Heartbeat of the EARTH
21 March 2005
by Claudia Reed
Positive, positive energy...Plantin' trees all across the nation...Keep on plantin' fruit trees Add a thundering rap beat supported by five Conga drummers, three of them with dreadlocks, and you have some idea what greeted students in the courtyard at Willits High School on April 20.
Despite an attempt to remain cool, nearly all of about 100 students began smiling and several couldn't resist the urge to sway with the beat. When the group finished, the students broke into loud applause. A few added high pitched yips of approval.
"Lovin' it!" called out one enthusiastic young man.
The four women dancers, five male drummers, and one male videotaper were members of Common Vision on their second annual tour of California schools. They aim to inspire, teach, and demonstrate a joyful, sustainable relationship to the earth.
Key elements of the non-profit's program are music, dance, and fruit tree planting. Most of what has to be said is said in song. Most of what's learned is learned in action.
"The teachers brought four classes out this morning and one or two this afternoon," said Common Vision's Julia Trunzo. "We planted 35 trees, apples, plums, peaches. That's an orchard!"
Each class "circled up" in the beginning to hear a little about soil science and the fact that the trees were grafted for maximum fruit yield. When the students began digging, the drummers began playing. Eventually, possibly without realizing it, they were all moving to the beat.
"Teachers and principals are excited (about our work)," added Blair Phillips, a former Santa Cruz resident who founded Common Vision in 1999. "They say kids never pay attention and don't participate. They were amazed to see the kids participate."
The magic that turns work into play was evident in the West African dance group members presented during lunch break. They pointed out the gestures that represent sun, rain, and seed planting.
"Look for this in our dancing," said one woman. "We hope you will feel it in the music. This is our celebration."
The dances were learned from the source.
"We went to Africa, to the deserts with the Navajo, to the Mali Empire to sit and learn from the native elders," Phillips chanted to the beat of the drums.
Five drummers and four dancers from Common Vision present "agricultural rhythms" at Willits High School. The music and dance come from the West African "heartbeat of the earth" tradition and accompany food production work. The group members also helped students start a 35-fruit-tree orchard.
What the tribal peoples all have in common, he said, is the understanding that everything living is inter-connected and that the earth itself is alive. The consciousness is reflected in the heart-beat-of-the-earth agricultural rhythm.
Since Willits High School students responded better to rap than to African dance, the message of inter-connectedness was repeated to a rap beat in less symbolic terms: "Listen up, Sister, Brother. We've got to learn to love one another!"
One indication of love, said Trunzo, is that the trees planted by these students probably won't bear fruit for another five years. They're a gift to those who come later.
They're also a gift from those who support the work of Common Vision. From San Diego to Willits, the route of this year's tour, local stores contributed food for the group; local nurseries contributed trees and soil; and local restaurants contributed used cooking oil, the primary fuel for the four buses that make up the group's caravan. One organization came through with a $1,000 grant.
Next year, the buses may return with volunteers ready to build rain catchment systems to water the fruit trees, benches inviting students to rest in the orchard, and even solar installations for the school buildings. It all depends on community support and the number of volunteers available. So far, there are about 20 group members, not all of them on tour.
"The long term goal . . . is to develop working relationships with teachers and administrators to integrate sustainability into the school's curriculum and landscape," reads the Common Vision pamphlet.
The broader mission is to "cultivate awareness and respect for the Earth and to generate social and environmental changes towards sustainable lifestyles."
Positive, positive energy...Plantin' trees all across the nation...Keep on plantin' fruit trees Add a thundering rap beat supported by five Conga drummers, three of them with dreadlocks, and you have some idea what greeted students in the courtyard at Willits High School on April 20.Despite an attempt to remain cool, nearly all of about 100 students began smiling and several couldn't resist the urge to sway with the beat. When the group finished, the students broke into loud applause. A few added high pitched yips of approval.
"Lovin' it!" called out one enthusiastic young man.
The four women dancers, five male drummers, and one male videotaper were members of Common Vision on their second annual tour of California schools. They aim to inspire, teach, and demonstrate a joyful, sustainable relationship to the earth.
Key elements of the non-profit's program are music, dance, and fruit tree planting. Most of what has to be said is said in song. Most of what's learned is learned in action.
"The teachers brought four classes out this morning and one or two this afternoon," said Common Vision's Julia Trunzo. "We planted 35 trees, apples, plums, peaches. That's an orchard!"
Each class "circled up" in the beginning to hear a little about soil science and the fact that the trees were grafted for maximum fruit yield. When the students began digging, the drummers began playing. Eventually, possibly without realizing it, they were all moving to the beat.
"Teachers and principals are excited (about our work)," added Blair Phillips, a former Santa Cruz resident who founded Common Vision in 1999. "They say kids never pay attention and don't participate. They were amazed to see the kids participate."
The magic that turns work into play was evident in the West African dance group members presented during lunch break. They pointed out the gestures that represent sun, rain, and seed planting.
"Look for this in our dancing," said one woman. "We hope you will feel it in the music. This is our celebration."
The dances were learned from the source.
"We went to Africa, to the deserts with the Navajo, to the Mali Empire to sit and learn from the native elders," Phillips chanted to the beat of the drums.
Five drummers and four dancers from Common Vision present "agricultural rhythms" at Willits High School. The music and dance come from the West African "heartbeat of the earth" tradition and accompany food production work. The group members also helped students start a 35-fruit-tree orchard.
What the tribal peoples all have in common, he said, is the understanding that everything living is inter-connected and that the earth itself is alive. The consciousness is reflected in the heart-beat-of-the-earth agricultural rhythm.
Since Willits High School students responded better to rap than to African dance, the message of inter-connectedness was repeated to a rap beat in less symbolic terms: "Listen up, Sister, Brother. We've got to learn to love one another!"
One indication of love, said Trunzo, is that the trees planted by these students probably won't bear fruit for another five years. They're a gift to those who come later.
They're also a gift from those who support the work of Common Vision. From San Diego to Willits, the route of this year's tour, local stores contributed food for the group; local nurseries contributed trees and soil; and local restaurants contributed used cooking oil, the primary fuel for the four buses that make up the group's caravan. One organization came through with a $1,000 grant.
Next year, the buses may return with volunteers ready to build rain catchment systems to water the fruit trees, benches inviting students to rest in the orchard, and even solar installations for the school buildings. It all depends on community support and the number of volunteers available. So far, there are about 20 group members, not all of them on tour.
"The long term goal . . . is to develop working relationships with teachers and administrators to integrate sustainability into the school's curriculum and landscape," reads the Common Vision pamphlet.
The broader mission is to "cultivate awareness and respect for the Earth and to generate social and environmental changes towards sustainable lifestyles."