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Music!
What does your local river or stream mean to you? Rivers can be where
we work, relax, play, gather our food, gain inspiration, and many other
things. Our songs have immortalized these pictures of rivers for hundreds
of years. Not only have songs been written about the Mississippi River,
but many are about events that happen or happened on its banks.
As a huge part of so many people's lives, for so long, this seems only
natural. As the Mississippi flows through our country, musical traditions
change, both spatially and through time. Jazz, blues, folk, rockabilly,
zydeco, rock, gospel, cajun, country and rhythm and blues all have their
place along this great river.
Rivers in general, not just the Mississippi, are also used as metaphors
for many things. Some see the passage of time in the way a river flows.
Some see the life cycle or passage of seasons in its yearly level changes.
Some see a partner in work, while others see a beast to be conquered.
A river can be a stand in for a person, like a mother, who is always there,
illustrated by how the river always flows. A dammed up river with much
construction on its banks shows how we strive to control things around
us. A polluted stream that barely flows anymore is a wonderful metaphor
for a town that has declined ever since the mill went out of business.
Try going to a local river, finding a quiet spot, and just looking around.
For five minutes, just write a list of things that you see, and things
that you are reminded of. Then, start writing a story, poem, or song that
these observations suggest to you. Make your writing rich with descriptions.
You may want to try this several times, at different spots along the river.
Try sitting high on a bank, right next to the water, from a building looking
out the window onto the water or anywhere else that is safe, to get a
variety of ideas and perspectives. You may also want to research what
has been written about your river. Try comparing your writings and thoughts
with that of other authors. Did one of you capture a point of view that
the other did not see?
Resources:
Check
out other Mississippi Feature Stories
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