hi from di - dianne spoto ackerman

hi from di
Sisters Are Doin’ It for … E
Tori Amos Lila Downs
Cyndi Lauper
6 womenwhorockmag.com
Defining moments: We’ve all had them. You know,
those four or five standout moments in your life that,
for better or for worse, define who you are, who you will
become. There’s a defining moment in my life that ties in with
the theme of this magazine. It has to do with my second grade
teacher, Mrs. Colon, my favorite teacher of all time, and one
of the kindest, gentlest, most compassionate women I’ve ever
met. She helped teach me one of life’s greatest lessons when I
was just 8 years old.
Two years out of Mrs. Colon’s class, in fourth grade, I decided
to take up the flute and join the school band. One day, she asked
me in that soft voice of hers if I’d stay after school to help her
with something. Of course I said yes; I adored Mrs. Colon. When
I entered her classroom, she was sitting at a big table in the back.
Her warm smile welcomed me in. “Dianne, your band teacher
has told me how well you are doing on the flute. I’m so proud of
you.” She continued, “I just started playing the flute myself—I’m
only a beginner though, in the adult community band.” Then
she asked me, “Would you teach me how to play the flute a little
better?” Defining moment: My teacher was asking me, her 8year-old
student, for the lesson. But she ended up the teacher
that day after all. The lesson I learned? Self-worth.
We sat there for an hour with our flutes, and I showed her
everything I knew. She listened respectfully and tried to emulate
how I played. To try to explain the profundity of that experience
in words wouldn’t do it justice, but it does bring me to this
particular issue of WWR. More than any other issue, this one is
filled, page after page, with inspiration, lessons, women supporting
women, sister-love. The interview with our cover artist,
the legendary Ms. Cyndi Lauper, is one of the most revealing,

ach Other
inspired interviews we’ve printed. Cyndi’s mission as an artist
and human being is to live joyfully and help women to empower
themselves. As I discover time after time in our interview, she’s
hilarious, she’s extraordinary—she’s so unusual.
Our feature on “Piano Goddesses,” including Kate Bush,
Tori Amos, and many other astoundingly gifted women, makes
up a glorious patchwork quilt of inspiration, with threads of
wisdom and love sewn throughout.
We also bring you some fascinating food-for-thought editorials.
“Should You or Shouldn’t You?” asks important questions
for those deciding whether to choose a career in music, and
“Censorship & Sexism” explores sexism in the music industry
and in our society.
The artists and articles featured in this issue wholly define
the mission of Women Who Rock: to celebrate diversity, show
mutual respect for one another, teach and inspire each other.
We are “all from the same tribe,” to quote featured artist Lila
Downs. We are a sisterhood.
P.S. Oh, and Mrs. Colon, if you are out there—you are the
embodiment of the words “women who rock.”
Kate Bush
Dianne Spoto Shattuck
Editor in Chief
womenwhorockmag.com
Volume 4, Number 1
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Dianne Spoto Shattuck
EXECUTIVE EDITOR
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Pamela Grossman, Eileen Hampton, Jesse Harold, Dominique Herman,
Brenda Kahn, Colleen Kane, Kelli Lewin, Dorothy Mak, Rhonda Markowitz,
Michael Mueller, Ken Micallef, Rob O’Connor, j. poet,
Leah Rascomb, Michael Ross, Evantheia Schibstead, Kerry L. Smith, David
Stanton, Sylvie Simmons, Jaan Uhelszki, James K. Willcox,
Gail Worley, Audrey Vernick, Annie Zaleski
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When good things happen to women who rock: The winner of the Women
Who Rock September/October 2003 Daisy Rock/Rocktron Giveaway is
Joyce Lavon Spillman of Sherman, Texas. Joyce wins the Stardust Venus
Guitar, a Rocktron Rampage R50DSP amp, 12 sets of Boomers Roundwound
Nickel-Plated Steel Strings, and a WWR T-shirt! Total prize value: $1,062!
womenwhorockmag.com
WWR january/february 7