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Blake’s Music in the Classroom April 16th, 2009

Last week I received an enthusiastic email from Judy Hill, the Chair of the English Department at Aledo High School in Texas.  Judy contacted me out of the blue to thank me for making my William Blake CD, which she had discovered during a visit to my website; and she told me that she and her students had “thoroughly enjoyed listening to the CD as we studied William Blake.”  Given my original hope that the musical recording would help to  make Blake’s poetry more easily accessible to folks unfamiliar with it, Judy’s news was gratifying indeed.  Even more gratifying was her kindness in posting an enthusastic review of the CD on the College Board website for AP literature, which has resulted in a flurry of visits to my own website and numerous CD sales in the USA.  Since releasing the CD in 2007, I have been contacted by quite a number of English professors telling me that my musical settings have worked well in the university classroom, but this is the first time that a highschool English teacher has done the same.  It’s great to know that people are listening.  Thanks to Judy and her students for putting a bounce in my step!