• Celebrating the 50th Anniversary of the song "Mill Valley" by Rita Abrams & Strawberry Point 3rd Graders

    join us in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the song Mill Valley


     "Talkin' 'bout Mill Valley, that's my home!"

     

    History of the Song

    50 years ago, Rita Abrams, a former Kindergarten teacher at Strawberry Point Elementary School in the Mill Valley School District, released a song with a 3rd-grade class at the school called “Mill Valley.” We would like to invite you to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the song, which was played on the radio around the country and was featured on the Billboard Top 100 in the 1970s.

    On July 4th, 1970, a music video was released, produced by Warner Bros. and directed by well-known filmmaker Francis Ford Coppola.

    We would love to celebrate this milestone in person in our community, but considering our current pandemic, we want to celebrate virtually. 

     

    How We're Celebrating

    Zoom Call with Rita Abrams & Incoming 4th Grade Student Q&A

    The Mill Valley School District engaged in a Zoom interview with Rita Abrams including a Q&A from rising 4th-grade students who learned about Mill Valley history this past school year, district music teachers Lori Adessa and Darren Smith, and maybe even some other special guests!

     

    Video Celebrating the Song

    Take a look at this video filled with submissions from members of our community both singing the song or sharing what makes Mill Valley a special place. 

     

    Sharing on Social Media

    In addition to submitting a clip for the district video, you can just post a video on social media singing the song or sharing what makes Mill Valley a special place to be by using #MVThatsMyHome and please tag us in it! (@millvalleyschools on Instagram & Facebook, @mv_schools on Twitter)

"Mill Valley" Song Celebration Video Compilation

Zoom Meeting with Rita Abrams

  • Quotes About The Song

    • “Such a difficult time for all of us right now. I keep listening to this for peace of mind. I hope others find it as well.” - YouTube, June 2020

    • “...I never knew what an impact it [Mill Valley song] made on me. Then in 1991, I was in a foxhole and running around the desert and when I was scared beyond my means and to my wit's end, I would close my eyes and part my mind and I would hear Mill Valley come into it. In a little bit I was again at peace…” - Gulf War Veteran

    • “The way Miss Abrams and her Strawberry Point School 4th grade class sang about it, Mill Valley was paradise on earth - especially when so much of our earth, in 1970, was in chaos...But listening to this school teacher and her children rhapsodize about their home town, “where life feels very fine and free,” allowed listeners to escape, if only for a moment -- or three. That’s what the best pop music has always been about, and that’s what makes “Mill Valley,” both the tune and the town, timeless.” - Ben Fong-Torres, Rolling Stone

    • “Everyone has a Mill Valley in their heart.” - Canadian DJ