by Ronda Billerbeck, City of Kent Cultural Programs Manager
His name was Luka,
He lived on the second floor,
He lived upstairs from her,
Yes, she got his mail all the time . . .
A bit of a deviation from how the song goes, but that’s how the real story went. I know because I heard it straight from Suzanne Vega herself. She told the story of “Luka,” her celebrated and heartbreaking song about child abuse, to a group of high school students in Kent, Washington.
I presented a concert by Suzanne Vega as part of the performing arts series I produce. In addition to her public performance, I arranged for Suzanne to conduct a workshop in a local school. I try to incorporate these types of educational outreach activities with professional touring artists as often as I can. Interacting with an artist in an intimate setting, hearing them discuss their vision and process, offers depth of experience that a traditional concert performance cannot provide. Getting that kind of glimpse into the creative process is unique and powerful.
So, I had the privilege of sitting in the library of Kent-Meridian High School, along with about 40 students and a handful of staff, on a chilly January afternoon while Suzanne Vega spoke openly about her art. Listening to any artist talk about their work is interesting at the very least and more often than not quite compelling. This was not just any artist. Suzanne Vega is widely regarded as one of the most brilliant songwriters of her generation. She is a masterful storyteller who rewrote the book on what female singer-songwriters can say and do, paving the way for artists such as Sarah McLachlan, Tracy Chapman, Shawn Colvin and the entire Lilith Fair revolution.
I grew up listening to Suzanne Vega. I have distinct memories of spending sunny Saturday mornings on my trampoline with Billboard’s “Top 40 Countdown” playing on the radio. I remember practicing back flips to the relentlessly catchy “Tom’s Diner” . . . I am sitting, in the morning, at the diner, on the corner . . . I am waiting, at the counter, for the man, to pour the coffee . . . I rested to “Luka,” knowing it was a serious and sad song, even though my young mind was not entirely able to fathom the tragedy it described.
It was more than a little thrilling for me to watch Suzanne Vega interact with these students – a Grammy Award winner, an iconic voice in American song standing in a humble high school library speaking to the students with an obvious conviction that they each have the potential to achieve as much as she has achieved. She spoke about her creative process and gave them tips on finding and honing their individual artistic voices. She read poetry, told stories and discussed the music business.
She told the story of “Luka” in response to a student’s question about how long it takes her to write a song. She explained that she had been working on the concept for “Luka” in her head for many months before she actually sat down to write the song (that part took about two hours). She knew she wanted to write a song about child abuse, from the perspective of the abused child. There was a young boy who lived upstairs in her building named Luka Vega. Because they had the same last name, she often received his mail by mistake. She doesn’t think he was actually abused; he just seemed quiet and a little different from the rest of the kids, and she liked the name because it seemed universal.
A highlight of the afternoon was when Suzanne performed a spellbinding, a cappella rendition of “Tom’s Diner,” her voice was barely louder than a whisper and the students leaned in, transfixed. It is important to note that this educational activity was completely optional and students chose to sign up and stay for an hour after school to participate. It was the Friday after semester finals and I was honestly worried no one would show up. Not only did the students show up, they were thoroughly engaged and asked thought provoking questions.
One student who sat in the front row with his guitar was the first to raise his hand and ask a startlingly insightful question. After the session, two separate teachers told me that the young man is typically very quiet and rarely speaks in class. Another student was thrilled to share his original poem with Suzanne. It happened to be his birthday. After she autographed the poem, he walked away, beaming and said, “This is my best birthday ever!” A teacher who participated in the activity said that “Luka” made a profound impact on her as a young person, influencing her to study psychology and spend the first 15 years of her career working with victims of domestic violence. She emphasized to the students that they should never underestimate the power of their voices, and who they might influence and how.
The group was very diverse, including Somalian, African American, Latino, Asian and Caucasian students. Approximately 70% of the student population at Kent-Meridian participates in the free or reduced lunch program, so it is safe to assume that many of the participants were from lower-income families. As we talked after the workshop, Suzanne described herself as a “hot-lunch kid.” She explained that she enjoys reaching out to kids in a similar situation to help them imagine a future full of potential.
These are the times that I truly love my job. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always work out so well. At some point during the process of setting up every educational outreach activity, I end up swearing that I will never attempt to pull off such an activity again. “Why?” you ask; because it is nearly impossible to find someone to host them. “How can that be?” you say, “Who wouldn’t want to bring such a valuable experience to their school?” Good question. I’ve had more than a few opportunities go unused because I couldn’t find anyone to take them. I don’t mean to be too critical of teachers and administrators. I know they have a lot going on. Between classes and administrative demands and trainings and various tests, it’s difficult to make time for extra activities. But it is SO worth it when they do. I’ve seen it time and time again, and when I call and email and knock myself out and get nowhere, I want to yell and scream and shake somebody.
Part of the problem is the lack of a neat and tidy way to get the word out. The Kent School District is big – 40 schools and more than 25,000 students, big. I keep thinking there should be a central person to contact, or maybe even a standard group of people. I’ve tried starting with the district arts coordinator. I’ve tried going to the principals. I’ve tried approaching all the music, art and drama teachers. None of these strategies work as a rule. The only approach I’ve found to be effective is very labor intensive and nerve-wracking – making repeated phone calls and emails to varying people until I happen upon the right one. Sometimes it’s a principal; at other schools it’s a teacher.
Two schools passed on the Suzanne Vega opportunity before I finally connected with an energetic English teacher at Kent-Meridian High School. He got excited. He wasn’t daunted by having to work extra hard. He made a promotional video that he played in the cafeteria during lunch periods. He talked it up and, as a result, nearly 40 kids showed up for an experience they will never forget. He wrote me a thank you note the next week, saying “The world needs more artists who make themselves accessible like Suzanne Vega.” I agree. I also think the world needs more teachers who are willing to go the extra mile to connect artists to students. Additionally, the world needs more artist agents and managers who are willing to change travel schedules at the last minute or do whatever else it takes to make it happen. It required the work of a lot of people to make the Suzanne Vega workshop happen. Some people might look at the effort involved for the number of kids served and question whether it’s worth it, but they would be underestimating the depth of the impact on those 40 kids.
As I made emails and phone calls to set up another school assembly recently, a high school teacher told me he “really didn’t want to give up a day of rehearsal.” I understand the importance of regular rehearsals, I really do. I grew up dancing and playing music and performing in plays. I get it. But there are rehearsals every day. Students aren’t going to go home at night and excitedly tell their parents about rehearsal. They aren’t going to remember the rehearsal they had on Thursday, March 17, 2011 ten or twenty years later. The things they’re going to talk about, and remember, and be inspired by are the Suzanne Vegas, the artists who take the time to share their thoughts, skills and passions. These unique and powerful experiences are the ones that create a spark; the ones that will be remembered.
