Mr. Rodgers not only was, but is still the man.
This week I got my Netflix shipment and I was delighted to find that I had put a Mr. Rodgers episode in my cue a while back, and it just so happened that it was a
CIRCUS episode! Yes, Mr. Rodgers and the circus, what a combination. It wasn't a Ringling circus but it was still circus in all it's 80's splendor (I was 7 when it was recorded). Not only that, but that was an era when circuses pretty much across the board still sprung for live music; not the case today. I feel I'm one in the last generation of a long tradition of circus musicians. In any case, watching the episode reminded me of what great music Mr. Rodgers had as his soundtrack (jazz, and not light crappy muzak jazz, but a jazz combo featuring some pretty heady stuff) I could go on about this, but I will say in short that the music on each episode was far and beyond anything that came before or has been on since in children's television. I lift my espresso to you Mr. Rodgers for exposing our childhood ears to more than that happy-go-lucky pop fluff. Who ever says music (or even stories) have to be dumbed down for children to grasp and absorb it is 100% wrong (as well-intentioned as they may be). So, Mr. Rodgers, I salute you for your vision and your love of the circus life.
This week I got my Netflix shipment and I was delighted to find that I had put a Mr. Rodgers episode in my cue a while back, and it just so happened that it was a CIRCUS episode! Yes, Mr. Rodgers and the circus, what a combination. It wasn't a Ringling circus but it was still circus in all it's 80's splendor (I was 7 when it was recorded). Not only that, but that was an era when circuses pretty much across the board still sprung for live music; not the case today. I feel I'm one in the last generation of a long tradition of circus musicians. In any case, watching the episode reminded me of what great music Mr. Rodgers had as his soundtrack (jazz, and not light crappy muzak jazz, but a jazz combo featuring some pretty heady stuff) I could go on about this, but I will say in short that the music on each episode was far and beyond anything that came before or has been on since in children's television. I lift my espresso to you Mr. Rodgers for exposing our childhood ears to more than that happy-go-lucky pop fluff. Who ever says music (or even stories) have to be dumbed down for children to grasp and absorb it is 100% wrong (as well-intentioned as they may be). So, Mr. Rodgers, I salute you for your vision and your love of the circus life. 
