BETWEEN THE PAGES from page 73
Far Kids
During Detroit 300, when the his-
wry of the city shapes public atten-
tion, a new children's book by
Marcy Heller Fisher gives some
insight into an important artistic
legacy
The auiloor Muse-um: The Magic
of Michiga;11 Marshall M Fredericks
(Wayne S2 re University Press;
$27.95 c1o,7h/$16.95 paper) is a
reality-based story book that takes
children on a sculptural journey A
mother, daughter and the daugh-
TH E OUTDOOR
MUSEUM
THE MAGIC OF MICHIGAN'S
MARSHALL M. FREDERICKS
16Y
MANCY HELM% FISIOR
311111,16.1.116, SY
CHIkIST3141PY, .....WOOMI St
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ter's young friend drive and walk to
find the people and animals created
in bronze by the late artist.
The Bloomfield Hills author,
'with the help of Michigan illustra-
tor Christine Collins Woomer, trav-
els from downtown Detroit's Spirit
of Detroit to the many figurative
pieces at the museum of his proj-
ects at Saginaw Valley State
University.
"As a kid, I loved Fredericks'
work," says Fisher, 48, a former
Pontiac teacher who decided to
devote her attention to writing and
entered a study program through
Oakland Schools. "I began my
project before he died and got to
meet him several times."
Fisher, who names the main
character after her daughter Abby,
asked all four of her youngsters to
critique her work, which takes
readers into the sculptor's
Bloomfield Hills home and Royal
Oak studio. Models of his animal
statuary demonstrate how sculptors
develop their ideas into large, three-
dimensional structures.
Fisher, who writes every day in
her Bloomfield Hills home with the
encouragement of her husband,
Robert, graduated from Cass
Technical High School, earned her
bachelor's degree from the
University of Michigan
• and went on to get her
master's degree from
Indiana University She
had her bat mitzvah at
Temple Beth El, where her
mother, Virginia Heller,
was a teacher.
"I think people love
Fredericks' sculpture with-
Marcy Heller Fisher's book
celebrates the sculpture of
Detroit-area artist Marshall
Fredericks.
out knowing about him, so I hope
readers get some understanding
that they didn't have before," Fisher
says. "I didn't want anything cutesy
I wanted something that adults also
would appreciate." ❑
Marcy Heller Fisher will be sign-
ing books 1 p.m. Saturday, July
14, at the Elizabeth Stone
Gallery in Birmingham, (248)
647-7040; 4 p.m. Saturday, July
28, at Waldenbooks at Somerset
North in Troy, (248) 816-1359;
and 2 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 4, at
Borders Books and Music in
Novi, (248) 347 - 0810.
.rrk.
Bubbe's Ballads
Singer to revive Yiddish melodies
at free Oak Park concert.
JENNIFER LOVY
Special to the Jewish News
A
condensed version
of Lori Cahan-
Simon's musical
resume would
read something like this:
• Professional nightclub
singer at age 14;
• Performer at Atlantic
City casino showrooms;
The Lori-Cahan Simon Ensemble:
-
• Songwriter for
Songs that touch people.
Motown Records;
• Vocalist with an R&B
like previous ones, organizers say they
and rock 'n' roll band;
can guarantee episodes of spontaneous
• Yiddish vocalist with
dancing among the hundreds of con-
the Lori Cahan-Simon Ensemble.
certgoers.
Although Cahan-Simon continues to .
Accompanying.Cahan-Simon are
perform a variety of music in various
Steven Greenman on violin, Melvin
venues, much of her work is focused on
Arnoff on keyboard, Norman Tischler
her newly discovered passion — pro-
on saxophone and clarinet and Walter
moting Yiddish culture through music.
Mahovlich on accordion.
Her ensemble, formed just a few years
It was Tischler who indirectly got
ago, performs Yiddish songs in the
Cahan-Simon involved with Yiddish
Eastern European klezmer tradition.
music. Four years ago he helped her
This Sunday, July 15, Cahan-Simon
get a teaching job at Workmen's
brings her group to Oak Park for a
Circle in Cleveland. Initially she
free concert at Rothstein Park, behind
taught children drama and art. When
the Jewish Community Center.
the school needed a music teacher,
They will perform pieces from the
she was given the job despite what
ensemble's newest album, Songs My
she 'described as "a Yiddish deficit."
Bubbe Should Have Taught Me. The
She did not speak the language.
compilation of Yiddish Passover songs
"I had to learn Yiddish in self-
is a culmination of five years of
defense. 1 really got to love the music
research. Cahan-Simon found pieces
and I felt that these kids should have
dating as far back as the 16th century.
something to take home from our class-
This is the first volume in a planned
es since I only saw them once a week.
series. Cahan-Simon's next project will
"I said, 'Why not make a tape?'
include a compilation of Yiddish
From there it turned into this," she
Chanukah songs.
said, referring to the ensemble whose
Concertgoers don't have to speak
members have impressive musical back-
Yiddish to enjoy the performance.
grounds, including Greenman, a practi-
Cahan-Simon translates the gist of
tioner of traditional Eastern European
each song before it is performed.
klezmer violin.
"Even if you don't understand
. "Listening to him fills me with such
Yiddish, there is always the emotional
emotion," said Cahan-Simon. "His .
content of a song that touches peo-
music makes me want to laugh and cry.
ple," said Cahan-Simon, a Cleveland
He is so marvelous and his playing is
resident who is looking forward to her
the epitome of Yiddish sensibility." 111
first Detroit-area performance.
The free concert is an annual event
The Workmen's Circle free concert
planned by the Workmen's
begins at 7 p.m. Sunday, July 15,
Circle/Arbeter Ring. This year's per-
in Rothstein Park in Oak Park,
formance marks the 23rd anniversary of
but will be moved to the adjacent
the program, according to Selma Goode,
Jewish Community Center in case
who chairs the Concert in the Park
of rain. (248) 545-0985
Committee.
And if this performance is anything