Archive Record
Images
Metadata
Title |
Oral History of Rita Abrams |
Collection |
Oral History |
Scope & Content |
Musician and teacher Rita Abrams was born in 1943 in Cleveland, Ohio. She graduated from the University of Michigan and did graduate work in Special Education at Boston University. In 1969, seeking a change of climate and scenery, Rita left the East Coast for the Bay Area and found a job as a kindergarten teacher at Mill Valley's Strawberry Point School. Inspired by her newfound home, Rita describes how she sat on a bench in the downtown plaza on Christmas Day 1969, and composed her now-famous song "Mill Valley." Rita discusses the value of music in her life and in schools, and talks about the trajectory of "Mill Valley" from its start on the downtown bench to international hit, including the involvement of Strawberry Point students and the song's release by Warner Bros. Soon after its 1970 release, "Mill Valley" was made the "official" song of the City of Mill Valley. |
Audio and Transcript |
Click here to hear recording. Click here to read the transcript. |
Dates of Creation |
1970-08-04 |
Interviewee |
Abrams, Rita |
Interviewer |
Anderson, Leonard |
Creator |
Mill Valley Historical Society |
Extent and Medium |
Transcript: 16pp Recording: 00:47:28 |
Search Terms |
"Mill Valley" (the song) Abrams, Rita Anderson, Leonard Beedle, Granville L. Beerman, Greg Carney, Jack Children Collins, James A. Concerts Depot Elder, Lynn Elementary school Fame Folk music Friedman, Bryan Gordan, Alfred Mill Valley (town) Mill Valley Public Library Music MV history - Music and counterculture (1960s and 1970s) Oral History - Music Pearson, Bob Record sales Recording Recording industry Reprise Records Reynolds, Malvina Rock bands Rock music San Francisco Song Writing Songs Songs & music Strawberry Point Elementary School Teachers Teaching |
Object ID |
1970.001.001 |
Object Name |
Recording |
Copyrights |
Transcript and recording copyright Mill Valley Public Library, 1970. Materials are made available for research purposes only; all rights are reserved to the Mill Valley Public Library. Requests for permission to quote for publication or for any other usage must be obtained from the Library. |