Words and Music Come Together in Perfect Harmony
By Bob Hall
April is National Poetry Month and Selkirk College writing instructor Almeda Glenn Miller and Business Administration student Melissa McCready are combining efforts to create a delicious metaphor.
Miller is currently promoting her new book, a volume of poetry titled Begin with the Corners. On Friday night at Nelson’s Kootenay Studio Arts, Miller will be performing poems set to music by McCready and Shannon Moldenhaur who make up the local duo Motes and Oats. They will be joined on stage by book designer Shelley Ackerman who will be offering harmonies.
“This has been a cool project,” says Miller. “Motes and Oats have taken my poems and given them more grit. It’s fascinating to me what happens when my poems get turned into songs.”
Performance is nothing new to Miller. Her first incarnation as an actress and performance artist got put aside when she wrote her first novel, Tiger Dreams, in 2002. Since then Miller has been writing stories, essays and poetry for literary quarterlies across the country. Begin with the Corners is her first collection of poetry.
Friday night will also include a poetry jam which should provide another opportunity for writers to figure out ways to collaborate.
“It’s BYOP,” says Miller. “Bring a poem or maybe just some words and we’ll see what kind of music we can make together.”
Motes and Oats have teamed up with Miller and Ackerman to record an album of the music they’ll be performing on Friday. Copies of Begin with the Corners come with a free mp3 download of the album.
Friday’s show begins at 7 p.m. in Room 310 at the Selkirk College Kootenay Studio Arts Campus (606 Victoria Street). Admission is by donation and there will be libations, chocolate, music and lots of words. Begin with the Corners is also available at Otter Books in Nelson, Café Books West in Rossland, the Selkirk College Bookstore in Castlegar and online at bigbadwolfpublishinghouse.com.
