Does music connect people like nothing else can? Pam Ryan’s book, Echo, shows the bonds tied together by a single instrument. In Echo, a harmonica journeys around the world, through countries and decades into the lives of three children. The harmonica aids each child in their battles, providing strength through the joys of music. For the first child, Friedrich, music makes him brave throughout his life’s misfortunes. Friedrich’s scarred face and flourishing hands earns him the nickname Monster Boy. However, he demonstrates true courage in character by ignoring the people trying to crush his spirit. He dreams of auditioning at the conservatory and becoming a famous conductor. On page 58, “Friedrich lifted an imaginary baton with his good arm and conducted… he too might have floated away on the wind, like a dandelion’s white-seeded parachutes.” Friedrich takes solace in music, finding it a comfort from the harsh treatment he receives at the hands of boys and officials alike. The second child, Michael, would do anything to protect his brother, and music helps him reach this goal. Each night, his worries for Frankie would envelop him “like an extra layer of skin.” At the orphanage, it is their talents in music that opens the door for their “adoption” by rich Mrs. Sturbridge. Mike’s hopes plummet after he learns that she adopts him and his brother for her own benefit and doesn’t plan on letting them stay. To secure a safe home for his younger brother, Mike bravely strike a deal with Mrs. Sturbridge. As he talks to her, “his breath shortened, but he patted his shirt pocket and felt a pulse of reassurance from the harmonica.” (p319). The harmonica helps him channel his love for Frankie from his heart to Mrs. Sturbridge’s, moving her deeply. Later, the love for music bonded Mike with Mrs. Sturbridge, and eventually ties them together as a family. This proves music helps Mike find and fight for the opportunities offered in life. The third child, Ivy, stands up to racism in several forms, and her love of music plays a crucial part. In Orange County of 1942, racism is worse than the other parts of the country. Latino children are forced to attend a separate school from the white children. Japanese children are “‘.. misplaced… their humiliation had to be ten times — a hundred times — worse.'” (p461) Ivy whole-heartedly agrees with her teacher Mr. Daniels that “music brings brightness to a dark world” (p466). Her teacher’s appraise to her music “fueled her optimism” (p470) and her courage. Ivy “closed her eyes, riding the notes until she was inside the song” (p530). Even when discrimination against Japanese people rages on, Ivy believes that the Yamamotos are good people. Music plays a primary role in persuading Ivy to be determined about fighting for the right thing. Music also teaches Ivy to be compassionate about other people’s feelings. The power of music helps people all around the world fight their battles, strengthening their spirits and giving them hope. Echo shows a few precise examples of the comfort music provides; Friedrich, facing prison yet seeking solace in Tchaikovsky’s no.1 opera, Michael, reassured by the harmonica in his pocket when making deals with Mrs. Sturbridge, and Ivy, recalling uplifting war ballads when facing racism. Intertwined by their love for music, the solos of these three children come together in harmony. There is nothing and no one who can stop music. Music overcomes time and people. Its power has no limits. Echo by Pam Muñoz Ryan. Scholastic, 2015. Buy the book here and support Stone Soup in the process! Have you read this book? Or do you plan on reading it? Let us know in the comments below!
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
‘Glocken der Fantasie’ for oboe and piano by Justin Park, 13
I started to compose when I was about 9 years old and wrote about 5 pieces of music. Back then I had played the piano for about 5 years already. I started to play the oboe when I was about 12 years old and still play both instruments today. What inspired me to write this piece was another composition that had a rhythm as the bass and a violin that was playing out the melody much louder and unique. I decided to create a piece for the oboe and piano because I am familiar with them. It was to represent a melody that related to the calmness and the subtleness of Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata left hand, which consists of the melody, and the right hand, which plays a simple yet iconic rhythm over and over again while the left hand plays different chords and keys. The piece is something that sort of questions and answers the melody (as you might be able to tell), and also has one instrument play most of the melody in the first section. My teacher helped me with what to do and the rules when doing this kind of piece. We decided to split up the piece into multiple sections and that is how we got the piano solo at the end. Why not try playing Justin’s piece yourself? You can get a complete pdf copy of the music here. If you make a recording of yourself playing his piece, send it to us using the submit button! Whether you listen or play, please a comment on this page.
Kedi, Movie Review by Nina Vigil, 11
If I told you right now that this is a review of a documentary about the cats living in Istanbul, what would you do? Yawn? Walk away? Say that doesn’t sound very interesting? All of those reactions would be wrong! Granted, as a cat lover I may be a little biased, but Kedi, a Turkish film directed by Ceyda Torun, is quite possibly the best documentary ever. In fact, Time magazine listed it as one of the top 10 films of 2017! Kedi is about the many feral cats living on the streets of Istanbul and their impact on human lives. It introduces you to several cats, seven in particular, through video footage of the cats’ lives and interviews with the humans who know them well. There’s Psikopat, the fish thief and resident psycho; Aslan Parçasi, who lives by a restaurant hunting mice; Gamsiz, the carefree kitty who runs through the streets doing as he pleases; Deniz, who lives in a market; and more! The movie is more than just watching the cats’ antics. The interviews with the people who describe their experiences with the cats and their perspectives is really interesting. One part I liked in particular was the story of a man who had a mental illness and cured himself by devoting himself to taking care of stray cats. Another story is about a fisherman whose boat sank, and he really needed money to buy a new one. Then he noticed a stray cat pointing him to a wallet, and… I won’t spoil the rest. Now that fisherman is caring for orphaned stray kittens with a milk bottle. One of the best things about Kedi is how the humans care for the cats and in doing so make themselves feel good. That’s the central theme of the documentary – animals and people help each other. Another thing I love about Kedi is the stunning images of beautiful Istanbul and delightful music. What’s so unique is that in most places stray cats are seen as a nuisance, but in Istanbul they are an essential part of the city’s culture. It’s a wonderful way to learn about cats, people, and how animals and humans mutually help each other. Unless you speak Turkish, you will need to use subtitles, but soon you will barely notice them. It’s available on Netflix or at your library. Kedi is a fascinating and amazing documentary that anyone and everyone should watch (not just cat lovers).
