This post originally appeared in August 2014.
Today’s feature comes to us from Albany Public Library’s Deanna DiCarlo (catch another feature by Deanna, about APL’s gallery and exhibition spaces). The library’s “Reading Music” challenge is a fantastic program that is a unique blend of literature and original music – and a lovely invitation for local literature-loving songwriters to get creative in the library.
by Deanna DiCarlo
When a librarian who is also an accomplished musician lives and works in Albany, NY, a small city with a big music scene, partnering with local musicians to create unique library music programs is a win-win. My friend and colleague, Sarah Clark, Head of Readers Services at the Albany Public Library, is the originator of several amazing music programs at APL, including our summer Garage Bands concert series and our autumn Silent Film Spectacular, when local musicians compose and perform an original score for a classic silent film each week in October. Last spring, when Albany singer-songwriter Matt Durfee heard about our Reading Music Book Discussion, he asked Sarah if we’d be willing to host a performance/discussion/songwriting challenge where local musicians would craft songs about literature they love. There is no response other than, “Heck, yeah!” to such a great idea, and that’s how one of our book discussions morphed into a literary music program.
You might not know this about us if you live anywhere other than Upstate New York, but Albany is pretty serious about both its music and its literature. When one thinks about our literary scene, William Kennedy’s Albany novels immediately come to mind: Ironweed, Billy Phelan’s Greatest Game, and Legs. When Sarah and Matt were looking for the ideal local artist to kick off our Reading Music songwriting challenge, they turned to their mutual friend, Mike Poulopoulos (professionally known as M.R. Poulopoulos). In addition to being a talented songsmith, Mike holds a Master’s Degree in Literature and is well-known amongst his friends as a great admirer of Kennedy’s work. He was definitely the right choice: Mike created a format for the program that skillfully blended discussion of Kennedy’s literary passages with corresponding original songs. He acted as a true library partner: he promoted the event on his own social media channels and diligently shared our posts and tweets, always reminding his fan base about the value of the public library. He even invited Sarah and Matt to join him on WCDB, the University at Albany’s college radio station, to promote Reading Music and play a teaser set. The night of the show, he enlisted Matt and two other gifted musicians, Roger Noyes and Laurence Scudder, to accompany him, so for the very first time in APL’s history, our stately Albany History Room was filled with seventy community members listening to guitars, a viola, and a pedal steel guitar. We even invited Mr. Kennedy to the inaugural event; not only did he generously attend, bring his entire family, and take questions from the audience, but he capped off the night by reading a moving passage from his Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Ironweed, that brilliantly describes his character Helen’s connection to music.
Did Mike meet this unique songwriting challenge, perfect for a public library with cadres of local musicians and literary figures and scholars in its midst? We think so, and William Kennedy did, too, stating that M.R.’s music was “wonderfully true” to his life and work. What needs to be considered when writing a song about a work of literature? Matt Durfee says one challenge is balancing being true to the novel without being too literal. “For example,” says Matt, “some songs are inspired by overarching themes, while others are based upon a character’s specific actions or traits.” Another challenge is attempting to take a novel’s complexities and “squeeze” them into a meaningful three-minute song that will pay homage, but also create something new and beautiful in its own right. If you’d like to see for yourself how M.R. Poulopoulous met our Reading Music challenge, check out our YouTube channel. And, if you happen to be in Albany, NY on Wednesday, 8/27, join us to hear Matt Durfee and Michael Eck perform original songs inspired by John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. We’re pretty sure it’s going to be another unforgettable night!
Deanna DiCarlo lives and works in Albany, NY where she is currently employed as Albany Public Library’s eLibrarian. She studied psychology, literature, and rhetoric before finding her way to Information Studies, and her current responsibilities include coordinating APL’s social media platforms, digital content selection and promotion, and chairing the Web Development Committee. Passionate about skill sharing and the role of public libraries in sustainable city living, when she’s not at the library, you will find her growing vegetables in her urban garden all summer or knitting up a storm all winter. Follow her on Twitter at @ALBdeanna.
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