JONI. ONE WORD. Scrawled on a piece of scrap paper and left on the kitchen island, its message to me is clear: It’s time. I had always wondered when this moment would come, and now it’s here. My daughter needs to meet Joni Mitchell.
This morning I was introduced to the work of Regina Spektor, and as her piano music and lyrics wafted out of my daughter’s laptop and filled the kitchen, I saw on her face a look I knew very well. The Chinese probably have a word for the emotion I saw. English does not provide one. Combining a sense of independence, recognition, ownership and pride, it was a young woman staking out the territory of her own feelings in the land of someone else’s music and lyrics.
Beautiful to behold, moments like these are too easily dismissed by our rushing about, or by our ignorant assumption that our child’s music is not our own. My child was sharing, and I needed to stop what I was doing and listen, and in that rare moment I heard many things: I liked Spektor, particularly her song about Samson, up top in player; and then, too, I heard a call to pass along something what had once made me feel the way my daughter does now. Still does, actually.
So, I wrote myself a note to remind me. “Joni.” That’s all it says. But which songs, in which order?
My first thoughts are to let her listen in to:
- Why I once thought to move west
- How we learned that every story has two sides
- How a presidential daughter got named
- How to find comfort when spinning round and round
What do you think, sisters? Which should it be?
By the way, looking online I find that Joni has recently had her US premier of her ballet, The Fiddle and the Drum. Written with choreographer Jean Grand-Maitre, it’s playing on the west coast at various venues. Oh, I do hope it heads east sometime soon, though you can buy a DVD of it here, as well as see some of it online. Exploring her lifelong concern for the environment, as well as the issues she has with basic human behavior–oh yeah, you know about those, if you listen to Joni–it looks wondrous.
Joni. Pass her along.
No related posts.
First time here? Here's the idea: 
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh, “Samson” has been one of my favorite songs ever since I first heard it, four or five years ago, a sparer version of the song.
I haven’t gotten into Joni yet. I suspect I should.
Hi, Danielle: Go get yourself some Joni, sister. You’ll love her. And thanks for stopping by. We look forward to seeing you here again soon.
That’s what moms do – they share Joni.
Because it fell to me to learn how to download music to Nora’s i-pod, Joni was loaded first. The shuffle lands on Joni and Nora discovers her by herself. Now when she wants to play music for us to listen to together – she chooses Joni, k.d., and Norah Jones. I am touched.
Yes, Elissa. That is what mothers do. I so love the fact that Joni was loaded first. But the Joni, k.d. and Nora triangle is supreme. Supreme.
Of those four songs, I would choose Chelsea Morning first, without a doubt. And then I’d share the entire album “Court & Spark.” I can sing every song on that album from memory. That’s what happens when you listen to something a thousand times.
Hiya, Sandy. I knew we’d hear from you on this one. I, too, can sing every word to Court and Spark, as well as to Blue. Ah. I love those. OK. Chelsea Morning it is. Thanks. And come back soon.
Hi Marion, I enjoyed the “Joni” posting, a lovely reflection on the best part of motherhood. Evocative of the best parts of being human, period! It’s all about sharing. Right now anything I post anywhere is going to loop right back to my upcoming novel, Angels Carry the Sun, because I am currently ON FIRE with the news of it’s imminent publication in June. The thing is, I wrote that book to share it. It’s my “Joni.” It’s a Joni that took me from age 19 to forty-something to write, it’s got the blood, sweat, tears, and poetry of a lifetime in it. If that ain’t a Joni, I don’t know what is. It packs a whallop. Or a couple. So I want everyone to know it exists so that they may sample of it as they wish. Curiosity seekers may check my website for links and updates.
Phoebe Wilcox
http://www.phoebewilcox.com
Angels Carry the Sun/Lilly Press
Hi, Phoebe. And welcome to TSP. Thanks for the Joni comment, and good luck with that novel of yours. We’re pulling for you.