Hi! Welcome to “A Body of Work.” It’s the occasional Tuesday space here on “Living in a Body” where I dig deep into Hal history and pull out a musical gem. Be sure to click the Soundcloud link below to hear the song “A Humpback in Ohio.” I hope you’ll enjoy and share this post with a friend. Thank you!
In the early 2000’s, I started working with the Ohio Arts Council as an artist-in-residence in schools around Ohio. It was a perfect fit. I’d bring a carload of musical instruments to a school and I’d spend anywhere from two to six weeks teaching, creating and collaborating with students. Not having to follow a curriculum, I got to teach what I wanted to teach — singing, songwriting, harmonica, stick dancing, banakula making and playing and more. I loved that work so much.
One of my favorite residencies was at Tussing Elementary School in Pickerington Ohio. Tussing students were studying whales with a sister school in Barrow, Alaska. The culminating event of this project would be the erection of a huge sculpture of a whale’s tail in the pond of the school. The students and I came up with the idea of mapping the whale’s journey from Barrow, Alaska to Pickerington, Ohio in a song. I went back to my hotel room and wrote one of my favorite songs of all time, “A Humpback in Ohio.”
I hope you enjoy.
A Humpback in Ohio
My journey begins in the Arctic Ocean
North of Barrow, Alaska
I’ll swim through the Bering Straits into the Bering Sea
From north to south, I’ll soar the waters of the Pacific Ocean
Through the Panama Canal into the Caribbean SeaAnd then north through the Yucatan Channel
I’ll swim to the Gulf of Mexico
I’ll race to the old Mississippi
And then run to the OhioChorus
I’m a whale on a journey underneath the sun
And I’m swimming home to Pickerington
A humpback in Ohio betcha never thought you’d see
But I’m on my way so be looking for me.My journey continues as I move to the mouth of the Scioto River
I swim upstream Big Walnut Creek, I’m almost home
I turn to the east, Blacklick Creek, listen close for the gift I’m bringing.
As I leap through the brook of old Tussing Farm, you’ll hear my song.So, people gather round with your children
And bring your grandparents, too.
You gotta carry me over this portage
To the pond of the Tussing SchoolTo Chorus
I’ll see you in February
by Hal Walker
Thank you, Hal! Your voice and your stories always lift me. I'm so grateful.
What a gift on a hazy sun morning…