Better Together – Acknowledgements
Caring and Including, Instead of Bullying
Acknowledgments:
Thanks for this collaboration:
CD Production:
Rainbow Sounds Studio, Bernardston, MA: Scott Sibley, Production, Engineering.
A Gentle Wind, Albany, NY: recording and mixing by Donald Person, production by Jill Person, include “Heart of the World,” “Mama’s Weaving,” “My Mother and I,” and “Tree of Life.”
“Talk It Out” recorded at Avocet by Joe Podlesney, released by A Gentle Wind.
Book Production: Levellers Press, Florence, MA.
Cover Watercolor and Book Design: Nancy Haver
Back cover photo: Hampshire Gazette Newspaper by permission,
featuring Claudia Cunningham and Ella Sherman, Leeds School.
The Better Together initiative and name were created by:
Karen Bryant, Janet Decker, and Roxanne Nieman at Leeds Elementary School, Leeds, MA. Joseph Smith, Principal.
Better Together team at Leeds Elementary School:
Erin Berard, colleague since 1996, for helping to design and lead Better Together material.
Songwriters of songs in this collection:
Andrea Ayvazian, Jaroslav Hutka, Isolina Leiva-Bowes, Ruth Pelham.
Song Collaborations: “Mama’s Weaving” Alex Dibrindisi, Emma Kemp, Olivia Eberle, Sophie Sharp, and Gina Whalen.
“Just in This Moment” Meaghan Foley, Mary Jane McMahon, Amy G. Norman, Melissa Quirk, Christine Reale, Susan Tassinari.
“Passing the Power On” Pat Beck, Satch Hoff, Ellen LaFleche, Sarah Pirtle, Mary Beth Radke, Eleanor Roberts, Marguerite Sheehan, Pat Troxell, and Marcia Yudkin.
“Two in the Fight” created with second graders from Bellows Falls, Vermont.
“No More Punchy Wunchy” and “You Can Be Kind” from Karen Bryant’s second grade class at Leeds Elementary School, Leeds, MA, with James Biddulph initiating the first of the two and contributions by Ella Sherman.
Instrumentation
Flute: Sue Krantz on “Fire Talk.”
Guitar: Paul Strausman on “Heart of the World,” and other A Gentle Wind songs listed above. Ryan Pirtle-McVeigh, guitar, on “Oops,” “Knock on the Wall,” and “I am a Person.”
Lenka Zbruz , guitar, on “Náměštˇ and David Furth, guitar, on “Freeman.”
Fiddle: John Kirk on “Tree of Life,” Violin: Eveline MacDougall.
Harmonica: Al Sax on “Knock on the Wall.”
Zydeco band: The Barnstormers on “Talk It Out.”
Bobbie Van Detta on bass and Willie Moak, drums, on “My Mother and I.”
Scott Sibley: Guitar on “When I Say Stop,” and additional instrumentation.
Singers
Eileen Almeida. Isobel Arthen, Olivia Arthen, Erin Berard, Lui Collins, Meg Cook, Isabella DeHerdt, David Furth, John Kirk, Isolina Leiva-Bowes, Zoe Lemos, Molly Lieberman, Eveline MacDougall, Gillis MacDougall, Melanie Meier, Liam O’Shea, Kate O’Shea, Ryan Pirtle-McVeigh, Hannah Rosen, Persephone Sarantidis, Allison Schrade Kiphuth, Sarah Stockwell-Arthen , Paul Strausman, Leah Walsh, Ellasarah Wolfzahn-Deters, Filip Zbruz, and Lenka Zbruz.
Books by Sarah Pirtle
