| October 2007 * HISTORY COMES ALIVE! CLARA BARTON’S FAVORITE STUDENT’S GREAT GREAT GRANDSON CHECKS IN:
I wrote a song about Clara Barton Angel of Mercy for my American Heroes CD. In my research, I found a heart warming story that revealed Miss Barton’s teaching expertise. Hart Bodine was a big bully. He evidently towered over the five foot tall young Miss Barton, and he was to be one of her students. As I understand it, on the first day of school when Hart began to act up, Miss Barton asked him to go outside alone with her and gather together the whips that had been used by previous teachers to discipline the children. She then told him to break the whips into tiny pieces, took him tenderly by the hand and assured him she would never need those whips, for Hart was one of her big boys and she could depend on him to help her keep order in the school. Hart responded by breaking down in a flood of tears. Hart’s mother later wrote: “From that time on Hart was a model of obedience in the schoolroom.” In her unpublished autobiography, Barton wrote that “His pledge was kept. Oh how long and well it was kept. In school he was ever at my hand, to do the smallest bidding, never leaving the (school) house until I left at night, and the first to greet me in the morning.” Years later, when Barton was one of the North’s most famous nurses, she heard that Hart was fighting in the Civil War, stationed in Virginia. She brought him and his mates some jams, jellies and clothing. Hart eventually had a daughter. She was named Clara Barton Bodine. Now zoom to the year 2007. Last March I was contacted by none other than Clara Barton Bodine’s Great Grandson, John Hart Reese. Mr. Reese has Hart’s military papers and his officer’s Cavalry Sword. He writes, “He was involved in some of the bloodiest battles of the Civil War. I think he was shot twice and lived! We still have his crutch he made when he was wounded. He was a carpenter by trade and I have his tools and toolbox.” You can find my song Angel of Mercy on my American Heroes CD. * WHERE’S JONATHAN ON THE WEB?
There are more and more places on the Web where you can find my music. CDBaby is one of my favorite sites. You can find downloads of my music at iTunes and dozens of other download sites. Teachers, there’s a great site where you can now find my music – Songs for Teaching, where you can buy my physical CDs as well as downloads of my CDs (with lyrics). * Do you know of any website, Internet Radio Sites, Podcasts, Internet Magazines, etc. you think I should contact about my music? Kids Internet radio stations? Heroes sites? If so, please let me know. * WHAT FAMOUS RECORDING ARTIST DO I SOUND LIKE?
CDBaby is helping to categorize my music at their site so that people who might like my sound can find me more easily. They want to know what famous recording artist do people say you sound like? I’m a bit clueless. Please email me with your answer. (This could be enlightening!)
July 2007 * TRAVELING NEWS: I recently drove to Indianapolis to perform a concert which afforded me two hero side trips: The Neil Armstrong Air & Space Museum and Johnny Appleseed Park. The Museum is in Armstrong’s hometown of Wapakoneta, OH. It’s well worth the trip if you find yourself in northern or western Ohio. The people there confirmed some fascinating things I had read about Mr. Armstrong. He did, indeed, create the phrase “That’s one small step for (a) man, one giant leap for mankind” as he was descending the ladder of the lunar excursion model about to step onto the moon. The Apollo 8 astronauts were the first to witness an earthrise (from their spacecraft), yet Armstrong and fellow astronaut Buzz Aldrin were the first to witness an earthrise while standing on the moon. The song about Neil Armstrong, First Man On The Moon, is on my More American Heroes CD. The Johnny Appleseed gravesite is in a quiet little park on a grassy knoll next to a huge sports stadium in the middle of the city of Ft. Wayne, IN. A few yards from the iron-fenced burial plot is a small one room log cabin surrounded by apple trees. As the only person present on a beautiful spring day, I had the strange sensation that no one else was aware of this tranquil oasis. Go if you’re ever near Ft. Wayne. At mapquest, search for Johnny Appleseed Park to find it. Johnny Appleseed is on More American Heroes. * THE THIRD AMERICAN HEROES CD: It was nearly two years ago when I began work on my American Heroes #3 CD. In the first year I was consumed with research which included reading nearly sixty five books about my eleven new heroes. This past year I’ve been focused on songwriting, re-writing ... and, yes, re-re-writing & arranging the musical parts. I find writing songs about exceptional people very demanding. Writing a great song is challenging, but the complexities multiply when the need for historical accuracy becomes part of the lyrical mix. Thus, the many re-writes. At this point, I could fill a third of an album with songs about Pocahontas. In the end, though, just one Pocahontas song will make it on the album. The other versions, as they say, will be history. In the coming six months I expect to get into a studio and do most of the final recording. I promised myself early on that the only way I’d make this album is if it becomes the best album I’ve ever made. I intend to keep that promise. Stay tuned!
June 2007 * JONATHAN GOES WEST: I flew to Los Angeles in April to participate in the ASCAP Songwriter’s Expo and to write songs for my new heroes album with professional songwriter Dave Kinnoin. (Dave and I co-wrote nearly half of the songs on my first two heroes CDs.) Dave will be flying east this summer to write more heroes songs with me. (I hope to complete the album within the year.) Dave is an amazing songwriter with CDs of his own. You can find him at www.songwizard.com. * A NEW OLD CD: About a year and a half ago, my first children’s album was remastered in Los Angeles. We updated the artwork and On The Radio was re-released as a CD. Co-producer Leslie Chew and I originally recorded it in the summer of 1985. We worked on the cutting edge of technology, experimenting with recording studio computers (known as sequencers). To my knowledge, ours was only the second rock album ever made for children. (The first was Rock of Ages by Steve Zaldin.) In an era when virtually all children’s music was classified as folk, our intent was to produce music that sounded like what children were enjoying on pop and rock FM radio stations. Twenty-two years old and still fresh, listen to On The Radio at http://jonsprout.com/CDotr.html. * FOR TEACHERS: Last February, I presented a teacher workshop at the National Core Knowledge Conference in Washington, DC. With the help of many dedicated teachers, I have created a list of fifteen practical ideas for teaching heroes songs in your school. You can find the list HERE.
April 2007 We have updated information about the disappearance of one of my heroes -- Amelia Earhart. There's a great article written by Richard Pyle of the Associated Press that appeared in The Philadelphia Inquirer a couple of days ago. Ms. Earhart was a hero before her final flight, but her disappearance remains one of the greatest mysteries of the 20th Century. Evidently, the mystery may be solved this summer! On July 2, 1937 it appears Ms. Earhart's plane may have landed on Gardner Island (now called Nikumaroro), 350 miles south of the island on which her plane was supposed to land in the South Pacific Ocean. We have the lyrics to "Amelia" (from my American Heroes CD) HERE.
Summer 2006 These are great times in the history of our planet. Never before have we had so much at our fingertips with so many opportunities to help each other, to bring health and happiness to each other and to communicate so easily with each other. Over the past few decades people have made amazing advances in medicine. More of us are now living longer healthier lives. Because of computers and the Internet, telephones, television and high speed travel, we are building bridges with and befriending other cultures and countries with whom we were once at war. With the relatively recent introduction of these World Improvement Tools, true heroes are blossoming everywhere. Never before have the opportunities to do great good been so readily available to so many people. The July 10, 2006 issue of Newsweek Magazine tells the stories of many modern day heroes. Former president Jimmy Carter works tirelessly to improve living conditions around the world. Actor Paul Newman has given millions of dollars to charities with the profits from his salad dressings. Talk show host Oprah Winfrey uses her celebrity to improve the lives of millions of women in Africa and to help tsunami and hurricane victims. Super cyclist Lance Armstrong is fighting cancer around the world. Golfer Tiger Woods gave a $25 million youth education facility to help teach some of the lessons he has learned about hard work. And get this: Microsoft founder Bill Gates has given nearly $30 billion (yes, that's BILLION) in lifetime gifts to improve health and education around the world. Investor Warren Buffet is in the process of giving $30 billion (yes, that too is BILLION) to help Bill Gates make the world an even better place. I encourage you to think and learn about these heroes who are focusing their energies in creative ways to make, yes ... a better world.
Winter 2006 Here's an article that appeared in the Philadelphia Inquirer on January 15, 2006 written by Gene D'Alessandro. It's very well written and researched! Teaching about real heroes
Singer Jonathan Sprout avoids talking down to childrenIn his shows on history and self-esteem.By Gene D'Alessandro
Inquirer Staff Writer Jonathan Sprout is nowhere near as famous as Trout Fishing in America. He hasn't sold as many recordings as Raffi, or made as many TV appearances as the Wiggles. Still, the affable singer-songwriter from Morrisville is one of the most popular children's entertainers in the region. And with more than 250 annual engagements on his calendar, Sprout might be one of the hardest-working children's acts. "Everybody gets excited when Jonathan Sprout is coming to school," said Matthew Hassick, a fourth grader at George D. Steckel Elementary in Whitehall, Lehigh County. "We talk about it the whole week," added Matthew, 9, who has taken in two Sprout concerts and is awaiting his third in May. (Steckel holds the record for Sprout shows, 17.) Celebrated for his upbeat performance style, Sprout prides himself on the educational bent of his programs. He performs shows about American heroes and self-esteem issues ("Dr. Music Confidence Concerts") and conducts songwriter workshops for youngsters. Mainly through word of mouth, Sprout has forged a successful career. He plays his songs and holds assemblies all over the country, mainly in elementary schools and theaters in the Mid-Atlantic region. At a recent morning performance in the Lehigh Valley, Sprout made his Hillside School debut. He performed his "American Heroes" concert for about 120 students. The attentive youngsters - kindergartners through sixth graders - sat on the floor of the multipurpose "cafetorium." First-year teacher Lynda Hassick had seen Sprout perform at her son Matthew's school two years ago. She was so taken with the act that she recommended Sprout come to Hillside, a private school for children with learning disabilities. "I'll have a little fun adapting my show to this audience," Sprout said before the concert. "I learned to be flexible with all kinds of audiences, so it won't be a problem." The Hillside students were a bit subdued, but they warmed up when Sprout broke into the zany "Washington's Hat." The room erupted in screams and guffaws when Sprout donned an outrageously oversize, tricorne hat with fluffy plume and modern sunglasses. Holding a wireless microphone, he invited the students to dance with him. Clothed in a custom-made polo shirt designed like an American flag - half blue with stars, half with red and white stripes - Sprout used silly props such as a giant dollar bill and a super-size copper penny to punctuate his speech. "I know [the youngsters] are not getting everything, but it's better to shoot high than cater to the younger kids and lose the older kids," Sprout said. "It's better to be more academic than babyish." Sprout, 53, grew up in Hightstown, N.J., in a family of educators. He began singing professionally as a singer-songwriter after he graduated from Bucknell University in 1974. He performed his first children's show in 1981 - for his mother's grade school class. Since he first started performing professionally in 1972, Sprout has recorded eight albums and won numerous awards, including the Film Advisory Board's Award of Excellence. To date, he has performed more than 4,300 children's concerts. "[Sprout] helps the children take a different look at the social studies curriculum; social studies can be so boring reading out of a book," Hassick said. "He makes the people seem so real. The kids can relate to it, and I think it's really awesome." To Sprout, performing for children is much more rewarding than playing in nightclubs. "I was always a fish out of water in the clubs and bars. Doing the kid shows, you have to be politically correct and squeaky clean. And I've become that person," he said. For his "American Heroes" assembly, Sprout paid tribute to Amelia Earhart, Sacagawea and the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. He combined songs with discussions aimed at helping children understand that real heroes can be people other than sports stars and celebrities. "They say that when you love what you do, it shows, and he absolutely loves it," Hassick said. "He's more of an educator, and I like that angle to it."
Winter 2004
I was recently given a book by Steven Selzer titled By George! Mr. Washington's Guide to Civility Today. When Selzer was researching the subject of civility, he found that George Washington had written 110 rules of decent behavior at the age of 14. This book presents those rules with Selzer's engaging commentary. It's a wonderful character education tool that has given me a greater appreciation for one of my heroes. The book has also given me hope.
Perhaps you too have been upset by the rudeness and thoughtlessness that others sometimes freely display in public. It seems that in becoming a more accepting society, we have become too tolerant of sports fans who yell obscenities … of inconsiderate motorists whose antics are a threat to our personal safety and peace of mind … of politicians who cut down their competitors with negative advertising and angry accusations. Rule #22: Show not yourself glad at the misfortune of another, though he were your enemy. Rule #40: Strive not with your superiors in argument, but always submit your judgment to others with modesty. Rule #65: Speak not injurious words, neither in jest nor in earnest; scoff at none although they give occasion. Rule #110: Labor to keep alive in your breast that little spark of celestial fire called conscience. In a letter George Washington to sent to a Joseph Reed on January 14, 1776, he wrote: "For as I have but one capital object in view, I could wish to make my conduct coincide with the wishes of Mankind as far as I can consistently." Many of you are on the front lines of the ongoing struggle for civility and decency. In and around schools, I've observed countless educators and parents lovingly and persistently teaching their children to see the merits of courtesy and politeness. Mr. Washington made a life of helping to make the world a better place. In our own unique ways, many of us are doing the same.
Summer 2003 In these challenging times, it serves us to be reminded of people who have made (and are making) our world a better place. Our children need to hear messages of hope and optimism. In the words of Tielhard de Chardin, "the future lies in the hands of those who give our young people reasons to live and hope." Heroes have a greater impact on us when we remember not only their accomplishments, but also their challenges, obstacles, disabilities and fears. This humanizes our heroes and gives us hope that we, too, can become like them. Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Sojourner Truth and, to some extent, Sacajawea were slaves who managed to make great contributions in spite of their oppressive circumstances.
The list goes on. So many of our heroes are people who overcame personal obstacles and made positive experiences out of what the rest of us might think of as impossible odds.
Time and again, I hear "never give up" whispered through my heroes' stories. There are gifts that accompany each disability. There are lessons to be learned from each crisis. There is character to be developed. There are well springs of wisdom to be tapped into and shared. There are heroes to be made.
Autumn 2002 I've had the great pleasure of traveling outside of my United States six times during the past three years. Most recently, I participated in a week long group hike through the mountains and valleys of "the scented island," beautiful Corsica, in the Mediterranean. I was the only American in a group of 12 English, Scottish, Swiss and Australian comrades. We all got along splendidly, and were treated with kindness and respect by our numerous Corsican hosts. In spite of my September 11 traumas and fears, I hold fast to the belief that 99% of our fellow earthlings are decent, kind and honest people. My trips to other countries have fully justified this belief. Everywhere I've gone people have gone out of their way to display courtesy and kindness to me. Everywhere I've traveled, I've met people just like neighbors who are proud of their homes, their villages and their country. I love my country and am proud of who we are, and yet I am sometimes embarrassed that people from other countries seem to know so much more about us than we know about them. I wish we Americans were better at speaking other languages. I wish we took more pleasure in appreciating and teaching our children the histories and cultures of other countries. I wish we were a little broader in our scope of thinking beyond our borders. It's a big, and for the most part, friendly world out there, despite what they say on the evening news. Ours is a beautiful planet. Our children deserve to know this.
Summer 2002 I performed 165 concerts in the first 165 days of 2002. On Flag Day (June 14), I finished up my school performances and began relaxing into a little peace and quiet. It was back in April, I think, when I performed my 3,500th children's concert. Life is good. Dreams really do come true. If you'd known me when I was a kid, you never would have thought I'd turn out to be a performer and a recording artist. In the summer of 1976, I performed at clubs and restaurants in Lake Placid, NY. After one of my shows, a very wise elderly man came up to me and offered this wisdom. He said the secret to making great music is in writing crescendos and decrescendos, in weaving your melodies and rhythms in and out of intensity, in varying your instrumentation from a full orchestra to sometimes near silence. I never learned this man's name, and still sometimes wonder who he was. One of my favorite quotations is credited to the Senator from Maine, Edmund Muskie, who said: "Never say anything that doesn't improve on silence." I try never to PLAY anything that doesn't improve on silence. Someday I may write a book about my experiences singing for children. (I'm reading Raffi's autobiography now, and enjoying it.) I've accumulated a lot of great stories. I'm starting to collect great one-liners from kids. "You don't look like you." -- Newark, DE ... A young boy had been comparing
me with my poster.
"Please send me your autograph, and sign it." -- sent to me by Allison B., age
7, long ago. She's probably now in her late 20's.
"You're older than this picture." ... out of the mouths of babes.
Lately, I've been enjoying the music of Nik Kershaw, Secret Garden and David Foster. These composers and musicians have mastered great melodies without giving up the occasional precious moments of silence. I wish you a summer full of boisterous and upbeat times and full of peaceful silent moments. May you enjoy DOing much and BEing a lot. With thanks for your kindness and support,
Jonathan Sprout | 
