The life of Melanie Daniels as writer, percussion artist, nanny, caregiver, anarchist, video maker, and computer techie is scripted in this article as a diorama.
Scenes for the camera eye. 1975: Melanie is born in Brookhaven, N.Y. Her first words were in Spanish eight months later to the baby sitter in Puerto Rico, where her parents were English teachers.
In 1982, the meaning of life, death, and the body evaded Melanie for a year after her grandmother’s sudden death. She was riding in a car when she realized what Grandma Violet’s death actually meant.
The life and passing of Grandmother Violet continued to resonate. Grandma and her sisters had gone into showbiz at an early age.
Melanie says, “Grandma Violet was in a movie with Helen Kane, the original Betty Boop.” She met her husband-to-be on Broadway, where they were singers and dancers together on stage. She was crowned Miss Broadway.
Grandma Violet met the president of the United States.
“She taught me how to sing. The night she died, she was watching me. She let me stay up late, and she scratched my back.
“In the morning, I found out that she’d been taken to the hospital. She died of blood clots. When I went to the funeral, I was happy to get out of school early. I did not understand that I would be seeing her lifeless body.
“It took me a year before I could grieve her passing. I was riding in a car and I knew that she was gone.
“My maternal grandfather was the head of his family. He had a booming voice. He loved telling stories and expressing his opinions on things. He was very caring. We always joked that he should be the mayor.
“One time when I slept at his house on Long Island, I asked him to tell me a bedtime story. Instead of telling me a fantastical tale like I was used to hearing from my father, he told me about the life of Eisenhower. I interrupted him and asked if I could please go to sleep instead.”
Bits and pieces of the diorama return as Melanie plays the drums.
She remembers learning to swim at a Holiday Inn. Her first close friend spoke only German—the two made up many adventures.
She remembers a trip to Spain, Gypsy caves in Portugal, stalactite and stalagmite limestone caves. A car accident: the doctor spoke only one word in English, “Shut up.” Crossing the English Channel, people were throwing up on the hovercraft; exotic ice creams in Paris, and “Father telling me that a piece of light was an angel.”
She traveled on her own to Japan, Europe, the Mediterranean, Canada, and Chicago.
Melanie says, “I did not think I would stay in Ithaca for long, but I am still here four years later.
“Of all my jobs, the most memorable were working for the Cirque du Soleil as a barker with a fake French accent, and a migrant blueberry picker in Vancouver.
“And working at the Media Lab Tech at TC3, working on projects, fixing hardware/software; I started making computer programs from when I was seven on my Texas Instrument computer in 1982.
“My least favorite job was at the Ithaca Journal, sorting papers—everyone wearing ear plugs. My skin turned gray like parchment.
“After my two trips to Europe, my first job on return to Ithaca was to work with Nancy Brown, one of the founders of EcoVillage. She and I quickly became friends. I admired her love of nature and her adventurous spirit. Nancy used to do clowning work, and she told me that there is no such thing as work; it is all play.
“Through her I met the Ramanujans, who I have worked for since. They are like family to me.”
Scenes of Melanie teaching music: Melanie on pattern, rhythm, and tones in sound.
“Drums and pianos,” she says, “are extensions of my being to communicate. And if I were stuck in prison or a deserted island, music will save me. With music, I am in the now.”
More scenes: Melanie playing snare drums in a band, in a high school marching band, at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, at Disney World; she is now in two bands (Primary Sources and Glowbug). She started her bucket drumming troupe (Strike Force) for anarchist percussionists who have also drummed against the IMF and World Bank, and in Vancouver against the war. The rhythm of the drums keeps the crowd going.
Melanie is a part of EcoVillage, and EcoVillage is part of her. She says, “I have worked as a nanny with six families; the children run around freely, and they are safe. In the summer, we swim in the pond. In the winter, we skate on the paths; it is peaceful. The people here are curious about the world.”
Final, before fade out: Melanie says, “I am not sure what future adventure awaits, but I often find myself in the most colorful places. I just pick a direction, and walk. Life is never boring, if you have eyes to see and ears to hear, hands to create. I often like to imagine that I am in another planet, and that every house I pass has a story to tell behind their windows.”
Scenes for the camera eye. 1975: Melanie is born in Brookhaven, N.Y. Her first words were in Spanish eight months later to the baby sitter in Puerto Rico, where her parents were English teachers.
In 1982, the meaning of life, death, and the body evaded Melanie for a year after her grandmother’s sudden death. She was riding in a car when she realized what Grandma Violet’s death actually meant.
The life and passing of Grandmother Violet continued to resonate. Grandma and her sisters had gone into showbiz at an early age.
Melanie says, “Grandma Violet was in a movie with Helen Kane, the original Betty Boop.” She met her husband-to-be on Broadway, where they were singers and dancers together on stage. She was crowned Miss Broadway.
Grandma Violet met the president of the United States.
“She taught me how to sing. The night she died, she was watching me. She let me stay up late, and she scratched my back.
“In the morning, I found out that she’d been taken to the hospital. She died of blood clots. When I went to the funeral, I was happy to get out of school early. I did not understand that I would be seeing her lifeless body.
“It took me a year before I could grieve her passing. I was riding in a car and I knew that she was gone.
“My maternal grandfather was the head of his family. He had a booming voice. He loved telling stories and expressing his opinions on things. He was very caring. We always joked that he should be the mayor.
“One time when I slept at his house on Long Island, I asked him to tell me a bedtime story. Instead of telling me a fantastical tale like I was used to hearing from my father, he told me about the life of Eisenhower. I interrupted him and asked if I could please go to sleep instead.”
Bits and pieces of the diorama return as Melanie plays the drums.
She remembers learning to swim at a Holiday Inn. Her first close friend spoke only German—the two made up many adventures.
She remembers a trip to Spain, Gypsy caves in Portugal, stalactite and stalagmite limestone caves. A car accident: the doctor spoke only one word in English, “Shut up.” Crossing the English Channel, people were throwing up on the hovercraft; exotic ice creams in Paris, and “Father telling me that a piece of light was an angel.”
She traveled on her own to Japan, Europe, the Mediterranean, Canada, and Chicago.
Melanie says, “I did not think I would stay in Ithaca for long, but I am still here four years later.
“Of all my jobs, the most memorable were working for the Cirque du Soleil as a barker with a fake French accent, and a migrant blueberry picker in Vancouver.
“And working at the Media Lab Tech at TC3, working on projects, fixing hardware/software; I started making computer programs from when I was seven on my Texas Instrument computer in 1982.
“My least favorite job was at the Ithaca Journal, sorting papers—everyone wearing ear plugs. My skin turned gray like parchment.
“After my two trips to Europe, my first job on return to Ithaca was to work with Nancy Brown, one of the founders of EcoVillage. She and I quickly became friends. I admired her love of nature and her adventurous spirit. Nancy used to do clowning work, and she told me that there is no such thing as work; it is all play.
“Through her I met the Ramanujans, who I have worked for since. They are like family to me.”
Scenes of Melanie teaching music: Melanie on pattern, rhythm, and tones in sound.
“Drums and pianos,” she says, “are extensions of my being to communicate. And if I were stuck in prison or a deserted island, music will save me. With music, I am in the now.”
More scenes: Melanie playing snare drums in a band, in a high school marching band, at Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, at Disney World; she is now in two bands (Primary Sources and Glowbug). She started her bucket drumming troupe (Strike Force) for anarchist percussionists who have also drummed against the IMF and World Bank, and in Vancouver against the war. The rhythm of the drums keeps the crowd going.
Melanie is a part of EcoVillage, and EcoVillage is part of her. She says, “I have worked as a nanny with six families; the children run around freely, and they are safe. In the summer, we swim in the pond. In the winter, we skate on the paths; it is peaceful. The people here are curious about the world.”
Final, before fade out: Melanie says, “I am not sure what future adventure awaits, but I often find myself in the most colorful places. I just pick a direction, and walk. Life is never boring, if you have eyes to see and ears to hear, hands to create. I often like to imagine that I am in another planet, and that every house I pass has a story to tell behind their windows.”
