like a loving mother (she showed me the bow)

photos of June 1st, 2013 reunion, by Annette Rubin, used with permission.
additional photos displayed from the event by Rita Strauss Berkowitz, used with permission

This summary, with photos and music, are brought to you by:
www.shiftingskyrecords.com
www.pjsteinsongs.com
www.brokendreamrecords.com

robert and lynne connecting after 55 years

Eddie Appelson presents to Mrs. Ruth Abramowitz the certificate that honors her with the dedication of the Ruth Abramowitz Music Fund, devoted to the music program of Brooklyn Public School 206.

The Fund is designed to help further the efforts of the P.S. 206 Music Department in cultivating in their students the highest level of music appreciation and performance, especially in the realm of classical music, which is deemed to be the fundamental foundation from which
all contemporary music is derived.

The certificate was signed by all the attending classmates gathered from the 1956-1957-1958 class, at the beautiful home of Alice Shechter, who graciously hosted the event, on June 1, 2013.

All proceeds from the accompanying song, when downloaded from iTunes (link above), or any other digital site, will directly benefit the students who study music in P.S. 206, and is thus your personal contribution to their music program. Thank you for your donation!

This song emerged following a late-night call from a classmate, Eddie, in early March of this year, whom I had last spoken to about 55 years ago, in 1958.

Eddie had become engrossed with the idea of a reunion with the classmates and teacher of our 1956, 4th grade music class, a class that had remained together for 3 years, at PS 206, in Brooklyn.

"A reunion WITH the teacher, Mrs. Abramowitz, Mrs. A"?, I queried.

"Yes, Pete, she's still alive, and I spoke with her, and you must call her, she still refers to us as her children!", Eddie responded earnestly, enthusiastically.

I wondered then if our wonderful teacher, though alive, was now in a state of cognitive impairment, and I became intensely curious. Eddie gave me Mrs. A's telephone number, and texted me the next day: "Did you call her"?, he asked.

I had not yet called Mrs. A, feeling uneasy about it, that, at 94 years old, she might find me intrusive.

The following day, a Friday morning in early March, 2013, I ignored my doubts, and called her. We spoke for maybe 20 minutes, and, in that brief time, we reminisced; Mrs. A. told me that she loved coming to school to be with us, and to teach us, and that we loved to learn; she emphasized that no discipline was necessary, that we eagerly did anything that she asked of us, that we only wanted to please her.

She explained that she had come from a family of violinists, and, when she introduced us to our instruments, she initially only requested that we open the cases and look at them.

I remember the smell of wood, resin, and violin case, emanating up, into my nostrils. It was shortly afterwards, perhaps a few days, or a week or two, that she showed me the bow...peter j stein

Additional Album Notes
Within the past 2 months, following the production of 4 tunes, ("let time try to find me", "like a hearth, your love will keep burning", "time to hit the road", and "the appeal"), another song emerged, dedicated to the grace and beauty of a music teacher, from 1956. Playing off of 2 acoustic, steel string guitar tracks, blending piano, strings, and percussion, "like a loving mother (she showed me the bow)" is dedicated to Mrs. A's abilities to reach and teach young children the most delicate of instruments: the violin, viola, cello, and bass. She showed me the bow.

the fifth grade music class,
public school
206
BKLYN
NY,
1957-1958

like a loving mother
(she showed me the bow)
peter j stein, 2013
intro 8 measures

v.1
how could we know,
we so wanted to please her,
horse hair and resin,
she showed me the bow,

v.2
how could we know,
the violin was hollow,
sweet sounds would follow,
i held the bow

chorus a:
what was it about her,
was it her soft and gentle style,
her sweet, angelic smile,
how i want to know.

instrumental

chorus b:
now that we are older,
and begin to understand,
there are strings within the heart,
and Ruth knows how to find them.

v. 3

how could we know,
we were so young then,
we were searching children,
I held the bow.
v.4
how could we know,
bass, viola, and cello,
like a loving mother,
Ruth showed me the bow,

(ending):
(she was) unlike any other,
(and) I was ready to know,

like a loving mother,
she showed me the bow,
she showed me the bow,

she showed me the bow,
like a loving mother.

About 30 of my classmates from a 3 year music class, from 1956-1959, are reuniting with our music teacher, Ruth Abramowitz, after 55 years.

Mrs. Abramowitz, now 95 years old, represents to each of us, her students, an angelic figure who gave us unconditional acceptance and love, and introduced us to the world of classical music composition, in the context of a full string orchestra. We played violin, viola, cello, and string bass.

Currently living in Brooklyn, we will honor her in a class reunion, on June 1, with simple expressions of our appreciation, and possibly a couple of songs.

There has been little or no contact among all of us for 55 years, but in the past 3 months, our connectedness has ignited, and is intensifying, with more than 1200 emails between and among us.

In the heat of such volcanic-like emotional reactions, I wrote "Like A Loving Mother (she showed me the bow)", a song dedicated to Mrs. Abramowitz, now on iTunes, and other major digital sites; all proceeds will help to fund a music scholarship that will be established for PS 206, in Brooklyn.

This summary, with photos and music, are brought to you by:
www.brokendreamrecords.com &
www.shiftingskyrecords.com