Music Monday: It's Christmas Time Again

Shopping, Santa, Frosty, Black Friday, Rudolph, Celebrity Covers...

While talking with my students last Friday about the upcoming holidays, I was (un)surprised to realize how little they actually knew about how recently many "traditional" Christmas songs and symbols have been generated and absorbed into the public consciousness.

Like many, I suspect, most teenagers (and adults?) are under the impression that Frosty the Snowman ("born" in 1950) and Santa Claus (the popular image in the United States of whom was popularized in the mid-to-late 19th century due to the significant influence of Coca-Cola) were at the manger where Rudolph the Red Nosed-Reindeer (1939) had taken the Virgin Mary on Christmas Eve.

That's not to be disparaging of our modern Christmas traditions, but, rather, an acknowledgment of our current national mindset and a suggestion that maybe we, as individuals and as a nation, could shift our perspective slightly.

The song above, "Do They Know It's Christmas Time at All?" was released in 1984 as part of an initiative spearheaded by (primarily) European pop stars to address starvation on the African continent. (This was, of course, followed by Michael Jackson's "We Are the World" project). As the need clearly still exists--on foreign soil and within our own borders (as seen in recent posts on Roxiticus DH, how great would it be if this idea of sharing the wealth of our insanely spend-thrift nation became as meaningful a part of our national "traditions" as the sound-activated dancing Santa?

As a child raised in the often contradictory and confusing world of Roman-Catholicism, it feels like it would be closer to the heart of my faith than purchasing another video game system (although in the short-term it may buy me goodwill at home). Surely there are other more meaningful ways to enhance our holiday season through sharing what we have with those less fortunate?

Unconditional Love

"We can't all speak at once, but we can all sing at once..."

While listening to Folk Alley this afternoon, I came across a beautiful collaboration between Dan Zanes and the Children of Agape Choir. The a capella music was beautiful. It reminded me of the days spent in college listening to the cassette tape recording of Ladysmith Black Mambazo, a tape I have fortunately found since in CD form. Not surprisingly, the Children of Agape Choir is also from South Africa and the music is equally as beautiful.

After digging around Youtube for some more songs, I came across a movie trailer above for a documentary from HBO Films about the choir entitled We Are Together: The Children of Agape Choir. Filmed over the course of three years, the film focuses on Slindile Moya's family, including an older brother who lives at home and has the HIV virus, as well as other residents of the orphanage who are members of the choir and have lost parents as a result of the HIV/AIDS epidemic..

Ten years ago, amid the rapid increase in HIV infection, Zodwa Mqadi, called "Grandma" by the children, founded the Agape Child Care Center to house and educate orphaned children. ("Agape" is Greek for "unconditional love.") Despite a lack of funding, Grandma provides a home to children, where they overcome difficult situations with help from their friends and their love of music and rhythm. She decides to bring the music of the children's remarkable a capella choir to the world, aiming to inspire contributions to expand Agape and help more children. (From the HBO Film's site)

Powerful stuff...

5k for Kenya

"5K can mean 5 Kilometers. It can also mean 5,000. One of the goals of this race is to fundraise $5,000, which will build a classroom in Kenya."

Run: 7.7 miles in :57:54 min. @ 7:30 a.m. + 3.3 miles in :20:56 @ 9:00 a.m. for a combined total of 11 miles.
Scheduled Key Run Workout #2: 8 miles @ marathon pace
Weather: Mostly Cloudy, 57°F, 87% Humidity, Wind: SW @ 8 mph; feels like 57°F.
Course: The Fairport Village 5k route beginning at Perinton Park in Fairport, NY.
Pace: 7:34 min./mi. (7.7 miles to race), 6:21 min./mi.(3.3 mi./"extended" 5k)

Pre-Run Ruminations: On something of lark, I decided very late in the week to register for the 5k for Kenya. Recently I have been absent from the local "running scene," due mostly to both my training for the Buffalo Marathon and an avoidance of the 5k distance. This morning, though, I'm planning on working towards two objectives in a single morning.

After reading about the charity for which this race is being sponsored, whose goal is building school sin Kenya, it seemed like a good opportunity to support a worthy cause. Secondly, I have fallen a bit behind in my mileage this week, and realized that by running to the event (7.7 miles) and participating in the run, I could catch up in time for my final true LSD run tomorrow (hopefully).

As is always the case of late, the challenge is in fitting this into a schedule this morning that includes my daughter taking the SATs, my son's opening day of little league and then the Track & Field Invitational my daughter's school will be holding on this afternoon. Whew! Compared to the challenge of creating educational opportunities for those significantly less fortunate, I'm very lucky to have these "challenges" to face...

Post-Race Reflections: Given the multi-faceted look of my training today, it was best not to look at this 5k as a race. With only three weeks left to the race, and a twenty-miler on tap for tomorrow, I took a conservative approach to the 5k and used it as an interval training run... and to my surprise I ran very well! As I came down the finish I felt confident that I had been going at a good clip. When I saw the clock at the finish I was surprised by how slow it appeared to indicate I had actually been going given how I felt. After the race, I was talking with some other folks who shared with me that course had in fact been 3.3 miles rather than 3.1, which explained the difference in time and how I sensed I had been running.

I was also very happy with my adjusted 5k time of approximately 19:30, especially given I had run 7.7 miles to the race, rested for 20 minutes, and then competed in the 5k. All-in-all, it was a good run, for a great cause... so a "success."

Breathe in, breathe out… YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!

Oprah, Africa & Emmanuel's Gift

Confession time--I am something of an Oprah Winfrey fan, more to the point, I'm an admirer of Oprah the humanitarian. (Oprah the fawning celebrity interviewer is very hard for me to take for more than a few minutes--max.) But, I think Oprah's impact and the manner in which she positively uses her influence is hard to deny. Recently, she has been promoting the opening of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy in South Africa through a variety of media outlets and Oprah has long been involved with reinforcing the positive things that can be accomplished in the African continent, even before her current highly publicized effort.

While wandering through the New Releases section of my local DVD rental joint, in search of a film for viewing in my Language Arts classes, I came across a unique looking offering. As both a runner and movie buff, I'm always on the lookout for movies that appeal to both interests, and which are appropriate for my students--the very difficult to find G-Rated film. Produced and directed by Lisa Lax and Nancy Stern Emmanuel's Gift (2005) is a documentary that readily meets all these prerequisites.

"The ultimate measure of a man or woman is not where he or she stands at moments of comfort and convenience. It's where they stand at times of challenges and controversy. Emmanuel has tenacity and endurance and a strong heart. He has brought hope."--His Majesty, Osagyefuo Amoatio Panin, King of Ghana

Narrated by the aforementioned Ms. Winfrey, this film shares the struggle and eventual glory of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, a native of Ghana who overcomes his disability to change, not only his own life, but the lives of millions.

Emmanuel's tale is told in three parts, beginning with his childhood in Ghana and decision not to succumb to the destiny of other disabled Ghanians--begging on the streets. Next we follow Emmanuel to America during which time he makes the decision to have his lame leg amputated in order to pursue the use of a prosthetic leg. The third movement of the film deals with his return home to Ghana, where takes upon himself the role of as an agent for social and political change. Emmanuel works on behalf of his disabled country-folk in hopes of improving opportunities for the disabled, as well as, opening sport to those who are disabled.

Many anecdotes are shared about Emmanuel's life including one story from his childhood when, as the only disabled child in his elementary school, he saved money to buy a soccer ball (a rare prize for any Ghanian). Emmanuel would then loan the ball to his peers only if they would include him in the game.

I could share Emmanuel's entire story with you, but in the interestate of your support of the film, I highly recommend you rent or purchase it.

I would like to mention briefly the foundations which have played an important role in Emmanuel's mission: CAF (Challenged Athletes Foundation). If you are so inclined, you can also offer financial support to helping the physically challenged in Ghana at CAF's Emmanuel Fund.

Breathe in, breathe out... YOU AND I ARE ALIVE!