Marilla Waesche Pivonka
Unusual Musical Cat
Childrens imaginative wonder world music
Gandhi said, 'if we want to change the world, if we want peace in the world, we have to begin with the children'.
Music and arts heal, light up a child's world, and connect us all. The songs on this CD “Unusual Musical Cat” have been written over many years and all are inspired by children or reflect a view of the world sympathetic to a child. I hope the songs will be as much fun for parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, godparents, and neighbors as they are for children.
o “Unusual Musical Cat” comes from a time when my daughter and her friend spent a share of their time as cats – many parents will recognize this – and we had a cat who loved to watch the bow of my daughter’s cello as she practiced.
o “Madagascar Elephant Bird” is the true story of my response to the opening of an exhibit of this egg at the National Geographic Society in Washington, D.C. I hope that egg is still there for children to see.
o “Which White Witch” was written as an entertainment and Halloween dance song for children at the School for Contemporary Education, McLean, Virginia. They loved it, and I hope your kids will as well.
o “Rex” is the story of Tyrannosaurus rex, the tyrant king of the dinosaurs, written to help my 5 year old nephew Ben overcome a fright from having seen Jurassic Park. The unusual view of T. rex seems to appeal to children’s sometimes ironic, sometimes sentimental perceptions.
o “Lavender Whale” grew from a discussion with my students on a rainy day in Ubud, Bali, about the danger these great mammals and their cousin dolphins face.
o “Melati Flower” is a traditional Indonesian song we sang as we planted trees in Penestanan Village for the Yayasan Kayonan Bali (Tree of Life) conservation organization.
o “London Song” came to me as a first winter snow began to fall as I walked down a street near Hyde Park in London. (I was near a child myself then, or so it seems now, then having just graduated from the University of Washington.)
o “Rainbow Children” was written to enchant and distract my younger sister, Jillian, from the pain of a childhood illness.
I love that children and their families and teachers have been eager to learn and sing along with the songs, and I especially love seeing children’s drawings inspired by the creatures and stories of the songs; their eyes alight with wonder, curiosity, and joy.
Recording this CD was inspired in part by my experiences with children in Southeast Asia in 1989-1990, and more recently as a therapist addressing trauma as part of a team of international educators in Sri Lanka after the 2004 Tsunami.
I’ve always loved children, am a mom and a grandma, and am committed at this stage of my life to finding ways to aid children and families in the most urgent of circumstances around the world. A percentage of profits from this recording will be dedicated to assisting efforts such as those of Sarvodaya (http://www.sarvodaya.org), an international NGO based in Sri Lanka.
Anyone who purchases this CD “Unusual Musical Cat” instantly becomes a welcome participant in this small effort for world change. I would also like to thank many friends who have been hugely supportive in this endeavor.
Anyone interested in more biographical information may find it at www.marilla.us. A link to a web page where copies of the CD can be purchased also appears there.
World: Asian- Southeast