Dame Julie Andrews and Emma Walton Hamilton chatted about their new children’s book “The Enchanted Symphony,” which was released on September 12 via Abrams Books.
In her respected career in the entertainment industry, Andrews has won the 1965 Academy Award for “Best Actress in a Leading Role” for playing the title role in “Mary Poppins,” and she scored two subsequent Oscar nominations for her acting work in “The Sound of Music” in 1966, and “Victor/Victoria” in 1983.
In addition, Andrews’ mantel holds six Golden Globe Awards, two Emmy Awards, and three Grammy Awards. In 2001, she was recognized as a Kennedy Center Honoree.
American philosopher and poet Ralph Waldo Emerson once said: “The purpose of life is not to be happy. It is to be useful, to be honorable, to be compassionate, to have it make some difference that you have lived and lived well.” Dame Julie Andrews is a woman, performer, and author that embodies this thought-provoking quote by Emerson.
Emma Walton Hamilton is an author, editor, producer, writing coach, and arts educator.
The synopsis is: “When a lively village is beset by a mysterious fog, the town turns dull and silent; melancholy neighbors stop visiting each other and even going outside. Until one day, when a boy’s simple melody strikes a chord, reminding everyone of what matters most—even in the darkest of times.”
Inspiration to write ‘The Enchanted Symphony’
“We often find ourselves writing books for children that celebrate the arts, and also nature… Those are two of our recurring themes and two of our passions,” Emma said.
Emma continued, “Mom stumbled upon a photograph of an extraordinary event in Barcelona in this little opera house, which had been shut down during COVID. She saw this image of this beautiful opera house that was filled to the rafters with plants. We thought it was very clever and creative.”
“We watched the little video of the quartet that was resident there, and it was performing for this audience of houseplants, and we were just so moved. It seemed like a perfect fusion of the things that we love most and are the most passionate about,” Emma said.
“We wanted to write something for children that resonated like that… so we came up with this idea about this fog, which is a metaphor for any creeping distraction on mindlessness,” Andrews added.
Working with illustrator Elly MacKay
“The Enchanted Symphony” is a picture book about the power of art, nature, and community. It was illustrated by Elly MacKay.
“Elly MacKay makes a little theatrical set in a small box, a model of the show, she cuts out the characters, all of which are on paper and painted, and she cuts out the middle ground and the background, and puts them all into this box, lights it, and photographs it, and that is what you see. Elly’s work turned out more than perfect,” Andrews elaborated.
“That’s how the characters leap out at you so strongly. It is kind of subliminal,” Andrews admitted. “They almost have a three-dimensionality to them,” Emma added.
Lessons learned from writing this children’s book
On the lessons they learned about themselves while writing this book, Andrews said, “This was a difficult book to write, actually. It was about something that — in our case — we didn’t want to talk about (COVID), and we didn’t want to plagiarize in any way but we certainly wanted to acknowledged it.”
“The book, reinforced for us, what matters the most, and it made us reinvestigate what mattered most to us. Aside from arts and nature, other things came to the forefront such as family, community, and those values that are central to our lives,” Emma expressed.
“We’ve asked children what matters most to them, and get them to recognize that there are values that are simple but so important,” Andrews said.
“I hope this book inspires readers to question themselves,” they said. “Besides a renewed curiosity about music and nature, we hope that it will invite them to ask themselves what matters the most to them, and what they can do to keep front and center in their lives.”
“It’s a fable, it’s an abstract book in that respect,” Andrews added.
The digital age
On being artists, authors, and storytellers in the digital age, Andrews said, “Well, you know that it’s growing all the time. Children’s literature, in particular, is so categorized now and very delineated.”
“I find the digital age very liberating,” Emma said. “I teach online at Stony Brook University at both the graduate and undergraduate level. I find that the classes that I teach now that are asynchronous online allows students to work at the times that best suits them and their learning styles. Now, they can do the work in the time that suits them the best and in the environment that serves them the best.”
“While there are some things that are alarming about it, such as AI (and we will find out what AI is going to do), I think there is a lot to be said about the way that it has opened up the landscape for us,” Emma said.
“We have done about 35 books together now, and it is a pleasure that we share and it enables us to ‘play’ in this lovely sandbox that allows us freedom, expression, and creative problem-solving. The thrill is when it comes out and it ends up being close to what we had hoped, and it is such fun to see the production of it. We have been very lucky and very fortunate,” Andrews added.
Advice for hopefuls that wish to get their own stories out
For hopefuls that wish to get their own stories out, Emma said, “First and foremost, read. That would be the first thing I would say. You can’t really be a good writer if you haven’t been a big reader. Absorb as much as possible about language, writing, and figure out what you want to add to that conversation.”
“It is always a learning experience,” Andrews admitted. “Even for me, in my vast age, I am still learning. Emma is a far better writer than I am these days because she is technically really knowledgeable, and that’s her strength in a way. My strength is to contribute the fantasy side, as well as the beginning or the ending. I look at mine more like ‘what would I want if I were watching this as a movie.’ Together, we seem to have different strengths.”
“That’s a good piece of advice… find your strengths and lean into them,” Emma said. “Follow your heart; write what interests you. As you get older, reading gets associated with obligation as opposed to pleasure, so it is really important to preserve the pleasure.”
“It is awfully important to just let it all go, and play together,” Andrews added.
Earning a damehood from Queen Elizabeth II
In 2000, Queen Elizabeth II made her a Dame Commander of the British Empire (DBE) for her services to the performing arts and humanities. “That was a tremendous accolade and a very personal one,” she admitted. “It is nothing I like to use or boast about but to have been recognized by your queen and your country is a very lovely feeling,” she said.
Favorite mottos to live by
The Oscar winner shared some of her favorite mottos to live by. “When in doubt, stand still,” she said. “Also, it will have a beginning, middle, and an end, which was my aunt’s favorite.”
Emma is a fan of the Tom Stoppard quote: “Happiness is equilibrium. Shift your weight.” “Just go with the flow,” Emma said.
Key to longevity in the entertainment industry
Regarding the key to longevity in the entertainment industry, Andrews said, “In my case, I think it was great fortune. My doctor had told me that I would be fine because I did so much physical exercise…. the dances I had to learn, the warmups, the ballet classes, and certainly, all the oxygen from singing.”
“It is about flexibility, being adaptable, and being able to go with changes to keep growing,” Emma added.
Emma Walton Hamilton: Co-owner of the Bay Street Theater
In addition, Emma is a co-owner of the Bay Street Theater in Sag Harbor, New York. “I am happy to say that it is 32 years old. We did a little book launch event there, which is lovely,” she said. “It is thriving,” Andrews acknowledged.
Earlier this summer, on July 8, the Bay Street Theater honored Dame Julie Andrews, as well as Matthew Broderick and Sarah Jessica Parker with “Lifetime Achievement Awards.” “That award was given by Bay Street Theater and it came with a scholarship in my name,” Andrews said. “That was really a tremendous thrill.”
Stage of their lives
On the title of the current chapter of their lives, the mother-daughter duo concurred, “Get on with the next chapter.”
“I am in the ‘Home Stretch’ chapter of my life, and that is what I am concentrating on right now,” Andrews said. “There is still so much to write about.”
Dialogue-heavy and memorizing lyrics
When asked how she handled being dialogue-heavy, monologue-heavy, and learning lyrics throughout her respected career, Andrews said, “You just get used to it. That is what we do. It’s a muscle. Some lyrics are very hard and some lyrics are so beautiful that you will never forget them.”
“I remember the Sondheim song that I had to learn… I thought I would never be able to learn it because it was so fast and so complicated in its lyric yet it was such a tour-de-force that I had to get it in my soul, and eventually, I did it with a series of thoughts and physical gestures that helped my brain remember,” Andrews said.
“It’s like any skill or muscle, if you keep strengthening it, it gets easier,” Emma added.
Celebrating Carol Burnett’s 90th Birthday
Andrews opened up about celebrating her dear friend Carol Burnett’s 90th birthday with her own NBC variety birthday special.
“What a friend she is,” Andrews exclaimed about Carol Burnett. “We are very similar and we don’t see each other as often as we would like, but any time we get together, it’s like two friends living on the same block. We pick up where we left off and it’s a totally lovely relationship…. and she’s Emma’s godmother. Carol is such a good lady.”
In June of 2022, Burnett presented Andrews with the “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the American Film Institute (AFI). “That was absolutely amazing,” she said.
Success
On her definition of the word success, Andrews said, “Honest to God, I know it sounds trite but it’s the doing, that’s the real pleasure. If people love it, then it’s an added bonus. For us, success is when we feel we gave it the best shot we could.”
“My mother always instilled in me, the family, and the kids, the value that to succeed is to give back… to be in a place where you can give the gift of joy to someone else,” Emma concluded.
“The Enchanted Symphony” is available on Amazon by clicking here.
To learn more about Dame Julie Andrews and her book collection, visit the official website.
For more information on Emma Walton Hamilton, check out her official homepage.
