Greetings Friends,
As I sit to write this, the
leaves are still holding on to the branches as
though they don’t know it’s November,
but the cold air sneaking through my socks to
pinch my toes tells me otherwise. Indeed, another
summer has come and gone and the school year is
in full swing again. As the days get shorter and
colder my thoughts turn to the holidays and the
warmth and expressions of love that the
"Season of Light" brings. Nature and
the changing seasons never cease to amaze and
impress me.
My goal in writing this newsletter is to let you
know what I’ve been up to, both personally
and professionally. I’ll try to keep you
informed of important goings on in my family life
as well as news of new releases, new projects,
and upcoming events. In the "new
releases" category the big news is the
release of my NEW CD, entitled "Oh
Yeah!" I’m really excited about
it and hope you’ll like it too. You can
listen to some cuts on the website and I’ll
tell you more about it later in this letter but
first the family stuff.
The Family, Summer, and New
Songs
The past year has been an emotional roller
coaster in our house as my 89-year-old mom
struggled and fought her way through a serious
illness and extended stays in the hospital and
nursing homes. In December of last year none of
us thought she would make it, none of us that is,
except her! In April, after nearly five months
away, Mom moved back home. With the superb care
of a great doctor (Paul Mangiafico), the support
of a loving family, and a new friend and guardian
named Gladys, Mom celebrated her 90th birthday
October 10th. When Mom came home, Gladys, who is
originally from Ghana, came to live with us. She
has been providing Mom with extraordinary love
and care, and teaching us about her culture. She
has been a phenomenal addition to our family.
With Gladys present, and with the help of all six
of my brothers and sisters, Ann Marie, the kids
and I were able to go to Prince Edward Island for
summer vacation. We spent most of July and August
at our beloved farmhouse in Hope River. We all
needed the relaxation, fellowship of friends, and
family time that we’ve come to cherish each
summer now for fifteen years.
The first day we were there an orphan adopted us.
A pathetic and sickly looking white kitten
arrived on our doorstep before we were even
finished unpacking. In spite of my proclamation,
"There’s no way we’re keeping that
kitten!" it only took Lyra a matter of hours
to win our hearts, and she was in the van as we
headed back home to NY in late August. Marilla,
our German shepherd mix eight-year-old puppy
(also Canadian born), essentially ignores Lyra,
but she does enjoy stealing her food when she
can. Lyra keeps both eyes on Marilla but
doesn‘t seem too impressed by her either.
I wrote several new songs in P.E.I. this summer.
Someday I hope to record them on a CD for big
kids -- those of us with children of our own.
"Timeless August Skies," is about a
potluck supper, and six hour bonfire / sing-along
we had to celebrate friendship and watch the
Perseid Meteor shower. It was around 2 A.M. when
the last of the fifty or so guests departed.
Ironically, among the last of our friends to
leave were folks from Maine that we’d never
met before. They had arrived with other friends
of ours, instruments and food in hand, and
good will to share with all. We were delighted
they had come and delighted they stayed. As that
last group was leaving some of our kids and their
friends were drifting off to sleep under the
stars as the bonfire slowly faded out. Ann Marie
and I headed inside and let the kids have the
ground to themselves. It was a memorable evening!
"When It’s Time," another song I
wrote this summer, is a reflection about children
getting ready to leave home as well as some of
life’s other transitions. The topics
I’m drawn to write about now often involve
what’s going on in our family life.
"You Are The Why," is a love song to my
wife, marking twenty years together and thanking
her for helping me in so many ways. "You Are
My Friend!" is for several of our friends
who have that uplifting ability to "brighten
up the day" just by being themselves.
This is our oldest daughter Katie’s senior
year in high school so she is moving toward one
of those transitions I was thinking about. We
already made one in April when she got her
driver’s license. She’s been a big help
transporting herself and her brothers and sisters
around, and she is a good driver. It’s kind
of strange, but I think having Katie get her
license has actually made me a more conscientious
driver. I sometimes take for granted what an
awesome responsibility driving a car is but when
I remember that Katie and others like her are out
there too I try to be more careful. The college
search has taken us on several road trips and
Katie has narrowed her list down to a handful of
schools. Rankings on the list continue to change
but Duke is definitely one of her favorites.
She’s also interested in some schools in
Boston. When it’s time.
The rest of the family is well. Jack had a strong
cross country season, Maggie, Colleen, and
Patrick are all playing soccer, and
everyone’s doing well in school. We all look
forward to the start of basketball season.
Jack’s going to Great Britain in March on a
literary tour and Katie’s going to
Philadelphia at the same time to work for Habitat
for Humanity. Ann Marie is now in her seventh
year teaching kindergarten. She is admired and
loved by her past and present students and their
parents. In addition to teaching and all the
projects she’s involved in, she somehow
manages to understand and coordinate all those
things written on the calendar in the kitchen
with an efficiency that leaves me scratching my
head. I don’t know how she does it.
"Oh Yeah!"
The New CD
As I mentioned earlier my new CD "OH
YEAH!" was released in October. I am
thrilled with the songs and sounds that are on
the CD. It contains thirteen original selections
and covers a wide range of topics including;
Believing in your dreams (Oh Yeah); Remembering
those who have passed away (Carry On); Learning
all fifty U.S. capitols (Fifty Capitols in Sixty
Seconds); Cherishing the birth of a baby (Dear
Child); An anthem to peace and love (River of
Dreams); A poem about connections (Bridges); An
ode to foolishness (I Wish I Hadn’t Done
That) and more.
This project marked my closest collaboration to
date with my good friend, the enormously talented
keyboard player Jeff Miller. Jeff and I arranged
all the songs. His insightful and poignant
keyboard playing can be heard on several cuts,
particularly on "Dear Child,"
"Carry On," and "Oh Yeah!"
The presence of my treasured comrade Jon
Bates is unmistakable in the excellent percussion
work on the band tracks and also on the harmonies
he and Ann Marie added on back up vocals. Dana
Scofidio on guitars and Scott Harper on horns and
flute round out the musicians. Both Scott and
Dana are brilliant players and great guys who are
a pleasure to work with.
The Kids Chorus features our children Colleen and
Patrick, plus their cousins Shea and Brooke Tyra,
and Colleen’s good buddy, Sam Dighton.
Colleen and Patrick sing duets with me on
"How Would You Feel If That Happened to
You?" Ann Marie joins in with the kids on
several choruses and she also added lovely vocal
parts to "Dear Child" and "Carry
On." Another indication of the passage of
time is the fact that this is the first CD since
"How About You?" that hasn’t
included Katie, Jack, and Maggie. Their social
calendars and changing voices led to the decision
to try it without them, but their spirits are
definitely there and they all remain gifted
singers.
Personal Journeys and Musical
Tours
What else have I been doing? In September, I rode
my bicycle from home in Brewster, NY to Lake
Placid, a distance of 275 miles. I did it in
three days averaging about seven hours a day on
the bike. Ann Marie drove up to meet me and spend
the weekend. We got engaged in the Adirondacks in
1982 and hadn’t been back to Lake Placid
together since then. We had a most enjoyable and
romantic couple of days, -- in ‘82 and again
in ‘02.
The bicycle trip was actually the conclusion of a
foreshortened journey I began in September 2001.
Last year I left home on September 10 en route to
Montreal, Canada on my bike. When I reached
Bennington, Vermont at 9:30 a.m. on September
11th I discovered that the world had changed that
morning. After I reached Ann Marie on the phone
and found out that everyone in the family was
okay I turned my bike around and headed home. I
couldn’t figure out any quicker way to get
home than to ride. It took me a day and half, and
as I cycled I witnessed many unforgettable scenes
along the way.
I traveled through Arlington, Vermont and
Stockbridge, Massachusetts, two of the places
Norman Rockwell lived and painted. I saw several
scenes I think Rockwell would’ve painted if
he were alive. On the outskirts of a town I saw a
mother leaning out of a second floor window of an
old colonial style home. She was hanging an
American flag from the window sill and her ten or
eleven year old daughter was on the ground below
pointing up to tell her mom that one side of the
flag was lower than the other. Later that day,
out in the countryside I cycled past a man on a
ladder painting his barn. He held the brush in
one hand and held the ladder with the other. As I
rode by he was looking over his shoulder at a
transistor radio on a fence post. He was
listening to a newscaster try to make sense
out of what was happening. I’ll never forget
those scenes.
The time I spend cycling, running and hiking
relaxes me greatly and makes me feel more
connected to the natural world. It also gives me
lots of time to think while surrounded by
inspiring sights. I often get song and story
ideas, gain insights about myself, and make
decisions while communing with nature. A
friend once asked me, "Why would you want
ride your bike so far in one day?" My answer
is a simple one -- Because I think I can!
The last year has taken me to the state of Oregon
three times to work with a great group of people
out there called the Lower Columbia River Estuary
Partnership. As part of their mission they
educate children about the Columbia River and our
earth’s other precious natural resources. We
are hoping to work together on a CD / teaching
guide with songs about being good citizens of the
earth and living responsibly and respectfully.
I’ve also been to sing and visit with
friends in the Netherlands, Louisiana, Ohio,
Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington, and lots
of other places closer to home too.
Many Thanks
It has become increasingly evident to me that I
will probably never be a "good
businessman." For me the most difficult part
of what I do remains working out the particulars
of when, where, who, how much etc., However, I
have the tremendous good fortune of having an
extremely generous friend named Mary Jain Dayger
who skillfully manages most of those
details for me. Mary Jain is wonderful to work
with and to her I am forever grateful. Mary Jain
and I have just recently begun to work with a web
designer named Rich Copley (Copleys Web
Graphics). Rich is responsible for the new look
and design of the web site. He’s been a
pleasure to work with and we’re looking
forward to working together to explore new and
different ways to use the site to connect with
teachers and families.
I have been greatly blessed to be guided to do
this work that I was meant to do but I can’t
do it alone. I am sincerely grateful to all of
you who help me along the way. Please drop me an
email or note and let me know how you’re
doing. If you’re using my recordings or
books with your students or children I’d
love to hear from you. If you have any
suggestions or would like to share with others
how you’re using the music please let me
know those things too. If you have any questions,
I’d be happy to answer them. Finally if you
think there is anything I can do to help you
please ask me and if I can I will.
I wish you, your family and loved ones a peaceful
and healthy holiday season and a new year filled
with wonder and love. Until we meet again,
Keep a song in your heart,
John Farrell
|
|
