Smithsonian Museum of American History

We made a Sunday trip into the District of Columbia (free parking!) and visited the National Museum of American History (again, see here). There are lots of exhibits, more than a half-day visit can take in. We viewed some new stuff.

Outside

We were naturally drawn to the Food exhibit, subtitled "Transforming the American Table."

Who can resist?

By the entrance is a recreation of Julia Child's kitchen. She was a celebrity chef in the mid-1900s, with many books and a TV show boosting her fame. She brought French cooking to America.

Julia Child's kitchen

She even won an Emmy award!

One display has a Krispy Kreme donut machine, which seems like a valuable item to put on display without maximum security.

Donut maker on right

Fast food is also represented, including this display of various to-go cup tops and a Jack-in-the-Box drive-thru display. The description said that the first drive-thrus had warnings that a "disembodied voice" would talk to them. I remember the two-sided burger containers that kept "the hot side hot and the cold side cold." 

Fast food history

The back of the exhibit has information on beer and wine, including little bits about Prohibition.

Beer as history...sign me up!

Home brew stuff

Wine industry

Tools of the vineyard

Post-Prohibition 

A sign explained that this Berkeley Food Pyramid was a joke made when food pyramids were very popular.  

Definitely a California thing

The display of Mexican food included the first frozen margarita machine!

I'd rather have Mexican than Berkeley

Another item that I wouldn't mind taking home

We found a more interactive exhibit in SparkLab. It's aimed at younger visitors and activities include making a pinball machine, choosing a uniform, and building a city block.

My first pinball

Picking out clothes

Making a city block

Unstable sky scraper

Across the way is the Gallery of Numismatics, an exhibit on money.

The sort of place they should keep the donut and margarita machines

Coins have a long history, going back to at least the seventh century BC. Some coins are more creative than others. Ancient Roman coins were made in a building next to the Temple of Juno Moneta (a combination of the more famous goddess Juno with a local goddess named Moneta). The temple probably stored coins and raw materials for making coins, and "moneta" became a root for "monetary" and "money" in English. 

Coins of various realms

Chinese coins included knives!

When American coins were redesigned in 1905, Augustus Saint-Gaudens was one of the artists who created images to be used.

Saint-Gaudens at work

Women in American money

Some coins are definitely not pocket change, like this piece of currency from the Island of Yap in the Pacific Ocean.

A coin from the island of Yap

We went for a snack in the museum's cafe (serving Starbucks) that has a fun Jazz theme.

Warm beverages

A lot of the poster were painted by LeRoy Neiman, an American artist. He painted a large compilation of Jazz artists at the entrance of the cafe.

Neiman's Big Band

The top floor has a pop culture area that had lots of things I was excited about.

The droids and me

Cap's shield

Indiana Jones gear

Sign from M*A*S*H

Julie Newmar's Catwoman ears, necklace, and gloves

Julie Newmar as Catwoman!

The museum has a lot of other displays, so I am sure we will go back some day.

Spring 2022 Middle School Concerts

My eldest was selected to play with the Middle School Gifted and Talented Wind Ensemble for Howard County. Originally, they were scheduled to practice over several nights and weekends but Covid concerns consolidated the plan.

Ready for action!

The practice was condensed into one Friday night and six hours on Saturday before performing on Saturday night at 7 p.m.! The group did a great job. 

The first piece was "Cajun Folk Songs" arranged by Frank Ticheli.

The second piece was "And The Grass Sings in the Meadows" by Travis Cross.

The third piece was "Selections from Dear Evan Hansen" by Benj Pasek and Justin Paul, arranged by Michael Brown.

The final selection was "Danse Bohemian" by Randall Standridge. This was the ensemble's favorite of the night.

His Jazz Band (an after school group led by the teacher) performed "Fat Burger" at another concert. And he had another outfit.

At home

At the concert

His middle school Wind Ensemble had a performance as well, including this first piece performed by him and four friends. It's an arrangement of Irving Berlin's "Blue Skies."

The rest of the Wind Ensemble took the stage and performed their first piece, "Chasing Sunlight" by Cait Nishimura.

They played "Music from Pirates of the Caribbean" next.

"Tripwire" is a composition that made the players think of a spy film.

The final piece was "Queen Onstage," a compilation of Another One Bites The Dust, We Will Rock You, and We Are the Champions.

The concert was a lot of fun for all involved.

Book Review: Ellington at the White House 1969 by Edward Allan Faine

Ellington at the White House 1969 by Edward Allan Faine

For his 70th birthday, Edward Kennedy "Duke" Ellington was invited to a little soiree at the White House. Actually, the party was anything but small, with eighty-two dinner guests and an additional one hundred and thirty-three "entertainment only" guests who came for the concert and dancing. A band comprised of jazz greats from across the country was put together along with members of various Armed Forces bands, making a delightful blend of talent. Ellington was also awarded the highest civilian honor grantable by the President of the United States, the Medal of Freedom. Ellington was the first jazz musician and the first African-American to receive the honor. Ellington did make a massive contribution to the growth of American music in his career. He performed all over the country and even went internationally as a good will ambassador at the government's request. The White House setting was especially remarkable since Ellington's father once worked at there as a butler.  America is truly the land of opportunity. The Medal of Freedom was well deserved, indeed, probably long overdue. The presenter of that medal was, of course, Richard M. Nixon.

This book describes the lead-up to that night, but mostly from the White House perspective. Nixon wanted to shine brighter than Johnson and Kennedy in the Presidential entertainment department. Ellington publicicst Joe Morgen worked with White House staffer Charles McWhorter to organize the event. Political posturing played some role in the event, but it quickly turned into a joyous celebration of the premiere American composer at the time. The book talks very little about Ellington's life but provides a dozen books in the bibliography for those interested. The focus here is on the April 29, 1969 party.

The celebration is related in gushing detail. The meal and ceremony are given their due, but the lion's share of text goes to describing the band and the musical numbers that were presented that night. Each song is given a little history and a description of that night's performance. Sometimes the musicians gave a classical rendition, as Mary Mayo's singing of "Mood Indigo;" sometimes they gave  the music their own interpretation, as pianist Earl Hines's fiery playing of "Perdido." The details are given in just the right amounts, not too in depth and not just a list of performers and pieces. After the formal concert, the East Room was cleared and a jam session let attendees either play or dance the night away. Many did both.

Nixon achieved a great coup that night. The recognition of jazz as an art form was long overdue. The jubilant blend of a white and black crowd during 1960s America is amazing and odd, showing the promise of what America could be but all too often isn't. The United States Information Agency produced a short film about the evening that became a major hit for the public diplomacy agency. Ellington went on several more public relations tours in the early 1970s (he died in 1974). Funding for the National Endowment for the Arts went from $9 million in 1969 up to $80 million by 1974, a massive increase in a short time. Everyone came out a winner from that night.

The book includes lots of pictures from that night, giving readers an even better sense of the buoyant spirit of the evening. Twelve appendices detail various White House jazz and social functions, the many guest lists, and a history of early Jazz at the White House. A selected bibliography and a recommended list of Ellington's recordings finishes up the book nicely.

Recommended.

Music Appreciation at School

Last term all the parents were invited to L's pre-K English school for a "music appreciation" event at 11 a.m. I was a little concerned since in my imagination, "music appreciation" conjured up the image of 15-20 three-year-olds banging away on all the musical instruments as if they were all drums. But I want to support the school and L, so I dutifully went.

I arrived a wee bit late, no more than five minutes, and everyone was assembled in the general purpose room. The children were all sitting quietly on the floor and a row of chairs in the back let the parents sit down. Maybe three or four other parents were there. In the front of the room were five 20-something British lads with their musical instruments. The dreaded drum kit was in the back, but they also had a bass guitar, a double bass, a clarinet, and a trumpet. They started playing music, a tune I immediately recognized as Duke Ellington's "Take the A Train."

When they finished that tune, they introduced themselves and asked the children to identify each instrument in turn. When they came to the double bass, L put her hand up and said, "Violin!" That wasn't right but it was close enough. They had the children stand up and dance around for their next tune.

After the children were seated again, the clarinetist told them that they were playing Jazz music which comes from America. "Which of you children has heard of America?" he asked. No one raised their hand. I was a little embarrassed, since L was born in America. Of course, that was a lifetime ago for her and she has spent almost half her life here in England. Definitely the more memorable half. So perhaps she can be excused.

For the next song, they asked the children for some jungle animals. Lions and monkeys were named, then one child shouted out, "Fish!" The band leader said, "Yes...if there's a river in the jungle, I suppose there'd be fish." They had a jungle song which featured a refrain telling the audience to "dance like a _____," which the children joyfully did.

They also played "When the Saints Go Marching In" with a couple of extra verses I hadn't heard before. The band did justice to the New Orleans jazz style, which was impressive for a bunch of Brits.

It was a very delightful time. I was glad I went and look forward to the school's next offering.

There's a video on Facebook!