Stories From Women Who Walk

How America the Dream Came to Be With Award-Winning Recording Artist and Composer Steve Schuch. Part 2.

Episode Summary

Join us for the conclusion of a most wonderful story about how musing on Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream!" speech and America the Beautiful traveled a musical way to becoming a new America the Dream.

Episode Notes

Coming to you from Whidbey Island, Washington this is Stories From Women Who Walk. I’m your host, Diane Wyzga.

Welcome back to a special bonus episode because The Boys Are Back in Town with my guest award-winning recording artist and author, composer, musician, the creator of America the Dream, and my brother-in-law Steve Schuch.  When last Steve and I spoke I asked:  You use the analogy of a baseball game when you were talking about America the Dream. What does that mean for people who haven’t yet been to the website?  

Let’s rejoin the conversation to hear more music and about this wonderful project, America the Dream.

Minutes 26:43

00 to 1:23  Intro

1:23 to 5:15  You use the analogy of a baseball game when you were talking about this work. What does that mean for people who haven’t been the website yet?

5:15 to 10:00  Nashville version

10:00 to 12:00   All the Many Natural Users

12:00 to 15:25  Legacy - Where Will This Work Take You

15:25 to 22:40  Orchestral Version - Before we take a listen to Shelbie Rassler  and the Orchestral Version what do you want to point out to us?

22:40 to 26: 43 Spread the Songs From Sea to Shining Sea!

Here we are, at the end of the road but not the journey. Thank you for listening to the conclusion of this episode of Stories From Women Who Walk with your host Diane Wyzga and my guest award-winning recording artist, musician, composer, and creator of America the Dream, Steve Schuch. Remember to visit Steve and Night Heron Music as well as check out the many free resources, sheet music, videos and more music on America the Dream. All links are in the Episode Notes. And check out over 230 episodes of Stories From Women Who Walk found on Simplecast or your favorite podcast platform. Come for the stories - stay for the magic! Speaking of magic, I hope you’ll subscribe, leave us a nice shout out on social media, and join us next time! You will have wonderful company as we walk our lives together.

 

Steve Schuch BIO and Testimonials

Steve Schuch started violin at the age of seven. He began playing professionally while still in high school. Later at Oberlin College he continued studying both music and biology. There he started listening to different kinds of music beyond just classical, picked up his first used $25 guitar, and began writing his first songs.

After college Steve spent two and a half years as a Peace Corps volunteer, planting trees with farmers in the mountains of the Dominican Republic. There he listened to the different melodies and rhythms and began writing more of his own music. Many evenings, a guitar would be passed around a room full of people. By lantern light, young and old alike shared music and stories over cups of ginger root tea and home grown coffee.

Since returning to the United States in 1984, Steve and his music have embraced both the classical and folk realms. Haunting violin and whale calls... music and tales of Ireland... a pizzicato interpretation of a Picasso painting... these are just part of Steve's wide-ranging repertoire. Many of his pieces have been featured on National Public Radio and PBS.

For four years Steve taught a graduate course on integrating music and storytelling into classroom curriculum. A former Audubon naturalist, Steve lives on a farm with his wife and various creatures. Personal interests include white water canoeing, Mexican food, and relating to large reptiles.

Honors include composer awards, Artist Fellowship Awards, and five fiddling championships. Steve's recordings with The Night Heron Consort are national bestsellers on the North Star label. His latest book, A Symphony of Whales, has received five national book awards. His latest CD, Trees of Life, has received a Parent's Choice Gold Award.

"Schuch conveys awe with an economy of language that approaches poetry." ~ The Boston Sunday Globe

"Riveting Indeed." ~ The Smithsonian

"There is great dignity in the simple words, which communicate the author's respect for what he can't explain." ~ -The New York Times

"Warmth and storytelling magic." ~  Los Angeles Times

About Steve's Composing and Playing

"Exceptionally fine... Schuch brings as much intelligence and skill to folk music as he does to classical." ~  The Boston Globe

"Downright exhilarating. Here's a player who doesn't recite music, he paints it." ~ The Lowell Sun

"I really likt your songs and storeys. What do you do for a liveing?" ~ Barry, 3rd grade

Links

America the Dream: https://www.americathedream.org 

To find out more from Steve, tap the Interview Clips: https://www.americathedream.org 

Steve Schuch and Night Heron Music: https://www.nightheron.com

 

Stories From Women Who Walk Production Team 

Podcaster: Diane F Wyzga: Quarter Moon Story Arts

Music: Entering Erdenheim from Crossing the Waters by Steve Schuch & Night Heron Music

Sound Editing: Dawin Carlisle & First Class Reels

All content and image © 2019 - Present: for credit and attribution Quarter Moon Story Arts