Welcoming Spring Festival with Viral Video Ads

This year’s Chinese New Year have begun. Public school holidays have started, and the world’s largest human migration is underway as families return home to celebrate the lunar new year together. In recent years, viral videos have become a competitive marketing effort by China’s largest companies. These ads are emotional, always feature family, changing traditions, and usually some kind of conflict or struggle between the old ways of the village home and the new, urban lives of China’s young professionals. To me they also are the perfect glimpse into modern China behind blustery political headlines, economic woes, and the large geopolitical concerns that often get mistaken for what concerns people here day-to-day.

This year we’ve had two stellar additions to this new-ish genre. The first, What is Peppa? dominated social media channels like Weibo and We Chat as soon as it launched in mid January. Its a clever and very accurate look at the growing distance between the elderly in rural areas and their urbanized younger generations, the struggle of rural residents to stay connected in rapidly this digitizing country, and the importance of family... all while advertising a new film and a mobile phone company. Manya Koetse and Miranda Barnes of What’s On Weibo? have written an excellent explainer of the importance of this campaign which has now been viewed more than a billion times. Or you can grab a tissue and watch it now.

Apple has also launched a sentimental film shot by Chinese film maker Jia Zhangke on its new iPhoneXS about a young man returning to the city after Chinese New Year celebrations at home with a bucket full of things from his mother. While not as full on charming and funny as What is Peppa?, The Bucket is a sweet look at the journeys people make to celebrate with families, and the love that a taste of home gives everyone. Anyone who has traveled in China this time of year is familiar with the rather unorthodox luggage people drag with them. I suspect this film will gain traction later in the holiday as people begin returning from their celebrations. In the meantime, its definitely worth a watch to get a sense of the journeys people undertake at this time of year.

Saturday morning my daughter will join the rest of China on the road. She’ll travel to Beijing to be with her father for the holiday, as she has done many times before. The journey itself is one she is excited to make, and while we will miss her while she is away with the Chinese side of her family for a few days, we all know it is the right thing to do. So much of the rest of the year she feels comfortable floating in, out, and between her two cultures. At Spring Festival, however, understand where her heart needs to be. I hope these two films give those who are not connected to a Chinese family a sense of that strong pull to be “home” with family many feel at this time of year and the lengths people go to in order to make that happen.

"This Wasn't a Choice She Made"

Back in October we headed up to Beijing (our other Chinese hometown) to spend the holiday with friends and family. As part of that visit, I sat down with Mike Shaw to record an episode of his podcast Migratory Patterns. I wasn’t sure I had a lot to offer as a guest. I am happy to say that the conversation we had based on Mike central question “Where is home for you?” let me reflect deeply on my experience as someone who has lived away from home for most of my adult life, as well as raising a child between cultures.

Mike’s decision to title the episode “This Wasn’t a Choice She Made” sums up a lot of how I approach parenting in very different circumstances than I was raised. I wasn’t really sure where this conversation would go, and I apologize in advance to the real China scholars in the room for my inability to remember dates and numbers correctly. That aside, this was a very special recording that served as an opportunity for reflection, and a chance to record some of our journey as a family for my daughter. We listened to the podcast together, and I admit I was nervous about her reaction. She’s a teenager now, and like all teens is asserting her own identity, ideas. thoughts and autonomy. In the end it let her ask some questions, clarified some decisions I made about her education and remaining in China, and gave her a record of how I see the world right now.

Feedback from friends, especially those who have also lived away a long time, has been incredibly positive. Many have mentioned that the conversation encouraged them to reflect on their own time in China, managing changing family transitions, my defense of Shanghai as “Real China” and even the way the discussion of my story was not focused on how my life was tied to the men in my life but how I navigate this life on my own terms. It’s sparked wonderful discussions and even encouraged others to find ways to share their deep experiences that do not necessarily follow the standard expat in China narrative.

Mike is maturing as a podcast host, and continues to find fascinating guests to interview. He’s interviewed some fascinating people and asks questions that don’t always get much space for discussion. You can listen my episode of Migratory Patterns here, or download it on your favourite podcasting app.

Bigger, Better Brains Powered by Music

I'm working with my teaching partner this week to prepare for our presentation on music and learning in early childhood.  My interest, and indeed much of my knowledge on this subject, comes from a time when I was the parent of a young child who loved Kindermusik.  I later trained as a teacher and offered the programme in Beijing.  At a conference I attended Dr. Daniel J. Levitin, author of the popular science book This is Your Brain on Music: The Science of a Human Obsession and a professor at McGill University came to speak.  I've been hooked every since about the power music holds for learning, and am so excited to share this with our community this weekend. 

It's been more than a decade since then and the scientific research that is being undertaken is staggering.  Every time I work on this project I end up spending hours weaving my way through places like the Science of Music, Auditory, Research and Technology (SMART) Lab at Ryerson University or the Auditory Neuroscience Laboratory at Northwestern University.   The research they are producing is absolutely fascinating and, more importantly, is making the connections between music and learning, brain development, and even recovery after brain injury.  

The workshop will mostly be hands on, but right now we are bogged down in words as we try to pare this enormous field of exciting research into a manageable snapshot we can deliver bilingually in 15 minutes or less before we starting playing with instruments and dancing.  Beginning to think the only way to go is this incredibly informative infographic.

Wellington Festival of Education 2017

Pedagogy geeks, parents, students, and thinkers unite! During the two-day Wellington College Festival of Education in Shanghai, you can expect to explore, celebrate, learn, debate and connect with 20 international experts and speakers. Sessions are open to everyone on October 20th & 21st at in English at Wellington College International Shanghai, and in Chinese & English at Wellington College Bilingual Shanghai on October 21st.

I am delighted to announce that my brilliant teaching partner, Peihua Wang, and I have been asked to offer two workshops on Music for Learning as part of the dedicated sessions for early years educators and parents.  We have two sessions Saturday morning, but there are many brilliant speakers with interesting ideas to share at both sites.  Its simple to walk between the settings, and regular shuttle buses will run as well.

For a full list of this year's speakers or to book tickets visit www.festivalofeducation.cn

It's here! Sarah Peel with The Mountain High EP

It's done and ready to go!  Our EP project... our ALBUM!  Six great tracks recorded by Paul Meredith featuring his guitar & bass, Chris Hawke on banjo, and Kirk Kenney on fiddle.  I'm proud of the work we did together, and that we managed to capture a bit of the magic of making music together in the recording. 

Many thanks to our friends, families, colleagues, and local music fans who came out to celebrate our album release / my birthday last night, and the always amazing people behind the Tipsy Fiddler who opened their stage to us for the night.  That room was so full of love, so full of people having a great evening out, so full of life and music.  Who could ask for more at 40?  Not me, that's for sure.

If you missed the fun, don't worry.  The EP available is streaming on the Sounds section of this website now, or download your own free copy from my SoundCloud page.

Inspiring Learning in Young Children Through Art

I love art, but I don't know art.  I can barely remember the names of artists, let alone schools of art or when it was created.  But when I see something I like, or that I hate, or have ideas or questions.  It moves me.  I think art has the power to do that for everyone.  Even young children.  Especially young children.

Last Spring a classroom I worked in did a Miro inspired project week.  I stumbled across this article I wrote about the experience on our website again today and it made me smile.  Miro once said, “The painting rises from the brushstrokes as a poetry rises from the words. The meaning comes later.” This is the spirit in which I approach mark making and expressive design work with our youngest children. The product is not what matters, but learning the process of creation. How can one communicate meaning or represent something without first having the freedom and time to explore the process of creating?

Read the full article and take a peek at the children's marvelous creations here:
Artist Inspiration: Miro Mark Making

Sneak Peak

I stopped over at Paul's studio tonight to hear the first full run of the six tracks from our album.  Chris finished laying down his banjo bits this afternoon and Paul had been stuck in editing the rest of the day. 

What can I say?  No one really likes listening to a recording of their own voice.  You catch every flaw.  But I also I heard love coming out of those speakers and was filled with gratitude to friends who made this happen in the most literal sense.  I was also completely overwhelmed.  Music making, but particularly singing, is a gut level instinctive thing for me.  One look at the striped layers of mixing Paul was working with and my head was in a spin. 

Graphic representations of music are really quite beautiful though.  Here's a glimpse of the magic. 

This is music. No, really.

Creativity, and the Joy of the Process

I seem to be in a season of creation at the moment.  I've been recording with friends.  I'm energized and excited to learn new music, put sets together, perform.  I don't usually draw but sketched my friend's families on a whim with Sharpies one week.  At work I've been developing what I think is becoming a very powerful and innovative dual language music programme for our early years children with a wonderful new teaching partner.  I've put together a "Music Kitchen" for sound exploration and have a slightly bonkers and rather ambitious plan for a lot more in outdoor learning places.  Its all a bit intangible, but things are getting made right now.  It feels good, and while I am putting the work in, it feels almost easy.

At work today I was reminded that one of my strongest beliefs is that the value of creativity is not the final product but the process of creation itself.  These are little things I am making, but I'm feeling the benefits and value to me.  It's a nice place to be.

Studio Time

Is this mic on? Yes, yes it is.

When I first asked The Mountain High to play a show with me for my 40th, that was all it was going be.  A chance to make some music together, but more importantly for me, to make music that put me centre stage for one night only.  All girl songs, as I like to call them, all night.  No crappy, sappy KTV ballads allowed.

When you have talented friends who love you, however, a simple plan can end up plus sized.  Chris Hawke had, as usual, an idea. A big one.  And also as per usual he convinced Paul and Kirk that it was both achievable and they would somehow love to spend hours doing it for nothing but the sake of doing it.  The idea was to record an EP of songs I enjoy doing, the way I wanted to do them, to launch at my birthday.  Paul has a home studio, Kirk and Chris were willing to put in the time.  Was I interested?

I said yes.

After a session in June and another in September, a couple of days work from Chris and Kirk to add instrumental tracks, and some hard graft by Paul the final mixes are in the works.  This beautiful gift to my friends and family who live far away or just never seem to be where I end up singing is almost done.  It's a record of where I am today, and the people who helped me do that.  Once the final drafts are done I will upload them here.  Stay tuned.

I'm Not Going Quietly

Turning 40 isn't optional.  And to be honest, I'm not actually that bothered by it.  It does, however, give me time to reflect on what's changed over the last decade.  Which is a lot, much of it for the very much better.
As I look back on my 30s the thing I am most proud of is finding my voice as a performer. That is very much thanks to Kirk Kenney and Chris Hawke and the Beijing Pickers, and later Paul Meredith here in Shanghai. There is no better way I can think of to celebrate turning 40 than by making some music together with their band, The Mountain High.

Come! It's going be a great night. Expect quirky country, bluegrass, folk, roots music and more.
Play or sing? Join us after for a jam and the usual musical shenanigans the Tipsy Fiddler is known and loved for across Shanghai.