Rita Abrams
Encyclopedia
Rita Abrams is an American
songwriter, performer and writer. Her song "Mill Valley", recorded with children at the school where she was teaching, was released under the name Miss Abrams and the Strawberry Point Third Grade Class in 1970, becoming a Billboard
Hot 100 hit and being nominated for a Grammy. In 1980, she won an Emmy for the music for I Want It All Now, an NBC
documentary about life in Marin County, California
.
, Ohio
, where she attended Cleveland Heights High School
and studied classical piano
and music theory at the Cleveland Institute of Music
. She attended college in Cincinnati and at Simmons College
in Boston, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Michigan
. Boston University
granted her a fellowship for a Masters Program in Special Education, after which she taught for two years in Boston. There, she also started to write verse and song lyrics, and sang with the Three Faces of Eve, an all-girl rock and roll band.
In 1968, she moved to California
and secured a teaching post at Strawberry Point Elementary School in Mill Valley
. On Christmas Day 1969, she wrote a song about the town for her kindergarten
class to sing. It was heard by record producer Erik Jacobsen
, who recorded Adams with the children from the third grade class at the school, and took it to Warner Bros. Records
where the label management "guys in suits stood up and gave it a standing ovation". Released in June 1970 on the Reprise
label
, the record reached # 90 on the Billboard pop chart. Promotional photos of the singers were taken by Annie Leibovitz
, and Abrams appeared on several networked TV shows and in national magazines, while also turning down an opportunity to advertise Jell-O
. A performance for the Mill Valley Fourth of July
celebration was filmed by Francis Ford Coppola
, then a little-known documentary maker. The follow-up single, "Buildin' a Heaven on Earth", was written by singer/songwriter Norman Greenbaum
.
Following the success of "Mill Valley", Abrams, Jacobsen and the children recorded and released an album, entitled Miss Abrams and the Strawberry Point 4th Grade Class as the children had by then moved up a grade. According to reviewer Greg Adams, "Only the most hard-hearted cynic could find no enjoyment in this minor masterpiece of early-'70s soft pop."
Abrams then left teaching to pursue a career in music and verse writing, which subsequently included children's records and novelty songs, many in collaboration with Dr. Elmo (Elmo Shropshire), commercials, and greeting cards. She won a national Emmy in 1980 for writing the music for I Want It All Now, a documentary about life in Marin County, and a regional Emmy in 1992 for Classic Stories for Children. In 1981 she published a book, At Your Age You're Having a What? The Advantages of Middle-Aged Motherhood. She also created a Las Vegas
musical revue
based on John Gray
's book, Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus
, and a show about life in Marin County, For Whom The Bridge Tolls.
She has remained a resident of Mill Valley.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
songwriter, performer and writer. Her song "Mill Valley", recorded with children at the school where she was teaching, was released under the name Miss Abrams and the Strawberry Point Third Grade Class in 1970, becoming a Billboard
Billboard (magazine)
Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis...
Hot 100 hit and being nominated for a Grammy. In 1980, she won an Emmy for the music for I Want It All Now, an NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
documentary about life in Marin County, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
Life and career
She was born in ClevelandCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, where she attended Cleveland Heights High School
Cleveland Heights High School
Cleveland Heights High School is the senior high school of the Cleveland Heights-University Heights City School District.-History:Cleveland Heights High School was founded in 1901...
and studied classical piano
Piano
The piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
and music theory at the Cleveland Institute of Music
Cleveland Institute of Music
The Cleveland Institute of Music is an independent music conservatory located in the University Circle district of Cleveland, Ohio, United States and is overseen by president Joel Smirnoff and Adrian Daly, dean....
. She attended college in Cincinnati and at Simmons College
Simmons College (Massachusetts)
Simmons College, established in 1899, is a private women's undergraduate college and private co-educational graduate school in Boston, Massachusetts.-History:Simmons was founded in 1899 with a bequest by John Simmons a wealthy clothing manufacturer in Boston...
in Boston, and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature from the University of Michigan
University of Michigan
The University of Michigan is a public research university located in Ann Arbor, Michigan in the United States. It is the state's oldest university and the flagship campus of the University of Michigan...
. Boston University
Boston University
Boston University is a private research university located in Boston, Massachusetts. With more than 4,000 faculty members and more than 31,000 students, Boston University is one of the largest private universities in the United States and one of Boston's largest employers...
granted her a fellowship for a Masters Program in Special Education, after which she taught for two years in Boston. There, she also started to write verse and song lyrics, and sang with the Three Faces of Eve, an all-girl rock and roll band.
In 1968, she moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
and secured a teaching post at Strawberry Point Elementary School in Mill Valley
Mill Valley, California
Mill Valley is a city in Marin County, California, United States located about north of San Francisco via the Golden Gate Bridge. The population was 13,903 at the 2010 census.Mill Valley is located on the western and northern shores of Richardson Bay...
. On Christmas Day 1969, she wrote a song about the town for her kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
class to sing. It was heard by record producer Erik Jacobsen
Erik Jacobsen
Erik Jacobsen is an American record producer, best known for his work in the 1960s with Tim Hardin, The Lovin' Spoonful, The Charlatans and Norman Greenbaum, and later with Tazmanian Devils and Chris Isaak....
, who recorded Adams with the children from the third grade class at the school, and took it to Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records
Warner Bros. Records Inc. is an American record label. It was the foundation label of the present-day Warner Music Group, and now operates as a wholly owned subsidiary of that corporation. It maintains a close relationship with its former parent, Warner Bros. Pictures, although the two companies...
where the label management "guys in suits stood up and gave it a standing ovation". Released in June 1970 on the Reprise
Reprise Records
Reprise Records is an American record label, founded in 1960 by Frank Sinatra. It is owned by Warner Music Group, and operated through Warner Bros. Records.-Beginnings:...
label
Record label
In the music industry, a record label is a brand and a trademark associated with the marketing of music recordings and music videos. Most commonly, a record label is the company that manages such brands and trademarks, coordinates the production, manufacture, distribution, marketing and promotion,...
, the record reached # 90 on the Billboard pop chart. Promotional photos of the singers were taken by Annie Leibovitz
Annie Leibovitz
Anna-Lou "Annie" Leibovitz is an American portrait photographer.-Early life and education:Born in Waterbury, Connecticut, Leibovitz is the third of six children. She is a third-generation American whose great-grandparents were Jewish immigrants, from Central and Eastern Europe. Her father's...
, and Abrams appeared on several networked TV shows and in national magazines, while also turning down an opportunity to advertise Jell-O
Jell-O
Jell-O is a brand name belonging to U.S.-based Kraft Foods for a number of gelatin desserts, including fruit gels, puddings and no-bake cream pies. The brand's popularity has led to it being used as a generic term for gelatin dessert across the U.S. and Canada....
. A performance for the Mill Valley Fourth of July
Independence Day (United States)
Independence Day, commonly known as the Fourth of July, is a federal holiday in the United States commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain...
celebration was filmed by Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola
Francis Ford Coppola is an American film director, producer and screenwriter. He is widely acclaimed as one of Hollywood's most innovative and influential film directors...
, then a little-known documentary maker. The follow-up single, "Buildin' a Heaven on Earth", was written by singer/songwriter Norman Greenbaum
Norman Greenbaum
Norman Greenbaum is an American singer-songwriter. He was raised in a traditional Jewish household and went to Hebrew school. His initial interest in music was sparked by Southern blues music and the folk music that was hugely popular in the late 1950s and early 1960s...
.
Following the success of "Mill Valley", Abrams, Jacobsen and the children recorded and released an album, entitled Miss Abrams and the Strawberry Point 4th Grade Class as the children had by then moved up a grade. According to reviewer Greg Adams, "Only the most hard-hearted cynic could find no enjoyment in this minor masterpiece of early-'70s soft pop."
Abrams then left teaching to pursue a career in music and verse writing, which subsequently included children's records and novelty songs, many in collaboration with Dr. Elmo (Elmo Shropshire), commercials, and greeting cards. She won a national Emmy in 1980 for writing the music for I Want It All Now, a documentary about life in Marin County, and a regional Emmy in 1992 for Classic Stories for Children. In 1981 she published a book, At Your Age You're Having a What? The Advantages of Middle-Aged Motherhood. She also created a Las Vegas
Las Vegas metropolitan area
The Las Vegas Valley is the heart of the Las Vegas-Paradise, NV MSA also known as the Las Vegas–Paradise–Henderson MSA which includes all of Clark County, Nevada, and is a metropolitan area in the southern part of the U.S. state of Nevada. The Valley is defined by the Las Vegas Valley landform, a ...
musical revue
Revue
A revue is a type of multi-act popular theatrical entertainment that combines music, dance and sketches. The revue has its roots in 19th century American popular entertainment and melodrama but grew into a substantial cultural presence of its own during its golden years from 1916 to 1932...
based on John Gray
John Gray (U.S. author)
John Gray is an American relationship counselor, lecturer and author who has several university degrees received under a variety of circumstances. In 1969, he began a nine year association with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi before beginning his career as an author and personal relationship counselor...
's book, Men Are From Mars, Women Are From Venus
Men Are from Mars, Women Are from Venus
Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus is a book written by American author, and relationship counselor, John Gray.The book has sold more than 7 million copies and is reported to be one of the best selling self-help books of all time...
, and a show about life in Marin County, For Whom The Bridge Tolls.
She has remained a resident of Mill Valley.
Singles
- "Mill Valley" / "Happiest Day of My Life", Reprise 0928, 1970
- "Buildin' A Heaven On Earth" / "This Time Of Life", Reprise 0971, 1970