The Darwin Song

an additional piece of the story shared by Robin Heyden...

I am a folk music fan and one of my favorites is a singer/song writer named Mark Erelli. You've probably never heard of him, but he's kind of famous in folk music circles. Anyway, he was playing at a local club, here in the Boston area, and I just went to see him. On that evening, he played a song about Charles Darwin. It was a lovely song - and I was very taken with it - but also perplexed as to where the inspiration for a song about science would come.

When I got home that night, I searched his web site for any reference to it and discovered that Mark (and a few other musicians) had been invited to the UK to be a part of something called the Darwin Song Project (in honor of Darwin's 200th anniversary). Anyway, they worked together for a few weeks, wrote a bunch of songs (including the one I'd heard) and then gave a concert there in the UK. The CD from the project is out now.

My mind, of course, led to that same biology teaching community and conference (where Gardner spoke). So, on a lark, I looked Mark Erelli up on facebook.

Lo and behold he was there - and so I sent him a message. I felt like a crazed fan or something. but I told him my story and asked him if he would ever consider performing for a group of biology teachers.

Much to my surprise and delight, he wrote right back! Whoa. He said that he had been a biology major in college (who knew?) and would be very interested. He suggested that I get in touch with his agent. I did, we negotiated, and he is now going to come to the 2010 conference and sing his Darwin songs for a group of college biology teachers.

Isn't that wonderful!? Sure wish that had happened when you were still in production - but I knew you'd love it anyway.
-- Robin