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There is music born out of daily
living; the incidental rhythm and melody we use to help us ork in sync,
or help a baby sleep, or find our missing dog. The cry of the street
vendor is a classic example of this music of necessity. It is a
completely natural musical expression that is functional in character;
a man raises his voice to call attention to his wares.
The Street Cries project is an exploration of the music of the streets;
musical tools used in daily life for practical effect. The calls of
street vendors, while more prevalent in Chicago years ago, can still be
heard throughout the world. Vendors sing out loud about their avocados,
sweet watermelon, knife sharpening and shoe shining. The more
attractive the song, the more successful the sale.
In a child's hospital room, there is a similar stream of visitors each
day. Nurses come to check vitals, doctors come with information, food
service brings the lunchtray. We began to wonder: what if, instead of
coming to a child's room uninvited, all of these characters passed
through the hospital halls calling out their wares, and the children
could respond if they liked what was offered? What would the 'street
cry' of a doctor or nurse sound like? How would they sweeten up what
they had so kids would buy it?
Children at Rush University Medical Center listened to field recordings
of world street cries. We then came up with a structure: find a lyrical
way to describe what's on offer, stretch the words into a melodic line,
add percussive sounds for effect, and repeat.
The children of Snow City Arts drew upon the unique heritage of this
music to make compositions of their own that reflect the beauty, pain,
and humor of life in the hospital.
Jamie
Topper · Musician-in-Residence · Rush
University Children's Hospital |
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Scans, scans!
by Mira, age 11
Bloodcheck!
by Dori, age 12
PAIN!
by Brandon, age 13
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To purchase other Snow City Arts CDs, visit
our online store. |
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