Episode 014: Ruth Pelham Interview

The Music Mobile
A Community Building Experience

Ruth Pelham is the Creator of the Music Mobile, a unique inner-city program in Albany, NY. She’s a children’s musician, singer, songwriter, recording artist, educator, activist, and global community builder.

SHOW NOTES

Ruth Pelham is a song leader, songwriter, workshop leader, and activist whose abundant warmth and exuberance accompany her performances for people of all ages. Her songs embrace themes of peace, justice, and environmental responsibility, and give voice to hope and possibility in these challenging times. In 1977 she founded the Music Mobile that presents cultural arts and empowerment programs in schools, parks, festivals, libraries, universities, and diverse community venues. Based in Albany NY, Ruth is recognized nationally as a pioneer in community arts and education.

“Ruth Pelham is one of America’s greatest songwriters and an even better community organizer.”
Pete Seeger, Legendary Folksinger

If you were a child in inner-city Albany, NY and heard the Music Mobile song playing from the speakers of a brightly decorated blue van as it rode the streets of your neighborhood, you came running to share some fun, some music, some crafts and a unique community building, learning experience, unlike any other. Check out how one musician changed an entire city – one neighborhood at a time.

[02:35] Ruth shares her funny and synchronous story about how she started the Music Mobile in collaboration with the City of Albany, NY. She also goes into her background and influences that helped her create this unique program.

[05:49] Ruth describes the mission and workings of the Music Mobile that has stood throughout the many years of the program.

[07:43] The impact that the Music Mobile had on the people, the neighborhoods and the entire city was profound. Ruth shares those stories.

[10:09] As a not-for-profit organization, Ruth worked closely with the City of Albany and many of the city’s departments. She describes her interactions, funding sources and partnerships that helped the program keep going for 39 years.

[16:19] We begin discussing the legacy project that Ruth is creating as she works to archive all the years of program materials.

[22:06] Over the course of time, Ruth developed an international branch of Music Mobile and took aspects of the program to Shri Lanka, Russia, Uganda as well as other parts of the US, such as working with the Havasupai Tribe in the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

[25:29] The Music Mobile experience informed Ruth’s beliefs about human potential and behavior. She talks about that and the “abundance factor.”

[30:13] We discuss the impact that the power of song can have on a person, a community, and the world. Songs don’t need to only be in regular performance spaces to make a difference.

[31:44] Ruth talks about the process behind her legacy project as she works with the various organizations to create a living archive of the Music Mobile.

[34:53] Songwriting is behind so much of this amazing program. Ruth talks about how her experiences impacted her works and actions.

[38:27] Ruth leaves us with some inspired words of how to be in this world.

Ruth Pelham
ruthpelham.com

The Music Mobile
musicmobile.org

Join Me Next Week

I’ll be talking about the best weekend of the year to play gigs, even now. Discover when and why and what you should do this week to set yours up.

Theme Music

Thanks to Dan Crary for providing the Get Great Gigs theme music, Thunderation, and for doing the voice-over open and close to the podcast. Check out his music at DanCrary.com

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One Final Note

During the COVID-19 Pandemic, we are helping musicians one T-shirt at a time with our T-shirt and song project,
“I’m Smiling at You Behind My Mask.” A portion of every
T- Shirt sold benefits MusiCares, a Recording Academy charity to help music people in need. Go to 360smiling.com for details.