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Folkmusic and Education
Education and social awareness through music
Dan Einbender (Musician, Songwriter, Grammy winning Producer, Storyteller, Environmental Educator and Hudson River Historian) - Music Workshops and Concerts
As a musician, songwriter and educator Dan Einbender works with children almost all his working life. When he, in his early life as a professional, began to understand the power of music to soothe and inspire people, he studied to become a Certified Music Therapist.
During the seventies Einbender worked with a wide range of age groups, including emotionally disturbed children and children with autism.
In the eighties Dan started working for the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, an environmental education and advocacy organization founded by the famous folk musician Pete Seeger and his wife Toshi.
The next 30 years Einbender spent teaching and singing on the boats and banks of the Hudson, and performing with Pete Seeger and many other musicians at numerous festivals, and on many recordings. He learned a lot working with Pete Seeger, including the power of music to create community and affect political change.
He has taught Hudson River history and ecology for organizations throughout the Hudson Valley, and shared his song leading and song writing skills in workshops for children and in-services for staff from many schools and other organizations, and performed his own music at numerous schools, libraries, and festivals.
Dan Einbender's songwriting career has been bolstered by several grants from the New York State Council for the Arts, including one to mount a production of his original musical "Just a Matter of Time", and another for working with members of the Hudson Valley Philharmonic, to create a song writing and music composition curriculum for local schools.
Dan has appeared on radio, television, and as bassist, percussionist, or back up vocalist on the recordings of numerous musicians. His award winning song, "It Really Isn't Garbage Till You Throw It Away" has been recorded by dozens of artists, including his own CD, "Dinner Alone is a Bore".
Early 1990 Einbender worked with funding from the Federal Department of Education's Magnet School Program, to create a new environmental education and wooden boat building program, designed to unite two adjacent but racially isolated school districts. Students created two elegant 26 foot "Whitehall" rowing gigs, "Wysquaqua " and "Legend", which are still in active service at waterfront events throughout the northeast.
Four years ago Dan Einbender and a schoolteacher started the "Rivertown Kids", a group of elementary and middle school students from Pete Seeger's hometown of Beacon, NY. When Dan invited Pete Seeger, who was impressed and started to rehearse with them. Soon Seeger asked them to perform with him in public.
Through the guidance of Einbender, the Kids have written many songs themselves that explore the rich history and natural wonders of the beautiful river they live beside, as well as the problems of pollution and social justice they will have to face as they grow up.
In 2009 Pete Seeger asked Dan Einbender and the Rivertown Kids to record an album with him. This album, co-produced by Dan, won this year's (2010) Grammy Award for "Best Musical Album For Children".
Last November-December and last Summer Dan Einbender came to Europe, Denmark. Both tours included songwriting workshops and concerts at schools, libraries, coffeehouses, and arts festivals.
Next year, after he toured in Denmark, Einbender is willing to come to the Netherlands to do some performances and children's workshops in December, together with the Dannish musician Carsten Hansen. The workshops in foreign counties are a combination of singing, storytelling, songwriting and learning English. The workshops are about social awareness, environment and that all people are part of the human race. It's about hope for the future.
For information contact:
email: info@mensenleren.nl
tel.: 0626438906
See also (Dan Einbender in the middle, Pete Seeger on the right and David Bernz to the left, with the Rivertown Kids; during rehearsal for the Grammy Winning CD 'Tommorow's Children'):