingWhat I learned from one of my most challenging moments in teaching — The atmosphere in my normally peaceful music room is crumbling. There are only five children, but three of them are inconsolable. One is just outside the open classroom door, sitting on the floor kicking his feet and screaming. Another is just inside the door, wailing and trying to escape. The…Children3 min readChildren3 min read
Published inThe Memoirist·Nov 29Member-onlyThe Best Seat in the House at ThanksgivingThe kids’ table counterculture — We were a ragtag group of class clowns, sitting at a card table on mismatched chairs in the living room, removed from the “main event” in the dining room. We were somewhat ill-mannered, with our own set of rules. It was Thanksgiving, and we were the cousins at the kids’…Childhood3 min readChildhood3 min read
Published inSix Word Photo Story Challenge·Nov 22Member-onlyFree Happiness, Courtesy of My NieceNovember Six Word Photo Story Challenge: “Happiness” — Animals1 min readAnimals1 min read