When my son was a newborn I survived 2 a.m. feedings by listening to jazz. Something about Kathy’s Waltz was very therapeutic as a new mother with a squalling newborn.
This is why I felt compelled to tell my son of the recent passing of Dave Brubeck. Whether he knew it or not, the album Time Out was an integral part of his first months on this earth. Our conversation about Brubeck turned into an exploration of jazz itself.
My kids and I often explore music genres and periods together when I bring home various CDs from the library. I hope it instills some sort of appreciation, in the same way I learned about rock through summers poring over my dad’s Rolling Stones and Black Sabbath collections.
The best way to teach someone about music is to listen to it. The Ken Burns documentary on jazz seemed like a perfect match. I knew exactly where to find it, right when I needed it.
Access Video is an online database with a vast collection of documentaries from a variety of sources. You can search by topic and director, but also by special collections such as the History Channel, National Geographic, Modern Marvels or even Rick Steves’ Europe. To find this resource, visit www.kcls.org/databases and choose Access Video from the alphabetical list of databases. Log on with your King County Library system card and PIN.
One of the special collections is Ken Burns, which contains his entire documentaries. The possibilities of these documentaries on demand are endless for entertainment and education and you even have an option to read the transcripts. If jazz isn’t your thing there are documentaries on art and architecture, science, technology, cooking, home improvement and even the Rolling Stones.
As we settle in to those dark, rainy nights, it’s a good option for entertainment. These are available any time, day or night, without commercial interruptions or pledge drives. It’s your library on demand and you’ve already subscribed through your library card.
Darcy Brixey is the teen services librarian at the Bellevue Library. She’d like to tell you she loves to read, but it’s an expectation of the job.
