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Who was Saint Nicholas?
Saint Nicholas was born and lived in what today is called Türkiye. He became a Christian bishop who was known for his generosity to the poor. There are many legends about his generosity and miracles he performed. Keep in mind that as a bishop, St. Nicholas would have been respected as a religious leader. He was more than a giver of physical gifts. Intellect, an ability to teach, and management skills would have been needed to be a successful bishop in the early Christian church. Early art portraying St. Nicholas shows him with a bony face with a large forehead and pointy chin. His expression varies between stern, sad, and vacant. Of course, this is normal for this period in European art, but it also is a far cry from the fat, grinning image of Santa Claus. How did St. Nicholas become Santa Claus? Throughout the centuries the custom of leaving gifts in shoes or stockings, inspired by legends of St. Nicholas, spread to different countries. The custom changed to fit each culture. The history of Christmas in North America/the American colonies is long and is influenced by many cultures. Eventually, we make it to the 1800s. Washington Irving published an imaginative work that had a St. Nicholas character who drove a flying wagon, smoked a pipe, and put his finger next to his nose. During the 1800 and early 1900s, St. Nicholas morphed more and more into the fat, jolly Santa Clause we know today. An internet search for “santa claus history” gives many perspectives on this evolution. By the 1950s, Santa Claus was a fixture in US Christmas celebrations.
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Why are stories important for learning facts?
Often, stories teach us more than essays do. That is, the ideas we find in fiction can stay with us and influence our thoughts as much as, or more than, the ideas we read in non-fiction. Why are children’s books good for learning about social topics? When it comes to books that have been traditionally published, often books that are written for youth have different goals than those written for adults. Middle grade (ages 8-12) and YA books will be more likely to have themes that most humans can relate to. Pleasure reading for adults tends to be written more to represent an idealized world. In other words, kids’ novels tend to focus on what actually happens and fiction for adults tend to focus on escapism. Why should we read fiction written by authors from the culture the book represents? People who grow up in a culture understand the nuances better than someone who studies the culture or experiences it as an outsider. Things that to an outsider might be a mere curiosity could hold significant meaning for those inside the culture. Things that a student or observer might overlook could tell an entire story to someone from that culture. When authors write characters from a culture that the author is not part of, the author risks misrepresenting a group of people. Authors who write about their own culture can more accurately represent themselves and those like them to others. They know what is a regional belief or practice and what is true across groups within their culture. They understand better than outsiders how to write characters that are true to how things actually are, not a generalization based on ideals or partial understandings. Who are some Native American children’s book authors? Here are 10 Native American authors to get you started. A book title is in parentheses after the author’s name.
Bonus: We Need Diverse Books is a great starting place for discovering books and authors from many backgrounds. How did European colonization affect Native Americans?
Native Americans owned land, but the colonizers wanted it. Even though the Europeans were coming to someone else’s land, ultimately, it was the British government that made the rules for how sales were to be transacted in the areas that became the British colonies. This did not turn out so well for the native peoples. The Salem Historical Society has a page of links to many resources about and by Native Americans. Learning about a people group from that group themselves has a value that a generalized lesson plan cannot give. If you are teaching or studying native peoples for November, make an effort to find sources directly from the people you are learning about. Is Native American culture the same today as it was in the 1600s? Native Americans in the 1600 and 1700s had cultures as complex and diverse as any in Europe. That diversity continues today. Being aware of this diversity in cultural practices, it is important to study the history and culture of each tribe with as much respect for their differences between tribes as one gives when studying the history and culture of, for example, Norway compared to Italy. It is also important to remember that the way a culture was in the 1800s is not the same as it is today. A full education should include historical and contemporary studies. Who lived in Massachusetts when the Europeans came?
In the 1600 and 1700s, the Massachusett, Wampanoag, and Nipmuc peoples lived in the area that European colonizers called Massachusetts. Other indigenous peoples also lived or traveled in the area. Do Native Americans still live in Massachusetts? Today, there are two federally recognized tribes in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. These are the Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) and the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribes. Keep in mind that in the US, there are many tribes that are not federally recognized. Where can you learn about Native Americans in the 21st century? It is best to learn about a people group from those people themselves. Here are some links to help you get started learning about indigenous peoples in Massachusetts. Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head (Aquinnah) 1. The U.S. Federal Government recognizes 574 Native American tribes and Alaska entities.
Notice that this is a number of people groups the U.S. government recognizes. That is different than the number of people groups that exist or have existed. 2. Many non-Native Americans don’t know much about Native American culture, in the past or the present. In my experience, K-12 education spends more time on European history than it does on the history and culture of the Native peoples living in our own country. And the little that is taught about Native Americans stops in the 1800s and rarely teaches about the people who lived in the area where the school is located. 3. Some Native American tribes had their own newspapers starting in the early 1800s. Unfortunately, many of these older newspapers stopped being published in the early-mid 20th century. For tribes recognized by the U.S. government, it is possible to find websites with current information for and about that tribe. For other tribes, it can take some digging to find current publications. Native America Today is one generalized contemporary publication. 4. Native Americans serve in the U.S. military at a higher per capita rate than any other ethnic group, according to the Library of Congress. You can hear these men and women tell their stories on the LOC Legacies of Service: Celebrating Native Americans webpage. 5. Native Americans have the same types of jobs and professions as non-Native Americans. You can watch a video of an Algonquin, Siletz, and Tla-o-qui-aht in a panel discussion on the impacts of climate change and how to mitigate those effects. 6. Nearly 7 million Americans identify as Native American. Considering that census data is only as good as the individuals who self-report, and that poorer people and minorities are less likely to trust giving their information to the U.S. government, it is probable that this number is much higher. Franz Schubert wrote the music for the song “Du bist die Ruh.” Schubert wrote many songs and other compositions before he died at age 31. His lieder* (classical music songs, also called art songs, in German) are popular among classical music singers and listeners.
Schubert was a musical prodigy who sang and played multiple instruments. Although he studied music for several years as a child, he eventually became an academic teacher at his father’s school. While teaching, he continued to compose. After four years, Schubert quit teaching to pursue a career in music. He had some successes, but many setbacks. Despite his many compositions, he did not make much money. Eventually, in 1821, Schubert began selling his songs as a subscription service. Remember, this was the era when many middle-class households had pianos and well-educated young women were expected to play the piano. It was during this period that Schubert set Friedrich Rückert’s poem to music and titled the piece “Du bist die Ruh.” This subscription service did not meet Schubert’s financial needs. He tried to land music jobs, but couldn’t get hired. He did some academic teaching to try to get by. During this time, he contracted a chronic illness. Through it all, he continued to compose. In the last year of his life, Schubert experienced some musical success. Unfortunately, the illness progressed and he died in 1828. Now, almost two centuries after his death, Franz Schubert's Lieder, including “Du bist die Ruh '' are often sung by students and professional musicians. *Also written as “Lieder” Sources “Du bist die Ruh” on Oxford Song; Accessed 2023, September 8. “Female education, reading and Jane Austen” by Kathryn Sutherland on British Library; Accessed 2023, September 8. “Franz Schubert” on Biography; Accessed 2023, September 8. “Franz Schubert” on Wikipedia; Accessed 2023, September 8. “Gender-based social conventions influenced development of musical instruments” by Kilden on Psys.org; Accessed 2023, September 8. Friedrich Rückert (Ruckert) wrote many poems in many styles. Some of these poems were set to music by other people, including Franz Schubert.
Rückert wrote a poem that was either untitled or called “Kehr’ ein bei mir!” The free internet is unclear on this point. What is clear is that Franz Schubert used the text of the poem and titled his song “Du bist die Ruh,” the first line of the poem. Rückert was more than a prolific poet. He was university educated and taught himself Middle-Eastern and Asian languages. It is said that he knew 30 languages and worked as a translator. He was a professor of “Oriental” languages before resigning to devote himself to writing. Many of Rückert’s poems were inspired by current events. In the early 1800s, Germany was defending itself against Napoleon’s attempts to add the country to his empire. Rückert wrote poetry that expressed how the German people felt about these events. At other times in his life, Rückert wrote romantic poetry about his wife and laments when his children died. Among the hundreds of poems Rückert wrote, the one that became the song “Du bist die Ruh” is part of the Oestliche Rosen volume. “Du bist die Ruh” is among the many Rückert poems turned into songs that student and advanced singers might learn. Oh, and there appears to be a 20th-century field hockey player of the same name. I wonder who else had this name but didn’t make it into published history? Sources “Du bist die Ruh” by Richard on Figures of Speech; Access 2023, September 8. “Friedrich Rückert” on Britannica; Accessed 2023, September 8. “Friedrich Rückert” by Richard on Figures of Speech; Accessed 2023, September 8. “Friedrich Rückert” on Mahler Foundation; Accessed 2023, September 8. “Friedrich Rückert” on Wikipedia; Accessed 2023, September 8. Matthew Maguire is one of the two men who may be responsible for initiating the first Labor Day in the United States. Matthew Maguire was a machinist known for his socialist views. He led strikes to protest the inhumanely long working hours that were commonly imposed on skilled laborers. He was one of the organizers of the Central Labor Union of New York and was its secretary at the time of the first Labor Day celebration. Many free internet sites say that Matthew Maguire sent the invitations to the first Labor Day parade. His family’s lore is that he rode in the leading carriage of the parade. Beyond that and a few more bits and bobs about Maguire’s activist and political work and suggestions of evidence that he was the initiator of the first Labor Day, the free internet is silent on the details of Matthew Maguire’s biography. Even the New Jersey Historical Society doesn’t tell about his early life or give more personal information than the other sites. I wonder if the reason there is so little about Matthew Maguire’s full life is because of his more controversial political positions? Sure, being from a working-class background, there may be little recorded history about him, but even Peter McGuire, who appears to be from a similar background, has a slightly more extensive biography freely available. I wonder what the difference is with Matthew Maguire?
Peter McGuire is one of the two men who may be responsible for initiating the first Labor Day in the United States.
Peter McGuire was of Irish heritage. He was a union leader and a founder of the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners. He was also part of what would become the American Federation of Labor. These groups, reportedly led by Peter J. McGuire, were influential in strikes and other work that eventually led to the establishment of an 8-hour work day. It is thought that without his work, a national workers-rights organization would not have existed and survived in the U.S. Before all this, at age 11, McGuire left school to work to help support his family. At some point in his teenage years, he attended night classes at Cooper Union. Cooper Union was known to be where workers’ rights and “radical” ideas were discussed. In 1867, McGuire was apprenticed at a piano shop. He became part of the group that fought against wages being cut at the shop. His efforts for better working conditions eventually caused him to have to leave that job. He kept working for better pay and conditions for laborers. Throughout his life, McGuire was part of labor unions, strikes, and other work to improve working conditions. He is remembered for initiating many of the protests and other events. Some say that 15 years after beginning work at the piano shop, Peter McGuire suggested a Labor Day parade and celebration to showcase the strength and camaraderie of laborers. Conflict was part of McGuire’s life and is now part of his legacy: he may be the originator of Labor Day, but that is not a universally-accepted fact. You composed much and taught many.
Yet, in books, you were forgotten. You persevered and played for pennies. Now, in concerts, your work is brought in. When researching for this week’s theme, I discovered that there is little unique about Florence Price on the free internet. On the one hand, it made it easy to confirm that multiple sources say the same thing. On the other hand, it made it hard to discover anything new.
Do your own research. Maybe things will catch your attention that were less interesting to me. These sites focus on Florence Price. Florence Price.com: This website, devoted to composer Price, appears to be from pianist Karen Walwyn. IMSLP List of Works by Florence Price: This list of works is divided by type of composition. International Florence Price Festival: This website gives a short biography of Price, as well as a list of works, and information about the festival. These sites have a page dedicated to Florence Price. Afrocentric Voices in “Classical” Music, “Florence Price Biography”: This longer post about Price ends with links to to learn more about the composer and includes a bibliography. BBC, “Florence Price”: This article tells how musicologist Samantha Ege is reconstructing lost piano compositions from Price. ClassicFM, “The Inspirational Life of Florence Composer Price”: This post looks at why Price’s story matters in the mid-21st century. It also has links to suggested listening for select works by Price. There are other websites that talk about Florence Price, but this short list should get you started. You can also check the links in my post about Price’s piano teaching compositions. Florence Price taught piano for most of her adult life. Because she was a composer, it’s no surprise that she wrote music for beginning piano players. Reportedly, there are two volumes of beginner piano music. The pieces range in difficulty from beginner to more advanced beginner. Some pieces are only a few measures long. Many give limited musical directions, allowing the teacher to customize them for each student’s needs. Most are complete musical compositions that don’t sound like a learning exercise. If this is true, why are so many beginner piano books filled with boring, barely-musical exercises? I’m not a pianist, but the description of these volumes makes me want to own them. According to musicologist Samantha Ege, there are many works by Price that are yet to be published. I wonder what teaching pieces are hidden in these archives? Based on the description of the music in the Beginning Pieces volumes, maybe one day a piano studio will give a recital where each student plays a Florence Price composition. I think I’d like to hear that. Sources “Florence Price Biography” by Randye Jones on Afrocentric Voices in “Classical” Music. Accessed 2023, August 31. “Florence Price: Composer, Teacher…” by Elizabeth Busch on The Catoctin School of Music. Accessed 2023, August 31. “Florence Price: Forgotten Work…” by Mark Savage on BBC.com (2021, March 8). Accessed 2023, August 31. “Florence Price’s Piano Teaching Music” by Dr. Lillie Gardner on Music by Women (Winter 2022). Accessed 2023, August 31. “Florence Price, Teacher,” by Michael Cooper on Linkedin (2020, August 17). Accessed 2023, August 31.
Florence Price, a composer from the U.S., wrote over 300 musical works. This is impressive on its own, but when you consider that symphonies, concertos, and the like require writing many parts and ensuring they all work together, it’s like she wrote thousands of pieces. Even a simple solo with piano accompaniment means writing three parts that fit together and suit each instrument.
In her compositions, Price used western classical and popular styles combined with themes from African traditions like syncopation, spirituals, jazz, and blues. Here are four examples. At the Cotton Gin The title of this piano composition shows how southern U.S. culture influenced Price’s compositions. My Soul’s Been Anchored in the Lord This is a full orchestral setting with a solo singer in the convention of western classical music and was inspired by a spiritual. Songs to a/the* Dark Virgin This art song for voice and piano is part of four poems by Langston Hughes that Price set to music. *I've seen the title with “a” and “the.” The Wind and the Sea This song for full choir, piano, and string quartet sets to music the text of Paul L. Dunbar’s poem. If you get a chance to hear a work by Florence Price, take the opportunity! You might discover a new favorite. Florence Price was a classical composer in the early to mid 1900s.
1. Her birth name was Florence Beatrice Smith. Women get their names changed in many cultures. This makes it harder to trace their genealogy if sufficiently-detailed documents aren’t kept. This observation has little to do with Florence Price, but can be an inescapable fact of researching the history of a specific woman. 2. She played her first piano recital at age 4 and published her first composition at age 11. Some people find child proteges inspiring. I don’t begrudge them their talent or commitment, but their stories seem far removed from the average experience. I also wonder what these children give up in exchange for their young accomplishments. 3. She composed and played piano and organ. That’s a busy woman! Composing requires practice as much as playing the piano and organ do. Composing might even be harder because it is creating something new where playing is usually interpreting what someone else has created. 4. In 1933, history was made when the Chicago Symphony Orchestra played Price’s Symphony No. 1 in E minor. This is a significant recognition for any composer. For Price, her race and gender combined with the time period makes this an even greater honor. Unfortunately, this event did little for her enduring success or to create acceptance for other American composers of African heritage. 5. Price taught piano for 41 years. She also worked at the Cotton Plant Academy and was the head of the music department at Atlanta University. 6. Florence Price hasn’t been included in music education about classical composers. I was taught classical music from the ages of 7 - 21, including earning a B. A. in Music. As an adult, I continue formal and informal classical music education. Before writing this post, if you had asked me to pick out the composers from a list of female names, Florence Price isn’t a name I would have recognized. I hope that with the changes in the U.S. over the past decades, Florence Price and other hidden talents will be included as a matter of course in any classical music education. |
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Jill Hames is a writer, musician, biblical studies teacher, and ESL tutor who finds life too interesting to pick a niche. She has a B.A. in Music and Spanish, a Masters in Library and Information Science, is TEFL.org 168-hour certified to teach English as a second language, and is working towards a Master of Divinity. Jill is a member of Delta Omicron and the International Women's Writing Guild.
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Copyright 2025
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Copyright 2025