Brandon Thibodeau is a young American composer. This award winning Tango titled, A Collaborative Conversation, was composed by Brandon Thibodeau in 2014 when he was twelve. It is written for clarinet and piano. In this video, Brandon is playing the piano. Brandon works with the composer Narong Prangcharoen.
Stone Soup Magazine for young readers, writers, and artists
Madeleine L’Engle Talks about Letting the Book Write Itself
Author of “A Wrinkle in Time”. . Madeleine l’Engle. Many authors talk about the precision with which they plot out their books, taking pride in being in full control of the process. Other authors, Madeleine L’Engle included, acknowledge and even embrace a less conscious level of control. In this except from a longer talk by Madeleine L’Engle, she talks about writing as a mystical process in which she, the author has a relationship with her story that is rather mystical. She talks about the story as having a life of its own — with its own needs — and herself, the author, as a servant of the story. A practical way of helping students understand what Madeleine L’Engle is saying is that once you start writing you may find that the story you have created takes on a life of its own and that you need to follow where it (your imagination) is taking you even if this may not be the original direction you had planned out for your story. • Let your story tell itself. • Let your heart speak, too, don’t just write a story from your mind.
Children’s Art: Japanese Woodblocks Ages 12 to 15
This extraordinary selection of woodcuts is from a single school in Japan. We are not certain when they were made. We have had them for more than thirty years. Our guess is they date from the 1970s. Each print is a powerful work of art, and taken together they represent a staggering display of masterful woodcuts by students ages 12 to 15. The self-portraits are strikingly focused. They clearly capture the essence of the artist. We are fond of so many of these it is difficult to call out just one or two. An Old Man Moving Stones in His Garden and A Woman Roasting Tea Leaves offer a look at ancient Japanese traditions, though in fact this set of woodcuts itself represents the continuation of ancient tradition. You can purchase prints of these images. We recommend using prints as art on the wall, classroom instructional aids, and inspiration for art projects. Self-portrait, Masuku Ando, age 15. Woodcut. My Friend With a Serious Face, Shisko Watanabe, age 14. Woodcut. My Friend Who is Thinking, Yasayuki Kahara, age 15. Woodcut. The Friend I Trust, Fumie Hirosue, age 13. Woodcut. Self-portrait–The Thinker, Eiko Akagi, age 13. Woodcut. Self-Portrait–When I Have Problems, Toyohisa Sawa, 14. Woodcut. A Man Carrying Rocks in the Garden, Setsuko Gondo, age 13 A Woman Roasting Tea Leaves, Kioka Iwata, age 14. Woodcut. My Friends on the Bus, Kazutoshi Yokohama, age 15. Woodcut.
