In the beginning of June I had recorded a poem on SoundCloud in honor of Maya Angelou, and I wrote a about how her work had influenced me. I don’t really have anything new to add to that this evening, except to say that it was my friend Jody who brought the poem to my attention. And upon reading it, I knew I had to record it.
The poem paints an emotional picture of how the deaths of great people, ones whom we admire, affect us. I don’t think Dr. Angelou ever thought of this poem as something that would refer to her own self. But despite criticism and prejudice, great is exactly what she was.
You can find the entire text of the poem “When Great Trees Fall,” read the article, and listen to my original recording of it by clicking right here. But I would also like to share with you a remix done this week by my friend, the caretaker, the Hausmeister as he mysteriously calls himself. He has done me the honor before of laying down tracks with my voice, and I always enjoy his creations. It’s fascinating what emotions can be heightened and complimented when spoken word meets music and mixology.
What a joy and a privilege when ones love of an art inspires another in his or her own work. Thank you for letting me share this, my friend.
David J. Bauman 
It is a good poem for sure…nice that you reminded us of it.
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Thanks- love this and where it takes me.
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Not sure about the remix…. your original reading i loved.xx
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Thank you, Vince. I just enjoy listening to how the interpretation changes with the addition of new elements. It’s like listening to the same poem read by two different people. Hey, that reminds me, have you ever checked out John Nooney’s blog, Poetically Versed? He encourages people to record the same poem before listening to his reading, and then to share and compare. It’s a neat concept, and I wish more people took him up on it.
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Always interesting to see how different media interact to create a different feel to a poem.
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My thoughts exactly, Charles. It was fun to see how my delivery seemed to intensify and change with the addition of music and the change in tone. 🙂
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Loved hearing this and the original again – such a completely different experience with the music – very cool!
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Thank you so much! I’m happy to hear you enjoyed the experience both ways. Certainly a fun experiment.
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Loved the presentation, thank you for sharing.
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