|
With their self-made branch
flutes and original eco-folk songs
Jon and
Sabine Sherman weave an enchanting story about a dryad,
the spirit of
an oak tree, awakening a man to a deeper
understanding of nature.
With its cultural and
ecological insights this
Earth-friendly program offers
inspiration and hope to all
who love and care about our natural world!
Jon's
love for nature was awakened at the age of two, when the wild, green
pasture in the back of his Idaho home glowed with its
welcoming life force. Later,
his dad would introduce him to the rivers
and mountains of that beautiful region, while his mom
encouraged his
creative
and musical side. After moving to Southern California, Jon
earned his professional theater credentials in the 1970's as a
member of South Coast Repertory's acting company, performing in several
of their main stage productions, including two successful runs of the
musical "Godspell", while touring schools throughout Orange
and
Los Angeles Counties in SCR's Actors Mime Theater and children's
theater troupes. In the late 1980's Jon designed and built an
outdoor wooden
stage, under the oaks, at the beautiful Descanso
Gardens, where he started performing his original
Earth-friendly
songs. As an eco-musician wanting to walk
his talk, Jon started using a solar
powered sound system in 1989 for his outdoor performances.
He has participated in many environmentally
conscious
events over the years and has completed 3 CDs of
original music
and poetry. In 2006, Jon
started hand-crafting his own branch flutes,
his Dryad Flutes highly sought after now for their quality
of craftsmanship, unique natural beauty and ecological integrity.
When
Sabine Kurz contacted Jon about making a branch flute for her, a
wonderful relationship was sparked. And out of the synergy of
their passions, interests, and environmental consciousness, they have given birth
to Dryad.
|
|
|
 
|
Sabine
has nurtured a love for music and nature
since studying
classical piano as a young girl
growing up enchanted by the green forests of
Germany. Her early work in the sciences included biotope
mapping as a field biologist and electron
microscopy research.
Excelling academically, Sabine earned her PhD in biology at
the
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz. As a scientist, Dr. Kurz
has
published 14 peer reviewed articles and has presented her research at
22 national and international conferences. When her scientific
career brought her to the United States, Sabine's heart opened
to the beautiful yet
increasingly endangered bioregions of California, her home for twenty
years now. Professor
Kurz is currently teaching biology at the college level in the San
Diego region where she is also a
certified yoga
instructor, inspiring all of her students to open their spirit, hearts
and minds to environmental awareness. Expressing herself
musically, Sabine
performed for 11 years with the Latin Jazz band Cadencia on
keyboards, percussion and lead vocals, recording 3 CDs with that
group. A deeply spiritual
experience in an old growth forest inspired a quest to
find a flute that could better express the deeper realization of life
that had opened up to her. Having learned about the branch
flutes Jon Sherman
was making, a
very special relationship sprouted. And out of
their combined talents, experience
and environmental concerns, Dryad
was born.
|
|
Artist
Statement
It has been said that we will conserve
only that which we
love. And it may be true.
Sadly, too much of Southern California's unique and
biodiverse natural landscape has been lost to forces less than
love, that have only taken from our natural
community without giving back, showing little respect for the
sacred tree
of life on whose branch we are all sitting.
So, let's fall in love with this place!
After
all, it's a human need to love where we live.
And music can
help in this regard. We know that the
power of song can heal a broken
heart, provide atmosphere for a romantic evening,
or help seal the bond of a sacred wedding
ceremony. But love songs need not be limited
to human
relationships. Folk songs of many cultures include
expressions of love for a particular place in
nature, depicting through lyrics and melody
the beauty of a
mountain, river valley, or waterfall.
Our musical play, Dryad,
understands this, and keeps alive that aspect of folk music. Dryad is a
love song for the bioregion
of Southern
California, a place that, for thousands of years, was paradise to the
indigenous people here. And it could be paradise again.
For despite
how abused the Earth has been in this region, she is
still worthy of
being loved. And there are many places of natural beauty
still to be found here, to fall in love with. And
in relationships of respect, gratitude
and reciprocity, nature is very capable of
loving us back. And then, there is paradise found!
With eight original songs played
on our own self-made branch flutes and sung in two part vocal
harmony with
folk guitar
accompaniment, Dryad
offers a musical journey into the spiritual heart of nature.
Ours is not necessarily children's music, as so many
environmental education songs tend to be. Our intent is to
touch the hearts of all who love nature, with lyrics and dialogue
captivating enough for most adults, yet simple enough
in storyline for most children to understand and
enjoy. The two characters in Dryad , a wise,
enchanting tree spirit and a comically confused
human, interact with a lighthearted sincerity dusted with enough acorn
wisdom and nature magic to reach the innocence in us all.
And that is the intent of Dryad, or of any
dryad
or tree spirit -- to enchant its listeners into a deeper
love for the natural world.
~
Jon and Sabine Sherman
|
"Jon and Sabine, this afternoon's program was outstanding.
Thank you!"
~ Jay Wilson, Executive Director Mission Trails Regional Park
"Thank you both for your amazing presence. The event was
elevated by your performance.
We hope you will join us for future events!"
~ David Solomon, Terra Madre Gardens
"You hit it out of the park. Your new fan base in the desert
wants you back!"
~ Leslie Gebhart, UU Church of the Desert
"A beautiful presentation and a great message as well."
~ Jean Vought, Friends of the Vista Library
"What an incredible experience!"
~ Selene Miles, Biology Professor Grossmont College
|
 |
 
|
|
