Suzy Davies's Blog: Book News - Posts Tagged "music"

I'd like to begin by wishing all my Snugs The Snow Bear Readers, Followers and Fans a Peaceful and Happy Easter!
Now I have a message. My vision for Snugs The Snow Bear is to communicate to children on a global scale about friendship, loyalty and belonging, in a magical storyline with lively, lovable characters, who embody these themes. But I also intend to spread the word about Green Issues, and the beauty of this earth, and its endangered species, which we need to protect for this generation, and generations to come.
I am looking to put "Snugs The Snow Bear" on an international stage, and I would like musical theatre and ice dancing professionals to come forward, with a view to making this happen!
My vision is to stage "Snugs The Snow Bear" as an ice-dancing and musical theatre event, but I cannot do this on my own!
Once I have the talent in place, we will be in a position to stage a spectacular for all to enjoy.
A percentage of proceeds from sales will go to charity.
Please volunteer your expertise in this exciting venture.
Best Wishes, Suzy Davies, Author.

When skies are bright

and spring is here

most every night

an orchestra appears.

Every star doth music make

to make a symphony

for those awake.



Starlight has magic,

it lights the skies

with cinematography,

before our eyes.

The constellations

are sublime

and tell us stories,

to the end of time.



Most every night,

before I sleep,

I stand and wonder

at the cosmos, deep.

The infinity of starlight

lets us dream

of a higher power,

in a grander scheme.


How small I am

when I gaze up high,

and wonder at the mystery

of the night skies.

Copyright Suzy Davies 03/19/2016. All Right Reserved.

Ever since my childhood days, when I read Lewis Carol's, “Alice in Wonderland,” “The Owl and The Pussycat,” by Edward Lear, “From a Railway Carriage,” by Robert Louis Stevenson, and Walter De La Mare's, “Eeka, Neeka, Leeka, Lee,” I have been captivated by poetry. Here is the latter poem:

Eeka, Neeka, Leeka, Lee,
here's a lock without a key.
Bring a lantern, bring a candle,
here's a door, without a handle!
Shine, shine, you old thief, Moon!
Here's a door, without a room.
Not a whisper, moth or mouse,
key, lock, door, room -
where's the house?
Say nothing, creep away,
and live to knock,
another day!

Walter De La Mare.


One can understand why poems are such a lure for children. In a sense, children's poetry that works
has much in common with songs. Poems appeal to children because of the playfulness involved in making exciting and unusual sounds. They can be a kind of hide and seek with words, as they tap into a child's natural curiosity.

Poems are full of exciting images, awakening children's sense of mystery and wonder. Who is Eeka
Neeka? Where is the house? Why does she visit it at night? What magic is the poet describing? Or is
it all nonsense? Poems surprise and delight.

Of course, no poems are more popular these days than those of Dr. Seuss. With his poems, there's also a focus on the unexpected, on clear simple language, and on tapping into children's sense of adventure - “Oh, The Places You'll Go!”

Poetry takes children into a universe which is accessible to them. It widens their small world at the same time as it draws on a world that seems familiar. “Look, what do you hear?”

E.B. White famously said, “Always be on the lookout for the presence of wonder,” and I believe it is this sense of awe and curiosity that good poems speak to. Yes, I said, “speak to,” because all the best poems are a delight - for all the senses. In this world of “headwork,” poems provide a balance. They are an education of the heart.

Poetry enchants children with its musicality. Rhyming poems are musical. When children read poetry out loud, focusing on rhyming words, rhythmic cadences, and onomatopoeia, it is almost like singing the words.. Kids can have fun identifying which words sound the same, but are spelt differently. They can play guessing games, anticipating which word will rhyme in the next line, and so on.

The musicality of poems ties in with number awareness. Kids can look for the number of syllables in a word, beats in a line, the number of stanzas, and sometimes, even, the shape of a poem. Some poems feature numbers or mathematically-related topics and can be adapted to teach numeracy at home and in schools.

Poems with interesting sounds can be useful to encourage children in the Performance Arts. Kids can act out the characters in the poems, and share with siblings or a live audience.

Being a character develops children's imaginations, essential for cultivating empathy skills.

By performing poems, kids learn pronunciation, pitch, projection of voice and intonation. They learn how to breathe and pause. They use their voices as musical instruments.

Reciting well-loved verses helps develop a child's focus and memory, made easier because little poems are manageable, and remembering rhyme is a memory aid.

I remember, when I was very young, singing Walter De La Mare's whimsical poem, “Eeka Neeka,” which was set to a tune at a local singing competition.

During the rehearsals, my piano and singing teacher asked me to think about the meaning of the words so that I could convey the meaning to a live audience.

Of course, children get to understand that meaning comes from the sounds as well the words themselves, and when they a little older, they will read for subtext and inference.

Poems are very useful for preparing children to learn languages. Why? Because kids develop a sensitive ear, and they learn to distinguish patterns in language and sounds, helping them build phonetic awareness.

Contrary to popular belief, because poetry is so accessible, reading poems builds confidence. I learned that practice improves performance and that reading aloud to an audience helps you overcome anxiety and shyness. Another benefit is that reading poetry prepares children for reading longer, more difficult prose.

Reading and performing poetry as a child taught me so much, and I was encouraged to experiment with words and write my own things. Do you wonder whether these kinds of experiences are long lasting? I believe poems inspire creative thinking in children because they are rich in metaphor, stimulating the imagination. They can act as a springboard for all kinds of creativity.

From reading my favorite poems, I developed a love of writing them. And years later, when I wrote my children's poetry book, “Sleepy Animals,” I was surprised to discover the influence of Walter De La Mare on my own work. .

Of course, at the heart of any good children's poetry book is beautiful artwork that complements the
poems. Words and pictures together appeal to all the senses and help to create a balance of thinking and feeling, mind and body.

What Music Inspires Your Books?

I have noticed that whenever I write, I always hear music that becomes a kind of soundtrack when I am writing. Very often this music is a driver for my writing, helping me to visualize the characters, scenes and settings of a book.

I thought I'd have a little fun with you today and let you into the secret “soundtracks” behind my recent writings. I'd be delighted to hear about yours!

“The Girl in The Red Cape” “When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going,” Billy Ocean

“Celebrate The Seasons,” Vivaldi – The Four Seasons

"Sleepy Animals," Brahms Lullaby.

"Luna The Moon Pig," I composed a few tunes of my own for her :)

"Snugs The Snow Bear," "Northern Lights," by Renaissance

"The Cave," "Rolling in The Deep," Adele

"Johari's Window," "Cherry Blossom Girl," Air, and "Cherry Blossom Ending," Busker Busker

Delighted to receive a 5-star #bookreview for our book from the highly-regarded Readers Favorite
Reviewed By Emily-Jane Hills Orford for Readers’ Favorite
“Leaves are love letters/ that fall from the sky” – what a beautiful way to begin a collection of poems that celebrate the seasons of life. There are special celebrations we associate with each season: winter hosts Christmas and spring suggests Easter. There are special events and sports associated with each season: football with cheerleaders in the fall; sledding in the winter; baseball in the spring – and so much more. There are lots of things to celebrate all year long.
Suzy Davies’ picture book story, Celebrate The Seasons, is a sweet, charming collection of poems and illustrations to help young readers celebrate something special about each season. It is interesting that the author begins with Fall; I think I would have begun with Spring, but perhaps the idea is to leave the best for last: Spring and Summer. The poems are all rhyming verse and cleverly constructed with wonderful illustrations to accompany each theme. The magic of each season evokes all of our five senses and the poet/author is clear in representing each of the senses.
I think I’m partial to her use of music imagery with striking metaphors that beautify: “let’s go dancing in the rain,/ skipping to the rhythm of a musical refrain!” The references connecting rain to music in the charming poem “Dancing in the Rain with My Friends” doesn’t end there: “There’s joy in the rainsongs, the sweetest melodies,/ and the rhythm of the raindrops as delightful as can be!/ How I love the music, lightly pattering away;/ the air has special energy – brings laughter here, today!” These words bring music to my ears because isn’t music all around us all the time? This book is a real treasure.

Remember the first time you fell in love? You lost yourself in the process of understanding another; of enduring challenges together, of growing together; of seeing the world through another's eyes. The very sight of that special person orchestrated a symphony in your imagination. You lost yourself in the discovery of another, and yet, here's the paradox - you found yourself also, rising from the ashes of the past like a phoenix of fire and creativity.
Think about love as a creative process, and you uncover the true nature of what creativity involves. It involves going beyond the self; pushing boundaries into new worlds of discovery; it is nothing less than soul alchemy when you write, make music or create Art.
Embarking on any creative journey, whether it be in books, music or art is like a baptism of fire, of divine energy that powers self-expression. The notion of "the sublime" captures the idea that creativity provides a wellspring of deep human experience, of transcendence beyond the every day.
A new creative journey is life enhancing and invigorating; and this applies to recapturing creative passions that are dormant or may have been lost in the mundanity of existence.
As I embark on recapturing the joy of making music, it reaffirms to me the life affirming quality of The Arts for bringing people together, elevating them beyond the commonplace. The paradox is that by losing ourselves in Art, much like falling in love with another, we also discover new things about ourselves and the world around us.