Eugene Field is the forgotten “Children’s Poet” of the 19th century.  Using music, I'm attempting to bring his poetry back into America’s consciousness through the publication of what I consider to be his finest poems.  My vision is to publish a children’s book with illustrations for each of these poems; in the back of the book there would be a CD insert with my original music that accompanies each poem with perhaps a brief creative biography of the poet as an introduction in the front.  
 
Over the past decade I’ve composed music for nearly two-dozen of Field’s literary masterpieces.  Thirteen of these songs inspired by his poetry have made the final cut. Here’s a list of the poems that would be included in this book: Beard and Baby; Buttercup, Poppy, Forget Me not; Cunning Little Thing; Fairy and Child; Long Ago; Norse Lullaby; Spring Poem from Bion; Shuteye Train; Sugar Plum Tree; To a Little Brook; The Duel; The Naughty Doll; and The Straw Parlor.

I believe this collection represents a genre of music that parents will love sharing with their children because, while classified as children’s music, the music and lyrics emanating from these poems represent a subtle sophistication, depth, insight and creativity that surpasses much of the music currently available in this popular market.  I believe that the songs would be very appealing to that ever-increasing body of parents who are always looking for children’s music that they don’t want to turn off the moment they turn it on.


Sugar Plum Tree

To a Little Brook

Spring Poem from Bion

Buttercup, Poppy, Forget Me Not

Norse Lullaby

Shut Eye Train

Straw Parlor

Naughty Doll

Beard and Baby

Cunning Little Thing

To hear the album in the order the songs are intended to be heard, click on "Sets(1)" in the ribbon on the top of the screen next to "Tracks(14)." 

Next to teaching English at a high school in Maryland and raising three boys, I also find time to write songs.  This is what keeps me feeling alive, what keeps my mind, heart, and senses in touch with the world around me.  Here's an album I recorded these past six months (January - June, 2011) in my modest little home studio.  The working title for this album is Mirror Factory, but this may change.  With the exception of my wife singing backing on a few tracks and playing viola on one, this is a solo project.  However, I'm looking to start a band in the near future so I can take these songs around to local venues.  If you like this experimental folk rock and you live in my neck of the woods, please contact me!  You can email me at peter.sabath@pgcps.org.  Or, if you wish, you can contact me at one of my social media sites that I'll be creating for my music in the near future.

To read a description of each individual song, you'll have to click on the song title when you're in the "Tracks" section of the page (or click on the little black arrows on the far right of your screen when your on the "Sets" page). Here you can also peruse the lyrics, which my biggest fan (my supportive and loving dad, Bob Sabath), already posted for the world to read!  I have trouble describing my own music.  Friends who've listened to this call my music "emotionally charged," "passionate," and "sonically rich."  For now, I'm calling it "experimental folk rock."  I wanted to create a dense, moving collection of songs with soaring harmonies, guitars, rhythms, and lyrics.  Listen for yourself.  You be the judge.

The folks behind Mirror Factory:

Pete Sabath - vocals, backing vocals, guitars, Ivorian djembe, glockenspiel
Zsofia Toszegi - backing vocals, viola

Over and out,
Pete

psabath