Merry... what? Here's a gift

Happy whatever. I’m not much of a Christmas fan, but I do love the new year spirit, so Happy New Year!
In lieu of cards, I’m sending music. Here are some tracks that have been important to me on my journey…

1. Hang Tan, Toubab Krewe-
Before traveling to Tampa/St Petersburg for the HoopGirl Level 1 teacher training, I purchased tickets to see the Bird Street Players and Toubab Krewe. So after a day of hoop fun with my fellow Florida hoopers, I traipsed downtown for dinner and a show… and, after the first song, there was a HUGE power failure in the venue, and about an hour with no music whatsoever. Eventually, Toubab Krewe did play, but by then I could only stay for a few songs…this was one of them.

2. On Children, Sweet Honey in the Rock
I love Sweet Honey in the Rock, and on the first day of the AERO Conference, watching a photo slideshow to open the event, I heard THIS SONG: the lyrics come from The Prophet by Khalil Gibran. I downloaded it and to carry with me, but I didn’t even need to: the quote from which the song was written FOLLOWED ME ANYWAY! I read it in the opening pages of Summerhill as I flew from the Hip Hop and Spoken Word Teachers Institute in Madison, WI to West Palm Beach….and Marc Bamuthi Joseph read it aloud in the writing workshop he led to prepare poets for the ‘protestival’: Hear From the Children Left Behind at Brave New Voices in Washington, DC.

3. Daydreaming, Lupe Fiasco featuring Jill Scott
This track was on HEAVY rotation during Brave New Voices in Washington, DC, and later at the Individual World Poetry Slam in Charlotte. I also used this track in the lesson plan I developed on Corporations for The Hip Hop and Spoken Word Teacher’s Institute.

4. Passin’ Me By, Pharcyde
I got to see Pharcyde perform at Rock the Bells just outside Boston MA. Also, a favorite track at poetry events… and featured on the playlist at that Halloween party Isaac brought me to in Albany.

5. Rising Down, the Roots featuring Mos Def and Styles P
This track followed me from a writing exercise in Madison to a cafe in Vancouver. It directly inserted itself into a long and intense conversation I had with the svelte Ms Spelt (Angus Agair), longtime friend, and former Vancouver slam organizer.

6. Banana Pancakes, Jack Johnson
I sang this in a big singing circle led by the Korean students and teachers on the very late last night of the International Democratic Education Conference in Vancouver.

7. $20 for Boban, Balkan Beat Box
This is the song I bumped while waiting for Christy to pick me up from the BART station in Berkley, the day I went to Burning Man. Later, I got to see them live in LA with Sal, Grey, and of course Jamon! Really fun show, but no pictures.

8. Karma, Black Eyed Peas
So its 3am in Black Rock City and Stacey, Talya (her friend), Talya’s guy (who’s name I forgot) and I are wandering around near 7:30 and I hear THIS SONG coming from a towering black lit bar near 7:30 and D and INSIST WE GO THERE. There, I met and spent a long time with the master builder of the bar, an adorable blond Taurus named Goatt.

9. Tenement Yard, Jacob Miller
For some reason I had this song stuck in my head while helping my mom move from Tucson, AZ to Gainesville, FL.

10. She’s Royal, Tarrus Riley
I spent A LONG TIME with this track: in Tucson, packing up my mom’s house; in Gainesville enjoying Jamaican food with Veronica, and waltzing through Palm Beach County with Clare during my jury duty trip.

11. Sea Lion Woman, Feist
Thank you Megan for adding this to the playlist for the Yoga With Beats class you taught that chill November evening in NYC!

12. Ethiopia Tikdem, Cedric Brooks & the Light of Saba
Walking home from yoga on VERY COLD NOVEMBER NIGHTS in Albany, NY, this track always made me smile and dance.

13. Kitten Pig, Pentaphobe
A great moment from the Bellydance Superstars show in Albany, NY. American tribal fusion style bellydance rocks.

14. Hey World (Remote Control Version), Michael Franti & Spearhead
I picked up this album in Tucson, and picked up the tour in Albany. Little did I know that Solillaquists of Sound were on the tour ALSO! WHAT A GREAT SHOW! After I danced my way out of the venue and down the street, about a half a mile down the street, I realized I was lost and had to back track downtown to find my way back to Tom and Nancy’s house.

15. One Love, Sara Tavares
From my trip to San Francisco, and the HoopGirl Level 2 teacher training.

16.“I Want To Do This All Day”, an audio documentary on educational alternatives that I HIGHLY RECOMMEND. Buy it from the AERO bookstore online! www.educationrevolution.org