Songs of Hope, Gracias a La Vida

At times silence and reflection are ways to consider deep change -- although I agree that things have been a bit too silent here at Music Road of late. I hope you have been enjoying perusing the ten years of archives, though -- I have been pointing some of those stories out to you over on Twitter. I am there as @kerrydexter if you care to follow.

Music is a good companion for such times. Not so much in the sense of protest songs -- though they have their place, anger only gets you so far, and it's not sustaining for good choices in the long run, either. Compassion, friendship, reflection, good questions, faith, community -- thos things help with hard times and sustaining hope and focus.

There will be much more music to come here along the music road. I invite you to stay tuned, and in the meantime take a listen to Tish Hinojosa and Joan Baez singing Gracias a la Vida -- Thanks to Life.

Baez has recorded the song on her album Gracias a La Vida

An album from Hinojosa to explore is Aqella Noche

You may also wish to see a few other things I have been writing on related subjects
at Wandering Educators the Music for Shifitng Times series
at Wandering Educators Music of Resilience
at Wandering Educators Songs of Friendship
here at Music Road Songs of Hope part one

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Road Trip Music: northern California

For a bit over a year now, we’ve been on a virtual road trip across the United States, adding music suggestions to the film and book ideas for exploring the varied landscapes of this vast country which you will find over at A Traveler's Library (see below for more on this).

This edition of the road trip finds us in northern California: bustling cities, romantic small towns, redwood forests and the Big Sur and across the Golden Gate and down to Berkeley. The soundtrack for this part of the trip comes from Joan Baez, a woman who has called northern California home for much of her more than five decades of making music.


Not long ago, the PBS series American Masters did a program on Baez. That has come out on dvd, with a CD fifteen songs drawn from across the musician’s career to go along. They are both called How Sweet The Sound and are well worth your time. If you do not know or don’t remember the earlier days of Baez’ public career, when she put her life on the line during the civil rights days, for example, you’ll get a good idea of the social justice interests that have always formed a part of her work, and her life. Through interviews with Baez and others you’ll get a candid picture of the private woman behind the music, as well as insights on making a living in the spotlight. The music recording includes several traditional Appalachian and English ballads, a trademark of Baez’ early career during the folk music revival, as well as songs from the civil rights era, and a duet with Bob Dylan. There are also several of her popular radio hits, including The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down and Diamonds and Rust, as well as the recent song Jerusalem.



I’d add another album from the Baez catalogue for this road trip, too, one called First Ten Years On it you’ll find the haunting traditional song Geordie, the well known English folk song Mary Hamilton, and Dylan’s Don’t Think Twice, It’s All Right. Baez is one of the best song interpreters around, mastering that art of serving the song’s story while putting her own ideas into it as well. The First Ten Years is a really excellent place to hear that gift.

Also to note: you’ve met Irish guitarist John Doyle here along the music road before, in his work with Cathie Ryan, Alison Brown, and others, and in his solo albums. He’s backing up Baez on the road these days, and you’ll see him at work in recent concert footage on the dvd, as well. John Doyle is also an artist of the decade.

you may also wish to see
Music Road: road trip music: American northwest
Music Road: exiles return: karan casey & john doyle

This is part of The Great American Road Trip, in which I originally partnered up with A Traveler’s Library to add musical ideas to the book and film suggestions for journeys through the regions of the United States which you’d find there. The Library is closed now, but I think you will still find the journeys through music interesting.
For more about the road trip (and a look at some great road songs) see Great American Road Trip: Music begins

-->Your support for Music Road is welcome and needed. If you are able to chip in, here is a way to do that, through PayPal. Note that you do not have to have a PayPal account to do this. Thank you.

Rhode Island road trip: Newport & Blackstone River

The Blackstone River Theatre is a small place, far up in the north of Rhode Island, which specializes in presenting Irish and Scottish music. The Newport Folk Festival is a major acoustic music festival in the coastal town of Newport. It’ll be celebrating its fifty first season this summer.

Though it is small in area, Rhode Island has a flourishing music scene in styles from folk to Irish to Americana to classical to rock, in larger places like Providence and Newport to smaller towns like Cumberland, where The Blackstone River Theatre is located.


The Blackstone River Theatre just celebrated its ninth year of presenting music related to the ethnic groups who settled the Blackstone River Valley, including music of the peoples of Ireland, Scotland, and Africa. They’ve received recognition from state and federal governments for their work, and many of the artists you’ve met along the music road have played there, including Long Time Courting, Hanneke Cassel, Natalie Haas, Cathie Ryan, and Archie Fisher.

From its first season in 1959 when a teenaged Joan Baez appeared up to present day appearances by top folk artists including Rani Arbo and Caroline Herring, the Newport Folk Festival has been a force in acoustic music. During the folk revival of the 1960s. Vanguard recorded artists in classic live settings at Newport. Here are three of my favorites of these vintage recordings



Joan Baez: Live at Newport

Judy Collins: Live at Newport, 1959-1966

Ian & Sylvia: Live at Newport



What festivals and venues have you explored in your hometown, or on your travels? I’d be interested to know your favorites.

you may also wish to see

Music Road: Road Trip Music visits Connecticut

Music Road: now playing: Hanneke Cassel (video)

Music Road: Lovers' Well: Matt & Shannon Heaton
note: The Heatons will be playing at Blackstone River later in March, sharing the evening with Kimberley Fraser and Troy MacGillivray

This is part of The Great American Road Trip, in which I originally partnered up with A Traveler’s Library to add musical ideas to the book and film suggestions for journeys through the regions of the United States which you’d find there. The Library is closed now, but I think you will still find the journeys through music interesting.

-->If you'd like to support my creative work at Music Road and elsewhere,
here is a way to do that, through PayPal. Note that you do not have to have a PayPal account to do this.Thank you.