The video, which I could not later relocate on Facebook, where I saw it last night, had me howling and wiping tears. There is a video via the local news, but my experience is if I post it here, it will eventually expire. Thankfully, Nashville Mayor Dean just won another term and isn't anywhere near expiring. If you don't know our Mayor, maybe it would not have been as funny to see this dead-pan, straight-laced and somewhat posturally imposing man take lessons from an elementary schooler on African drumming. It's not that I'm laughing at the Mayor, exactly. Well, I guess I am. But, his record? It's anything but laughable. Bless Mayor Karl Dean. He's done what no other mayor has even attempted to do or maybe even known to do. That said, we've had two very good successive mayors, Phil Bredesen and Bill Purcell and then one Boner.
Mayor Dean has gone above and beyond…no, wait, let's just say done the right thing. Let's say done justice to Nashville's disAbility community by seeing to it our school system rises to federal mandates and becomes inclusive of students with disAbilities. And this last week, he hosted a Community Conversation on employment for adults with disAbilities. (I was invited by the committee to attend, but ironically, could not find childcare for my 17-year-old who had a therapeutic horseback riding lesson that night.)
And now, the city's head dude's getting his groove on with jimbe lessons….Mayor Dean may be stoic and a bit stiff but he does the right thing by his community. Wholistically. And the drum lesson was to kick off Artober. National Arts and Humanities Month by Americans for the Arts and the National Endowment for the Arts. The Metro Nashville Arts Commission is partnering with dozens of arts and cultural organizations throughout Nashville to highlight the depth and breadth of arts activities with official Artober Nashville events.
While his drumming technique needs some work, I continue to be impressed and grateful for Mayor Dean.
Two of my favorite art events occur in October: the amazing Artclectic, an annual art show by the stellar private University School, featured here, last year, on "The Journey with Grace." And then, the Southern Festival of Books. And, don't forget, lovers of the literary arts–it's around the corner. November 1, Nashville again will have it's very own full-service independent bookstore–Parnassus Books! Viva le arts d' Nashville (& pardon mon Francais).
