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Martha Bartles Fund

In the spirit of joyful gratitude, the Middle Tennessee Branch of the Anthroposophical Society is pleased to announce the Martha Bartles Fund for Eurythmy and Education to benefit Linden Waldorf School.

This fund has been established to honor accomplished eurythmy accompanist Martha Bartles (1931–2021), a founding member and pioneering grandparent of Linden. The fund will be used to support enriching experiences in eurythmy and to fulfill the mission of Linden Waldorf School.

Martha first came to eurythmy when she was asked to play piano for classes at the Rudolf Steiner School in New York City by the eurythmy teacher, Kari van Oordt, to relieve some of the load from the existing pianist, Irene Laney. Martha was ideally suited for the demands of being a eurythmy accompanist as she held both a BA and an MA in Piano Performance.

In the early 1970s, Martha and her composer/cellist husband, Alfred H. Bartles, having moved to Stuttgart, Germany, became part of the faculty of the Eurythmeum, a center for eurythmy training and professional performances. During this time, Martha forged a strong working relationship with the director, Else Klink. Countless hours of playing for the stage group and guiding eurythmists in the analysis of musical scores and symphonic works allowed Martha to become a lifelong friend with many of the artists. During her years at the Eurythmeum, she had the opportunity to tour Europe, Canada, and the United States, helping to introduce new audiences to the art of eurythmy.

Martha often said that she thoroughly enjoyed playing for eurythmy no matter where it was, and she felt very strongly how important it is to have eurythmy in the Waldorf curriculum. In her years playing for the weekly eurythmy classes both at the Rudolf Steiner School in New York and at the first Waldorf School, the Freie Waldorfschule in Stuttgart, she experienced firsthand what eurythmy brings to the developing child—how it vitalizes and enhances the child’s sense of beauty and harmony. Especially at this time, where the hardening aspects of the modern world can work against a child’s healthy, natural ability to grow and develop, Martha Bartles believed in the importance of this art form.

Linden shares Martha’s passion for eurythmy and recognizes the transformative benefits of having eurythmy as part of a Waldorf curriculum. Though space and budget constraints have made it difficult to bring eurythmy to the students at Linden in recent years, the school prioritized bringing in a eurythmist to work with the faculty and the board during in-service last year. This experience had a profound impact. COVID-19 greatly disrupted similar plans for faculty eurythmy this school year, and Linden remains hopeful that it will soon be able to again welcome a eurythmist to its beautiful campus.

The difficulties of the pandemic and other challenges of our times have thrown into sharp relief those things we find most meaningful. It is our desire that this fund will serve students and faculty of Linden Waldorf School in perpetuity. 

Your gift in any amount is appreciated and all gifts are tax-deductible to the fullest extent of the law. 

Give online 

Mail a check to:
Linden Waldorf School
Attn: Mary Beth Sartain, Director of Advancement & Outreach
3201 Hillsboro Pike
Nashville, TN 37215

Donors to the Martha Bartles Fund as of August 15, 2022
These generous donors have provided $9645.00 in direct support to Linden since the founding of this fund.

*Daughters of Martha Bartles