PROMOTING THE ARTS IN THE BERKSHIRES SINCE 1994
MAY 2019
THE ARTFUL MIND
MICHAEL FABRIZIO
PHOTOGRAPHY BY EDWARD ACKER
CAROLYN NEWBERGER
www.carolynnewberger.com 617-877-5672 What are we Doing; Where are we Going? Mixed Media, 42 x 36 Inches 2015
THE ARTFUL MIND ARTZINE
MAY 2019
Rock me Mama like a Wagon wheel Rock me Mama any way you feel -Old Crow Medicine Show OUR REMAINS OF THE DAY SPRINGTIME IN JABBERWOCKY LAND JUDY BERG AND CARL BERG ... 8 STEPHANIE BLUMENTHAL / ARTIST H. CANDEE ... 10 A CONVERSATION WITH ROBERT FEUER ON PLAYING THE UKULELE... 18 MICHAEL FABRIZIO SINGER / SONGWRITER / ENTREPRENEUR H. CANDEE PHOTOGRAPHY BY EDWARD ACKER & COURTESY OF MICHAEL FABRIZIO... 34 GARY LEVEILLE / LOCAL HISTORIAN H. CANDEE ...36 JACKSON WHALAN LYRICIST / MUSIC PRODUCER / TOURING / RECORDING ARTIST H. CANDEE ...44 RICHARD BRITELL FALDONI PT 9. FICTION ...52 Contributing Writers and Monthly Columnists Richard Britell, Carl and Judy Berg, Laura Pian Photographers: Edward Acker, Scott Barrow Tasja Keetman Publisher Harryet P. Candee
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Par a ad adise City Arts Festival a AN OD O YS SE EY OF D DISCOVE ERY
MA AY Y2 25, 26 & 27 Memorrial Day We Week kend
Maxwell, painting · Harrisberrger, jewelry · Judge, furniture
FURNITURE JEWELR RY PA PAINTING CE
SL LEEK, ARTSY AN ND EVERYTHING G IN BETWEEN
est artists and makers from Meet 250 of the nation’s fine f more than 20 state es N Engla E land’s d’ most exciting i i arts festival. f i l at New
FULL LY Y ENGAGED! R READY TO POP THE QUESTION N?
Three great days at Paradise City! Fabulous food and craft cocktails under the Festiv val Dining Te Tent, and a romantic special exhibiit that celebrates the modern art of tying the knot. k Demonstrations, workshop ps, outdoor sculpture and a Silent Art Auction n.
NORTHAMPT TON, MASSACHUSETTS Indoors & Under T Te en ents nts at the Three County Co ounty Fairgrounds FREE PARKING • 800.511.9725 • $2 coupon c online Saturday & Sunday 10am-6pm; Memorial Day 10am-4pm • $14 adults, $12 seniors s, $8 students, three-day pass $16, under 12 free
paradisecityarrts.com m
ART
Artful Mind Calendar of Events Marilyn Kalish at work and process on view, beautiful gallery and wonderful collection of paintings
510 WARREN STREET GALLERY 510 WARREN STREET, HUDSON, NY 518-822-0510 510warrenstreetgallery@gmail.com /510warrenstreetgallery.com Month of May: Janet Pumphrey:"Impressionist Flowers"; May 3 - May 27: "DANCING LINES, DANCING COLORS: THE WAY OF THE iPAD" iPad works by Nina Lipkowitz; also featuring figurative sculpture in bronze by Anja Vosdingh Bessem.Thru April 28. Fri & Sat 12 - 6, Sun 12 - 5 or by app
WILLIAMS COLLEGE MUSEUM OF ART 15 LARENCE HALL DR #2, WILLIAMSTOWN, MA • 413-597-2429 James Van Der Zee: Collecting History. Recently-acquired portfolio of eighteen photographs by James Van Der Zee (1886-1983) during the first half of the 20th century.
EVENTS & TALKS
aMUSE GALLERY 7 RAILROAD AVE, CHATHAM, NY • 518-392-1060 / www.amusechatham.com Thru May 27 Raw Image: Outsider art BERKSHIRE MUSEUM 39 SOUTH ST., PITTSFIELD, MASSACHUSETTS BERKSHIRE MUSEUM • 413-443-7171 HTTP://WWW.BERKSHIREMUSEUM.ORG/ | PITTSFIELD Thru September 8: Leonardo da Vinci: Machines in Motion CLARK ART INSTITUTE 225 SOUTH ST, WILLIAMSTOWN, MA WWW.CLARKART.EDU/ | WILLIAMSTOWN June 8 - Sept 22: RENOIR: The Body, The Senses DOTTIE’S COFFEE LOUNGE 444 NORTH ST, PITTSFIELD, MA The Instagram Image Out of Context, thru June Exhibitors: Mike Carty, Ashley Chandler, Nina Silver, Jessica Rufo, Diane Firtell, Galen Carlson, Michael Downer, Richard Britell, Jade Roy, Jess Kin, Cassandra Redd, Garrit Baker FRONT STREET GALLERY 129 FRONT ST, HOUSATONIC, MA • 413-274-6607 Kate Knapp oils and watercolors and classes open to all. GUILD OF BERKSHIRE ARTISTS www.berkshireartists.org May 3 - June 13: Art in Stockbridge, 10 Elm St, Stockbridge HANCOCK SHAKER VILLAGE 1843 W. HOUSATONIC ST, PITTSFIELD, MA tix: 1427.blackbaudhosting.com Thru Nov 11, 2019: Exhibition Opening: Borrowed Light: Barbara Ernst Prey. Reception May 26, 5-7pm HOADLEY GALLERY 21 CHURCH STREET LENOX MA 01240 • 413-637-2814 Fine art and contemporary crafts by acclaimed artists: paintings, jewelry, home furnishings, ceramics and glass. HOTEL ON NORTH 297 NORTH ST, PITTSFIELD, MA • 413-358-4741 Thru June 24: Robert U. Taylor: An Exhibition of Watercolor of the Berkshires Autumn and Winter. MASS MoCA 1040 MASSMOCA WAY, NORTH ADAMS, MA • 413-662-2111 Thru 2019: Laurie Anderson; Louise Bourgeois, MARGUERITE BRIDE HOME STUDIO AT 46 GLORY DRIVE PITTSFIELD, MA • 413- 841-1659 or 413-442-7718 MARGEBRIDE-PAINTINGS.COM FB: MARGUERITE BRIDE WATERCOLORS 4 • MAY 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND
MAGGIE MAILER, LOOKING FOR LEPRECHAUNS, OIL ON CANVAS, 12 X 12”
The “X” FACTOR: WORKS by XIV Women Artists BERNAY FINE ART 325 STOCKBRIDGE RD, GREAT BARRINGTON, MA MAY 4 THROUGH JUNE 22, 2019 The works cover a wide visual spectrum from the hyperrealist paintings of Jessica Hess and Nadine Robbins to the deeply personal nonobjective visions of Barbara Takenaga and Katia Santibanez. Sandra Byers and Sally Curcio bring exquisite sensibilities to three dimensional pieces in porcelain and sculpture. Joan Griswold and Linda Pochesci’s paintings are preoccupied with light and its effects on the surfaces and planes of the architectural environments we live in.
MORRISON GALLERY 25 NORTH MAIN STREET KENT CT 06757 • 860-927-4501 WWW.MORRISONGALLERY.COM Steadfastly open all year in the town center, a linchpin of Litchfield County's art scene. NORMAN ROCKWELL MUSEUM 9 MASSACHUSETTS 183, STOCKBRIDGE, MA Thru May 27: Frank E. Schoonover: American Visions; Thru June 9: The Art and Wit of Rube Goldberg SANDISFIELD ARTS CENTER 5 HAMMERTOWN RD, SANDISFIELD, MA sandisfieldartscenter.org Thru May 25: Capturing Light: Thad Kubis, photography. Followed by free workshop, Introduction to Smartphone/Tablet Photography, 1pm
BENEFIT CELEBRATION FOR THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF CHESTERWOOD CHESTERWOOD, 3 WILLIAMSVILLE ROAD STOCKBRIDGE, MA June 1, 4:00 - 7:00pm:Benefit Celebration for the 50th Anniversary of Chesterwood as a National Trust Historic Site. 4 to 7 p.m. The Studio Garden at Chesterwood. Delicious food, music and performance. LENOX RHUBARB FESTIVAL 24 MAIN ST, LENOX, MA Saturday, June 8, 2019 at 8 AM – 2 PM MASS MoCA 87 MARSHALL ST., NORTH ADAMS, MASSACHUSETTS
www.massmoca.org May 25, 4:00pm: An Afternoon of Conversation and Song with Annie Lennox “Now if I let go...”
PARADISE CITY ARTS FESTIVAL NORTHAMPTON’S 3 COUNTY FAIRGROUNDS, ON OLD FERRY ROAD OFF RT. 9. FROM THE MASS PIKE, TAKE EXIT 4 TO I-91 NORTH, EXIT 19 www.paradisecityarts.com / 800-511-9725. May 25, 26 & 27- curated collection of hundreds of artists and fine craft makers from every corner of the country. It’s three great days of astounding visual arts, eye-popping design, scrumptious food and, of course, great fun!
FILM BERKSHIRE INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL THE TRIPLEX, GREAT BARRINGTON AND PHOENIX THEATRES BEACON CINEMA, PITTSFIELD 413-528-8030 / HTTPS://WWW.BIFFMA.ORG/ May 30 - June 2: All day, all night films showcasing the latest in independent feature, documentary, short, and family, along with panel discussions and special events focusing on filmmakers and talented artists from both sides of the camera.
SIENNA PATTI 80 MAIN STREET LENOX MA 01240 • 413-638-8386 Sienna Patti represents innovative artists using traditional and non-traditional materials who push and pull the boundaries of studio jewelry and adornment.
YIDDISH BOOK CENTER 1021 WEST ST, AMHERST, MA May 26, 1 - 3pm Film: Call Her Applebroog
SOHN FINE ART GALLERY 69 CHURCH STREET LENOX MA 01240 • 413-551-7353 Contemporary photography dedicated to promoting artworks by international and local artists.
DEB KOFFMAN’S ARTSPACE 137 FRONT ST, HOUSATONIC, MA • 413-274-1201 Sat: 10:30-12:45 class meets. No experience in drawing necessary, just a willingness to look deeply and watch your mind. This class is conducted in silence. Adult class. $10, please & call to register. First Tuesday of every month
TURNPARK ART SPACE WEST STOCKBRIDGE, MA Sat. May 25, 3pm: Opening reception of FLOW/FLUX/ VAULT GALLERY 322 MAIN ST, GT. BARRINGTON, MA • 413-644-0221
WORKSHOPS
METTABEE FARM 551 HARLEMVILLE RD, HILLSDALE, NY • 518-567-5123 EVENTS@METTABEEFARM.COM
June 2, 10 am-6pm: Songs of the Wild: Forest Bathing & Sacred Sound Immersion, hosted by Carrie Grossman and Toadstool Walk OMEGA INSTITUTE 150 LAKE DRIVE RHINEBECK NY • 845-266-4444 WWW.EOMEGA.ORG May 31 - June 2:The Four Agreements For A Better Life During this weekend retreat, discover how to apply this ancient Toltec wisdom in your everyday life and challenge fearbased beliefs that keep you from living the life you really want to live.
MUSIC CLOSE ENCOUNTERS WITH MUSIC THE MAHAIWE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER GT. BARRINGTON, MA • 413-528-0100 / CEWM.ORG May 18, 6pm: The Art of The Quartet: The Escher String Quartet DEWEY HALL SHEFFIELD, MA May 17, 8pm: Swing Dance with The Lucky 5 The Lucky 5 is a hard-swinging jazz band that blends swing and gypsy jazz to create a unique, foot-stomping blend of music that appeals to a wide range of music lovers CLUB HELSINKI HUDSON 405 COLUMBIA ST., HUDSON, NEW YORK (518) 828-4800 / HELSINKIHUDSON.COM May 25, 9:00 pm:The Sea The Sea a nationally touring, Upstate New York based indie folk-pop duo-band featuring what Huffington Post calls, “Two of the loveliest male-fe-
male voices you might ever hear this or any other year.” THE STATIONARY FACTORY 63 FLANSBURGE AVE, DALTON, MA • 413-659-6299 May 17, 7pm : Popa Chubby -Blues May 21, 7pm: Chris Duarte Group MAHAIWE PERFORMING ARTS CENTER 14 CASTLE ST, GT BARRINGTON, MA • THEMAHAIWE.SECURE.FORCE.COM At age 82, Buddy Guy is a Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductee, a major influence on rock titans like Jimi Hendrix, Eric Clapton, and Stevie Ray Vaughan, a pioneer of Chicago’s fabled West Side sound, and a living link to the city’s halcyon days of electric blues. TANNERY POND CONCERTS 110 DARROW RD., NEW LEBANON, NEW YORK (888) 820-1696 / TANNERYPONDCONCERTS.ORG May 18, 3:00pm: David Finckel & Wu Han
GHENT PLAYHOUSE 6 TOWN HALL PLACE, GHENT, NY • 518-392-6264 May 24-26 • May 31-June 2 • June 7-9: Based on Dom Juan or Le Festin de Pierre by Moliere,newly translated by Daniel Hoyt Daniels. Directed by Barbara Leavel Smith MAC-HAYDN THEATRE 925 STATE ROUTE 203, CHATHAM, NY June 6 @ 2 - 4:00pm: Curtains This brassy and bright Broadway smash makes its Mac-Haydn debut! It’s opening night at the Colonial Theatre when the leading lady mysteriously dies on stage. SHAKESPEARE & COMPANY 70 KEMBLE ST, LENOX, MA / WWW.SHAKESPEARE.ORG May 23-July 14: The Waverly Gallery by Kenneth Lonergan, directed by Tina Packer,
THEATER ARTFULMIND@YAHOO.COM BERKSHIRE THEATRE GROUP THE COLONIAL THEATRE, PITTSFIELD, MA Catch the Fever: An Evening with Fabrizio and the Fever: Send Children to BTG PLAYS! Summer Camp through the Richie duPont Scholarship Fundwith Special Guest, Carl Wockner at Friday, May 17 at 7pm. VIP Tickets: $50 (includes premium seating, 6pm Pre-Show Reception in the Garage with complimentary refreshments, Fabrizio and the Fever meet and greet and signed event poster) Tickets: A: $25 B: $15; May 24, 8:00 PM - 10:00 PM: Edward Albee’s The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?
ISSUU.COM Please submit your calendar listing by the 10th of each month prior to pbulication. Images are accepted.
Jaane Doe
BURNS LIKE FIRE JAANE DOE MUSIC AND MORE VISIT
WWW.JAANEDOE.COM www.facebook.com/JaaneDoeMusic, www.reverbnation.com/JaaneDoe, https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/jaane https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/jaane-doe/214634239
THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 5
FRONT ST. GALLERY
STILL LIFE BY KATE KNAPP
June show Berkshire Artists Recent Work Sat June 1- Sunday June 30 2019 Opening reception Sunday June 9, 3-6pm All welcome ! Painting classes on Monday and Wednesday mornings 10-1pm at the studio in Housatonic and Thursday mornings 10am - 1pm out in the field. Also available for private critiques. Open to all. Please come paint with us! gallery hours: open by chance and by appointment anytime 413. 274. 6607 (gallery) 413. 429. 7141 (cell) 413. 528. 9546 (home) www.kateknappartist.com
Front Street, Housatonic, MA
MICHAEL FABRIZIO
TRIPTYCH
TRANSPARENT WASHES
MARK MELLINGER
NOHO M55 gallery 530 W 25th St NYC room #408 June 25–July 13, 2019 100 North St Pittsfield Painting - Collage - Construction 914. 260. 7413 markmellingerart.com markmellinger680@gmail.com 6 • MAY 2019
THE ARTFUL MIND
FANFARE
acrylic / collage 40” x 30”
Hotel on North July 1st through August Reception: July 5, 2019 5 - 8pm
fabrizioartwork.squarespace.com
kfabz9@gmail.com
ELEANOR LORD
Ghetta Hirsch Oil Landscapes
ELEANORLORD.COM END OF ROAD 2019 18 x 24”
BRUCE SHICKMANTER
MEETING THE WATERS 2018
SHADOWS ON THE HOUSATONIC
WATERCOLOR/GOUACHE
2018-9
24 x 30”
website: ghetta-hirsch.squarespace.com instagram: @ghettahirschpaintings
Contact: 413‐446‐372 ontrails13@gmail.com THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 7
I know it’s Spring. The usual things are in their usual places: the decorative colored eggs carefully placed in the containers, just for them, on my neighbor’s front lawn; the birds singing their hearts out; the male gobblers displaying their magnificence for all to see; the efficiently industrious mating chirps of the peepers, job done by May, thank you very much; the barely audible groan coming from my husband, rising in volume as the grass gets greener and higher, sealing his fate on the mower every week from now to October. All boxes checked, it’s definitely Spring. The usual things are in their usual places. But, wait! Where am I? Funny, I had always thought that I was, at least since adulthood, a citizen of a country. But, I wake up this week with the distinct impression that I must be living in a hotel, and not just any old hotel. It seems to be a very exclusive Trump hotel. And, they tell me it’s full, as in No Vacancy. Whew! Am I lucky or what? I feel like I just got in under the wire, even though I was born here longer ago than I care to remember. Wait, it can’t be just dumb luck. I’m White, so I must belong here. No one ever follows me with their eyes as I eye merchandise in a store. Cabs always stop. Yeah! It must be my natural White brilliance that landed me here instead of some place south of the border, some land exploited by bully nations, and despotic rulers to the point that it’s no longer fit or safe to live in. How lucky am I to live in a place that rewards the privileged for their good sense to have been born privileged. ‘Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe.* 8 • MAY 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND
April 10 The compost drum, relieved of its winter stew, is now ready to receive a new batch of vegetable leavings that will cook until the December freeze, then winter over until being turned out on 2020’s garden. Tonight, we cook up a chick pea stew with the fennel, carrots, onion, garlic, and one lonely turnip just begging to be enjoyed. A can of chopped tomatoes, a quart of chicken broth, thyme and bay, and we’re in business. It’s lovely for me in the Trump hotel. I have my house, my garden, completely free from the invaders. After all, our country is full. Just one thing. I must stop reading the papers and hearing the news. I have to stop looking at the picture that I saw in the Times today of what just might be the most beautiful children in the world waiting at the border. I have to stop looking at them. They don’t look like invaders. In fact, they almost look like they deserve a chance for a better life, like they could almost be as smart and precious as my children. I have to stop looking. “Beware the Jabberwock, my son! The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!* I look out the window and am reassured that the usual things are in their usual places. Yet, I keep thinking of Alice, who fell down the rabbit hole and landed in a place where everything was topsy-turvy. I must say that she handled it quite well, never really losing her cool. Remember when she was on trial before the Red Queen who was shouting “Off with her head!” And Alice, mustering great presence of mind and will, finally saw the whole vicious lot of them for the flimsy pack of playing cards that they really were. Great presence of mind is in short supply right now. I’m feeling like we’ve all slipped down the rabbit hole
where nothing is what it’s supposed to be. Consider this: a woman living in Ohio who has been raped, and discovers that she’s pregnant when she misses her next menstrual period, is now sentenced to carry the baby to birth, while the rapist may very well go free. Republican Governor Mike DeWine to the women of Ohio: Gotcha! Your body is not yours. And, in New Jersey, a judge was temporarily suspended for suggesting to a rape victim in court that she could have prevented the rape by closing her legs. The Jabberwock cynically flaunts its anatomical ignorance in the service of power over the female body. And, as in uffish thought he stood, The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame, Came whiffling through the tulgey wood, And burbled as it came!* Beware the burbling rage of the “unaccommodated man,” one of Shakespeare’s maddest. Please, sir, since you lived and wrote in a time not as universally racialized as ours, allow me the addition of “White” to your “unaccommodated man.” While the “unaccommodated man” can be a terror to women, the “unaccommodated White man” poses a threat to the majority of the world’s people. Oh, how I envy Alice. All she had to do to keep her head on her shoulders was to finally see the Red Queen and Co. as the pack of playing cards that they really were. No, we are stuck with our Jabberwock. Our Jabberwock is made up of fear of the other, of unkind and selfish exclusivity, and exploits where, when, whom, and however it can to keep its own power intact. It wants to stomp our generous, kind, open, accepting, creative, loving impulses into oblivion because it fears them. It’s hold on wealth and power demands that the
earth itself accommodate beyond its ability to sustain life. The truth is, the Jabberwock has always been with us, and there have always been those that refuse to accommodate. We must not accommodate, but each of us, in our own way, fight for what we know to be true. We know that the world is a crowded place, facing a struggle for viable living space, food and water. We also know that the world is not a hotel with no vacancy, that we can purpose our ingenuity to sustain and celebrate all human life. “And hast thou slain the Jabberwock? Come to my arms, my beamish boy! O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!” He chortled in his joy.* To Spring, to Lewis Carroll, who helps me find my way in a world that often seems to have gone mad. To the slaying of the Jabberwock whenever and wherever it raises its ugly head. And, to chortling our collective joy in seeing yet another Spring. *From the poem, Jabberwocky, by Lewis Carroll
-Judy and Carl Berg
THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 9
INTERVIEW BY H.CANDEE
Stephanie, I believe you have a great sense of humor, and a very imaginative way of translating what you see. What for you would you say is your most playful and fun for you body of work? Stephanie Blumenthal: The Still Life series was the most playful. I enjoyed the challenge of trying to reproduce the look of a Dutch Still life, down to the dead insects. Luckily, my husband had saved items from his mother’s antique business which I used in my photos. The flowers came from our garden and bugs from my collection of dead insects. The “Frozen” series was also a fun, but difficult project, trying to find packaging which I could fill with fruits or vegetables. The shape of the package has to be the same shape of the item it contains. For example, a toothbrush comes in a shaped, plastic package mimicking the form of a toothbrush. Aside from stylizing a photo, it’s satisfying to watch an idea evolve. I might start with a concept and as I work on it, the idea takes on a life of its own. Not sure if you would call that playful or fun, I’d label it satisfying. Do you finish a series of one kind of body of work, then move onto the next when you decided what amuses and interests you? How does this order and planning process go about? Stephanie: I take an idea as far as I can when I’m working on a body of work, but I have come back to a series when if, upon review, I believe I’ve more to add. Sometimes I work on multiple series simultaneously. Were you influenced by anyone, someone that gave you inspiration to go forth in this artistic direction? Who? How so? Stephanie: My favorite period in art was Dadaism, which might explain my sense of humor. But in terms of being inspired by other photographers, I’d say Irving Penn. His ability to take unnoticed, unvalued and/or discarded objects out of their naturally occurring settings, i.e. cigarettes found in gutters, transforming them into beautiful objects intrigued me. I was also inspired by his photographs of Frozen Foods. One winter, my son had left the remains of a sushi dinner in his car. The rolls were frozen together into a lovely square. When I saw it, I was reminded of Penn’s images and wondered if I could take the idea further.
CURVY TULIP
STEPHANIE BLUMENTHAL PHOTOGRAPH
Why photography as your artistic outlet? Did it branch out from another area of visual art or maybe, another form of creative pursuit? Stephanie: I was a graphic designer for 30 years, primarily designing
APPLE CORE
STEPHANIE BLUMENTHAL PHOTOGRAPH
book covers. Although I had been photographing for many years, I took it more seriously when I stopped designing. Since a lot of my work is conceptual, I see a connection between the two fields. In designing a cover, I had to come up with a concept that reflected what that book was about. I think I use that same approach in some of my photographs.
tween the equipment he owned and his assistance during the first few sessions, I learned enough to be able to continue on my own. Additionally, demanding were the challenges of learning how to put my subjects at ease, while making sure the strobe lights were positioned correctly and all of the technical details were under control.
Where did you study? Stephanie: I was a sculpture major at Hobart/William Smith College. I then took classes at School of Visual Arts in design. I’m self-taught in photography.
I enjoy exploring your still life series. How was this series born? Stephanie: I came to the idea of putting hot dogs/junk food in a Dutch Still life setting in variety of ways. I’ve always been fascinated by taking elements out of their normal contextual setting and putting them in an unexpected environment, hoping the viewer would see/experience the objects in a different way. While playing with the idea of how one could make junk food look beautiful, the Dutch Still life paintings came to mind. As I read about and researched this genre, it increasingly seemed to be the ideal context and style to play off of in presenting junk food.
What would you say is the most technical challenge in achieving your photography work, maybe, a series was more challenging in terms of camera use, dark room work, etcetera that you worked with? Stephanie: The most challenging were the tattoos. Since I was not trained as a photographer, the technical aspects of lighting continue to be a challenge. Luckily, my husband had been a professional photographer. Be-
Vanitas, a sub-genre of the Still life, refers to the Latin word for emptiness. It was a reaction to Roman Catholicism more in keeping with the new austere aesthetics of Protestant Reformation Art in Northern Europe. These paintings instructed the viewer not to get too lost in the fleeting, temporal pleasures associated with wealth and gluttony, but rather to focus more on the spiritual aspects of life. Fast food is a perfect metaphor for momentary pleasure and a lost connection to real food or at least where it came from. Aside from the parallels between contemporary and 17th century Dutch life, I was curious about other artistic genres that incorporated still life settings. Cubism came to mind and I attempted to see how fast food would hold up in a Cubist setting. What fascinates you about line, shape and architecture? Stephanie: If you detach architectural form from function, it immediately it can be re-experienced as pure geometric elements. Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 11
YELLOW PORCH STEPHANIE BLUMENTHAL PHOTOGRAPH
CLARK STEPHANIE BLUMENTHAL PHOTOGRAPH
Deemphasizing details doesn’t only change the photograph into an abstracted image; it highlights the interaction between the different planes. I overlaid colors to give the photograph a painterly quality and held back on the opacity to create tension between the photographic and the abstract, making the end product reside somewhere between the two. Tell us about your Vine series, please. Stephanie: When I look at the vines that twist and weave between trees, they take on a painterly quality. Originally, I tried to photograph them in front of a canvas backdrop held between two poles, but this ended up being too cumbersome. I realized I could get the same effect, with much more control, by creating a similar, artificial “backdrop” in Photoshop. By placing the “backdrop” behind the vines, it takes them out of their natural setting, allowing the viewer to see them more clearly as a decontextualized shape and form. 12 • MAY 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND
What’s the secret to keeping all the peas and other frozen veggies together as seen in your Frozen series? Stephanie: Haha. Water. I would fill the plastic containers with fruits or vegetables, then hold it under the faucet and put it in the freezer. In doing this series I had to act quickly; getting the frozen item to the set before they started to melt was a challenge. And then, of course, there was the heat from the lights that were illuminating the frozen items!
an artist colony in the 50’s, my parents’ friends were mostly artists. One of their friends was Joseph Cornell’s agent. When she heard that I was interested in his work she told him about me. We had a few phone conversations and an exchange of letters; I was about to meet him, but he passed away before the meeting took place. My husband is also a fine artist photographer so during our time together I’ve become familiar with other photographers and their work.
Stephanie, can you tell us a little about your childhood and how art entered your life? Stephanie: Although my father was a doctor, I think he would have preferred being thought of as an artist. He was a painter and printmaker, often working into the early morning after office hours were over. My mother also had a similar inclination, later in life becoming a sculptor. Spending summers in Nantucket,
Sense of present and past is what I feel when I view your series, Connection. I feel it is transcending and sensitive. What is your relationship between these objects? Stephanie: As to what the relationship might be (or not) between my work and my personality, I leave that to my friends and family to answer. I am aware of changes that occur throughout life; something that
CUBIST MONOPOLY STEPHANIE BLUMENTHAL PHOTOGRAPH
TOOTHBRUSHES MONOPOLY STEPHANIE BLUMENTHAL PHOTOGRAPH
once was and what it then becomes, without judgement. I guess one could say I have a fascination with dead and discarded objects. One usually throws out dead flowers, but I find them to have a unique beauty, a different beauty from when they were first picked. The flower goes through alterations, twisting and curling before the ultimate loss of petals. The transformations are intriguing; the flowers frozen in a graceful, gestural dance. I started photographing them individually and against a neutral background in order to accent their simplicity and gracefulness. With the Connection series, some of the photos are about the association; a match and a pile of wood. Others are about a before and after; an apple begins as a beautiful flower, ending up a desiccated apple core. Influenced by James Rosenquist and his abstracted combining, pairing, and juxtaposition of images, I chose to emphasize pairs with a stronger, more evident relationship; before and after, cause and effect.
but there are times when I prefer silence.
named Yo Yo.
What are your favorite past-times you enjoy during the summer months? Stephanie: Hiking and biking in the Berkshires. I also enjoy theater and dance.
What has been the one strong idea you hold true and stand by? Stephanie: Trying to do the right thing and walk the talk. Ideas are easy, it’s the execution of them that matters.
Do you like to travel? Is there any place that promotes ideas and inspiration for your work? Stephanie: My husband and I travelled a lot before we had children. In those days it was a lot looser; we just rented a car and drove, no reservations. Rather than a particular place the act of travel, of seeing/experiencing many different places provided inspiration for different bodies of work. I think it’s more a matter of rural vs urban, finding inspiration from both environments. In doing the Space series, being in an urban setting was essential, whereas I needed the country for my Vines series. It all depends on what I’m working on at the time.
What has been for you so far your most successful and enjoyable art? Stephanie: Since I’ve come to photography somewhat late in life, I’m surprised by what has evolved. Maybe that’s why I’ve produced a lot of different series; a flood of stored up ideas. But that’s not answering your question. Successful? The Still Life series. I surprised myself how well I had captured the feel of a Dutch Still life, given I was a novice at lightening. Enjoyable? The tattoo photographs. Although the actual taking of the photographs was stressful, I enjoyed meeting everyone and hearing their stories.
What is your choice of music? Do you like to work while music is playing in background? Stephanie: I enjoy listening to classical, rock and roll, and ethnic music. I sometimes have it on while I work
Tell us about your family? Stephanie: I’ve been with my husband, Benno Friedman, for forty-four years and we have two wonderful boys, both entrepreneurs. Oh yeah, we also have a cat
What are you working on now? Stephanie: I’m working on a series, making a visual statement about the isolation people seem to be experiencing despite Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 13
HOT DOG STILL LIFE
CIGGARETTE STEPHANIE BLUMENTHAL PHOTOGRAPH
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STEPHANIE BLUMENTHAL PHOTOGRAPH
RED SQUARE STEPHANIE BLUMENTHAL PHOTOGRAPH
technology’s claim of creating community. People on their phones are ubiquitous, are caught up in checking their phones yet are disconnected from one another. I’m also working on a series using certain food’s geometric shapes and the shadows they create under specific lighting. I have no current plans for an exhibit. Whom in art history do you admire, feel their drive and fight, feel may be most simple and sincere in their expressiveness? Stephanie: I’m a big fan of Motherwell and Rauschenberg. When I was in college, Magritte was one of my favorites. Have you experienced a higher level of creativity when facing emotional stress, boredom, or when just stuff is going on? Stephanie: One can’t seem to rally up creativity, it either comes to one or not. When I’m immersed in a particular series, I start seeing the world a certain way. For example, when working on the Space series, I’m very attuned to angles and shapes. It’s like putting on a new pair of glasses.
I don’t think my inspirations come out of boredom; I’m not sure where or how they came to me. Something I heard or saw must have inspired them but I’m not always sure what that was. You are currently represented at The Carrie Haddad Gallery in Hudson, NY. How has the experience been for you so far? Stephanie: It is a beautiful gallery; it’s been on Warren Street for many years.Carrie has been representing my Vines and Spaces series for about four years. It’s been great showing there; Carrie and Linden have been very supportive and encouraging. Have you enjoyed showing your work at A Muse Gallery in Chatham, NY? Stephanie: It is a special place; unlike most galleries which are cool, neutral spaces attempting to be nonspecific environments within which all work can be seen without interference/competition, A Muse is a warm, personal and inviting space. I love showing there; I’m a big fan of the Pattersons!
Where do you find all your props? That must be an important and fun part of the art making process for you. Stephanie: It is fun, as I mentioned before, we have a closet in the attic filled with leftovers from my husband’s mother, which were perfect for the Still life series. As for the Connections, I could be seen picking up discarded cigarette butts from the parking lot at the Big Y, a bit embarrassing if I ran into someone who knew me. What do you hope, wish, and strive for in life? Stephanie: To be inspired, turned on by ideas. To be able to see the world in a unique way. Please give the details of how people can see your art and get in touch with you? Stephanie: Carrie Haddad carries my Vine and Space series. To view most of my work one can go to my website, sblumenthalphotography.com. I also have a blog for my tattoo work at https://www.inkspeaks.blog Thank you Stephanie! THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 15
KATE KNAPP
FRONT ST. GALLERY
CAROLYN NEWBERGER WHAT ARE WE DOING; WHERE ARE WE GOING? MIXED MEDIA, 42 X 36” 2018
June show Berkshire Artists Recent Work Sat June 1- Sunday June 30 2019 Opening reception Sunday June 9, 3-6pm
CAROLYN NEWBERGER
Pastels, oils, acrylics and watercolors…abstract and representational…..landscapes, still lifes and portraits….a unique variety of painting technique and styles….you will be transported to another world and see things in a way you never have before…. join us and experience something different. Painting classes continue on Monday and Wednesday mornings 10-1:30pm at the studio and Thursday mornings out in the field. These classes are open to all...come to one or come again if it works for you. All levels and materials welcome. Private critiques available. Classes at Front Street are for those wishing to learn, those who just want to be involved in the pure enjoyment of art, and/or those who have some experience under their belt. Perfect if you are seeking fresh insight into watercolors, and other mediums. A teacher for many years, Kate Knapp has a keen sense of each student’s artistic needs to take a step beyond. Perfect setting for setting up still lifes; lighting and space are excellent. Peek in to see! Front Street Gallery – Front Street, Housatonic, MA. Gallery open by appointment or chance anytime. 413-528-9546 at home or 413-429-7141 (cell).
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MIXED MEDIA In our dreams, we often find ourselves in landscapes and experiences that we recognize, but that are disjointed and reconstructed. We don’t quite know what we are doing, or where we are going. In our waking hours, we think that we live in a coherent reality, but do we really? Perhaps our fragmented dreams are truer than our daytime narratives. Collage is uniquely suited to capture that experience of a fragmented whole that almost holds together, but not quite. From a distance we see a child in a landscape. But on close inspection, the landscape becomes a jumble of naugahyde, tape, watercolor fragments, and torn paper. Who is this child? How precarious and fragmented is the world he lives in? My work can be seen at Galatea Fine Art in Boston, the Artful Mind Gallery in Lenox in season, in juried shows throughout the year, and by appointment in my studio www.carolynnewberger.com 617-877-5672
WOOD RELIEF WALL SCULPTURE
PHILIP ROBERTS
PARADISE CITY ARTS FESTIVAL MEMORIAL DAY WEEKEND It’s Springtime in Paradise! The best way to spend your holiday weekend is in Northampton, the cultural heart of New England, at one of America’s most spectacular fairs of fine craft, painting and sculpture. The Paradise City Arts Festival (literally) rolls out the carpet for this season’s splendidly curated collection of hundreds of artists and fine craft makers, coming from every corner of the country. It’s three great days of astounding visual arts, eye-popping design, scrumptious food and, of course, great fun! It’s a short, lovely ride from the Berkshires for the chance to see the remarkable work and hear the stories of 250 extraordinary artists. Well over 10,000 attendees, many traveling long distances, visit this sprawling show held on Saturday, Sunday and Monday of Memorial Day Weekend. Yankee Magazine wrote this year that “the Northampton visual arts scene explodes at the twice-yearly Paradise City Arts Festival, an extravaganza of 200-plus top-notch craftspeople and fine artists that’s been dazzling shoppers since 1995.” Paradise City keeps its visitors’ hands, eyes and brains busy. Shibumi Silk offers a fantastic hands-on experience in silk marbling techniques. Make your own patterned scarf using a rainbow of vibrant dyes! Alan and Rosemary Bennett, known for their life-sized, realistic renditions of fish and sea creatures, lead very popular clay sculpture workshops for children (and the young at heart). Steve Weisman demonstrates the fine art of woodturning. Plus, the changing installations and large-scale sculpture along the Sculpture Promenade are catnip for kids, Instagram heaven and full of fantastic decorating ideas for the attendees’ own gardens. Paradise City Arts Festival, May 25, 26 & 27, at Northampton’s 3 County Fairgrounds, on Old Ferry Road off Rt. 9. From the Mass Pike, take exit 4 to I-91 North, Exit 19. For complete show and travel information, advance online tickets and discount admission coupons, visit www.paradisecityarts.com or call 800-511-9725.
THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 17
ROBERT FEUER ukulele Interview & Photo of Robert by H. Candee ... little images courtesy of public domain
Why have you fallen in love with the ukulele? Robert Feuer: It is a gateway into the wonderful world of learning to play music. The simplicity, light weight portability, and affordability make this instrument ideal for anyone curious about playing a stringed instrument. Where is your favorite place to practice? How many hours do you practice a day? Robert: Being retired, my former home office has become my studio, my wife calls it a man cave. Sitting on the second floor of our garage, this space is ideal for the repetitive nature of musical practice. Our home, a separate building, nor its occupant(s) are the least disturbed by my carryings on in my studio. I play 18 • MAY 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND
when the spirit moves me, and other duties are not pressing. Or when I am adamant about learning and making mine a particular song or riff. Where did you first perform in public? Were you scared? Robert: I joined the Berkshire Ukulele Band (BUB) in the Spring of 2014. It was there that I first played amongst a large group of strangers. I was not performing in front of this large group, I was learning to play along with the other members of BUB. At first came a fear of making mistakes, but soon finding myself swept up and along with everyone’s playing together, became an extreme joy. A year later I joined a spin-off group from BUB,
which to this day is called, “The Sunday Strummers.” In the fair-weather time of year, we played out at the Great Barrington Bandstand every Sunday afternoon. Winters, we pulled indoors to the basement of the GB Masonic Hall. Playing out with a group is not so very frightening for me. There’s safety in numbers. By 2017, I was daring enough to perform solo at open mike nights at The Egremont Barn. Now that wasn’t frightening, it was terrifying. But it was also exhilarating. Whatever the song, it was over by the time I got started, and I couldn’t remember what had happened. It will be a while before I get back up to a mic solo to sing and play on my uke, but it will come with lots more practice.
In terms of sound, what are the ukuleles limitations? Robert: The ukulele is a treble instrument. Its lowest note is middle C. Due to its small size, it is not a loud instrument. So, it might need amplification to be heard among other instruments. It comes in four recognized sizes, soprano, concert, tenor, and baritone. The soprano is but 21 inches long. The large baritone uke is smaller than the small, parlor sized tenor guitar. But it is this diminutive size that lends the attribute of portability to the ukulele. Tell us what was most challenging in learning this instrument? Robert: Firstly, comes new conversations between you and your fingers, as you begin to learn basic chords. With two or three chords, you are ready to play hundreds of songs. Secondly, learning to sing while playing, comes as a challenge. You begin to figure out how one brain can get your left fingers to the right positions at the right time, while having the right hand keeping proper time, while counting the beats to the measure, as your eyes feed in more info from the music sheet in front of you. Okay, with that all happening, now read those words and find the right vocal notes to begin to sing along. Miraculously, strumming and crooning begin to flow together. Then comes the monotony of strumming the chords, and the desire to learn to finger pick the melody and other riffs becomes the challenge. How does it work as therapy for you? Does it relax you or get you all wound up? Robert: Music is an outlet for one’s soul. The uke is one of the simplest means of providing the individual with a voice through which to express oneself. Accompanying with one’s own voice while playing the uke is a fulfillment of self-expression. Adding to that comes joining voices and playing with others. It is this joy that pulls me along to wanting to increase my musical vocabulary, improve my listening skills, as well as my playing skills. This is a spiritual therapy, and the changes that occur with musical growth and development act to open and enhance the experience of being alive. And that enriches all aspects of one’s existence. Typically, playing and singing with others enlivens me, and I at session’s end, I am left longing for more. With whom to you often play with? Robert: I continue to attend BUB on Tuesday eves at the Berkshire South Community Center in GB. I continue to take class from David Hodge on Weds afternoons at Berkshire Community College GB. I also sing with a choral group called Berkshire Sings on Weds eves, also at the Berkshire South Community Center. This group is led by Rob Kelly on keyboard, and accompanied on uke by Sherry Steiner, and banjo by Rose Tannenbaum. I also sing and play uke with a choral group held on Tuesday mornings at the Lee Congregational Church. This group is led by Vikki True with Peter Shneider on piano, and me on uke. Thursday eves find me taking David Hodge’s Musical Improvisation class followed by David’s Jam class. After Jam comes a ramen soup for dinner; then off to jam with Chris Gennari, his dad, Chris Gennari, Ted Pierce, and numerous other local musicians who come by to join in the fun.
How does it work as a group? Who is conducting? Who chooses the music? Robert: BUB is led by music teacher and performing artist, Rob Sansone. Rob picks out the songs for us to sing and play, and he teaches and leads us in song. We gain familiarity with each piece of music, and with the different ways of arranging each piece. We learn intros, which parts get repeated, and when. At various times Rob Sanzone gets us hooked up with gigs, where the band plays out at an event. We’ve performed at West Stockbridge Old Town Hall, French Park, The GB Bandstand, Berkshire Botanical Gardens’ Harvest Festival, Lebanon Springs Park, New Marlborough School, Appalachian Trail Through Hikers July Picnic at Benedict Pond. Playing out is purely voluntary, but those of us who take advantage of these opportunities gain greatly from the experience of joining with other BUBbers in the uplifting of an audience through musical expression. This format of our musical groups’ leaders choosing our songs and directing us as band or choral group is fairly consistent. We sing out at times as Berkshire Sings under Rob Kelly’s direction. Our next gig is at 2 pm, on Sunday, May 5th, at St Peters Youth Center on Cottage and East Street in Great Barrington. David Hodge also runs a jam on the 4th Saturday from 11 am to 1 pm, at Wood Brothers Music store in the Allendale shopping center in Pittsfield. As in his classes, David selects the songs to be worked on. Can you tell us a little of the origins of this instrument? Robert: Portuguese sailors with limited space allotted to musical instruments aboard their world exploring sailing ships would bring along their little machetes, later to be named ukuleles by the Hawaiian Islanders who loved these little stringed instruments brought by the Portuguese sailors. The Portuguese also sailed into South America where Brazilian folk also took to the little machete. To this day in Brazil is played the cavaquinho. It looks exactly like a concert sized ukulele but has steel strings tuned five half tones higher than our nylon stringed ukes. One can put the name “cavaquinho” into a Youtube search box, and up will come many opportunities to hear and see one being played. What songs in particular do you love to play as part of your on the go anywhere repertoire? Fully memorized! Robert: Fully memorized is a long reach from almost being 78 years old. But here’s a few of my favorites. I’m not quite ready for prime time and moving away from the music sheets is a once and future goal. Anytime (1921) Herbert Happy Lawson Fire (1977) Bruce Springsteen Crazy, (1962) Willy Nelson Hey, Good Lookin’ (1951) Hank Williams How did you find the ukulele? And when? And where? Robert: I moved to the Berkshires in 1971, from New
York City. I brought a nice Martin 000-28 six stringed guitar with me, intending to learn to play it. As John Lennon said, “Life is what happens while you are making other plans.” The guitar lived in its case and stuck around through the raising of two children. The saving thought as a parent was, “Well maybe one of my kids will grow up and want to play guitar.” Didn’t happen. They moved out and on with their lives not as guitar players. Then retirement struck, and I had to deal with what will I do with the rest of my life. Finally, I opened the guitar case, only to find that the pick guards had curled up. I took the guitar to Steve Sauve up in North Adams. Steve removed the spent pick guards and laid down a coat of lacquer to cover the bare spots. I enrolled in my first David Hodge class at BCC GB, Fall Semester 2013, Absolute Beginner’s Guitar Class. And I struggled and complained, and David was so encouraging. I n Mid-September, my wife, Mary, suggested we make a run over to Hudson, NY to visit a preview at The Stair Gallery. Mary had seen a porcelain box on Stair’s website and wanted to go look at it. Coincidentally, sitting two shelves below Mary’s porcelain box was a little brown ukulele. I asked to see it and noted the maker’s mark stamped into the back of the headstock. C.F. Martin, Nazareth, PA. I put the uke on a chair, took a couple of photos with my phone, and spent the next few days researching Martin ukuleles. From 1916 to 1970, Martin made ukes of the four standard sizes and in various states of adornment. This early 1920’s was a soprano of the simplest design, but in very nice condition for an item nearly 100 years old. I checked Ebay and other resources to learn what such a uke was bringing. When Mary and I returned to Stair Gallery for the auction the following weekend, there were no other bidders for the uke in the room, but two were busy bidding each other up either on the telephone or via internet to the auction. They finally petered out around $375. I knew folks were paying up to $600 at the time, so I awaited the 3rd call before the hammer fell on $375. I raised my bidders’ number and offered $400. The other bidders were silent, and I became the second owner of this early 1920’s soprano ukulele. It was being sold out of the estate of a lady artist, the Late Pat Paslof, from New York City. Pat had been a student of painter, Willem DeKooning. BTW- I successfully bid and won for Mary her porcelain box. Who was your teacher when you first started? Still the same person? Robert: When the Fall Semester of beginner guitar class ended, I enrolled in David Hodge’s beginner Ukulele class in January 2014. I would follow David’s teaching on the Ukulele to this present day. At times BCC moved his uke class to Pittsfield, but mostly at the GB campus. Close friends of my daughter and her husband are a couple who at that time (2014) were bringing their children to BUB. When they learned of my interest in the uke, they urged me to give BUB a try. After several of their kind nudges, in the early Spring of 2014, I went to a session of BUB. As described above, soon I was swept up in the spirit of song along with all the other BUB players. Rob Sanzone’s marvelous wit, his deep grasp of music, and his leadership and teaching abilities have all been wonderful and consistent ever since. Though many local musicians have offered me instructions, a bit here and there; and I greatly appreciate the Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 19
ROBERT FEUER ON UKULELE
understanding and encouragement; in the main, David Hodge and Rob Sanzone have been my primary uke teachers since I started to play uke in January 2014. Do you know of any really good teachers that offer lessons in Ukulele, or, Fiddle in South County that you can suggest? (I know you did mention someone while we talked in Big Y) Robert: Clearly, David Hodge teaches ukulele and guitar at Berkshire Community College in Great Barrington. David is very kind and encouraging, and he has a lifelong profound knowledge and understanding of music. I have twice taken his classes on Music Theory, and once his course on Banjo. And Rob Sanzone leads Berkshire Ukulele Band at the Berkshire South Community Center. I know that David Hodge also offers private lessons. As to fiddle lessons, I defer to Erika Ludwig, who you can find in North Egremont at Berkshire Strings Studio. I bet you can share a funny experience with us about you and your ukulele, yes? Robert: A few years back, at a music rehearsal for the White House Staff Band, one of the musicians seeing me with a uke, asked if I had ever heard Jake Shimabukuro play uke. I had not. He said Jake had changed uke playing forever, and I should check out Jake’s rendition of George Harrison’s, “While My Guitar Gently Weeps”. I found it on Youtube, and I was immediately lifted to a whole new plane of appreciation for the little ukulele. If you haven’t heard and seen this yet, you really should afford yourself three minutes of listening. Turned out that Jake was coming to The Egg over in Albany, NY. I got tix, I went, and that night The Egg permitted the entire concert to be recorded. During his performance Jake announced that a portion of his profits from his world tour were going to a program to provide music instruments (ukes) and lessons for children in schools whose budget for music instruction was nil. At Jake’s suggestion from the stage, I went out into the lobby at concert’s end, got on the end of a very long line to buy a digital copy of that night’s performance. I then got on the end of another very long line to get Jake’s autograph. When I finally got to see Jake in front of me, I let him know with great enthusiasm that I had just come to the uke in my seventies. Jake looked at me in kindness, and said, “God Bless You”. To this day, I am blessed and that concert rides around plugged into the USB port in my car. What are the winning thoughts to inspire others to try this instrument? Has it worked? Robert: What inspires others to try their hand at making music is more in the hands of the Muses and the Fates than in any sophistry. The inspiration could even be a personal tragedy, where the healing comes from a comforting of the bruised soul. Music can do that. Consider the ubiquity of the blues. Music is completely vibrational. Our atoms and molecules are all vibrating at their own frequencies. Expose these tiny vibrations to a note plucked on a uke string, and all sorts of moods and feelings can be released. BUB is an excellent way to try playing uke. BUB is free and has loaner ukes for beginners to try and see if they are going to take to the instrument. We have newbies almost every week. Rob and BUB have a way of providing the easiest path to begin playing songs. Most of the time our newbies leave their first class smiling at having played a whole song or two or three carried along by all of BUB. We always have over
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twenty but have weeks with forty-five uke players strumming. Beginners fear not, we won’t hear your mistakes anyway, and we will sweep you along into a state of joy. What other free time interests do you partake in and love? Robert: When I first retired in 2009, I interned at IS183 Art Center in Stockbridge. For three years I was Ben Evans, Ceramics Studio Manager’s helper. I have some wonderful wheel thrown pieces that I made while working at IS-183. Ben even hooked me up with some wood firings in and around the Berkshires. I also met some wonderful people in the course of pottery making. As I have aged, my skin has suffered serious dryness in the Winters, and clay is very drying on the skin. So, it was Autumn 2013, that I moved away from exposure to clay, and on into music as yet another avocation. Singing and developing my singing voice has been a big part of my personal retirement enrichment program. Rob Kelly’s Berkshire Sings is also a free program provided by Berkshire South Community Center. It meets at 6:45 - 8:15 pm, Wednesdays. We are so very fortunate to have as our musical director, arranger, pianist, vocal coach a man who performs with and presents some of the top local vocalists. Rob plays for Wanda Huston and many of the jazz and popular singers of our local area. Not long after I joined BUB, I developed the ability to sing while playing uke. That’s when I began to enjoy developing my singing voice. And so, I started to attend Berkshire Sings. A couple of years ago, I ran into Vikki True at Guido’s. I hadn’t seen her since 2005, so we chatted for a while. Vikki is a great jazz and blues singer, who entertained the Berkshires and beyond for many years. She told me of a choral group that she and another had formed under a grant from the Parkinson’s Fund. She said the group was now open to all and invited me to come sing along. Each Tuesday at 10 am, Vikki, accompanied by her pianist Peter Shneider, leads our motley crew of singers who range all the way up to 96 years of age. The first Tuesday morning I attended, only two others, who were Parkinson’s patients were present at 10 am. They didn’t know me and asked what my disability was. I thought for a moment, then answered, “Life”. Lately, Vikki and Peter have asked I bring my ukulele and help out accompanying our music. To prepare for the following Tuesday session, a chosen few of us meet with Vikki and Peter at Vikki’s home on Fridays to rehearse. Where is it that you live now, and how long? Where did you grow up? Robert: I live in the Township of Stockbridge, about 3 miles from the village center. We have owned our home here since 1979. I moved to Stockbridge in March of 1971, and rented apartments and houses in Stockbridge, Monterey, and Lee until buying our present home. I grew up in New York City, and In Los Angeles. By the time I was fourteen, I had lived seven years, on and off, on each coast. My late father was a producer of Broadway musical comedies. When his shows were hits, and most were, the movie studios would hire him to make a movie of the play. So, we were moving back and forth across the US about every year and half to two years.
How did you end up in the Berkshires, and why did you stay? Robert: Having had my fill of the mega cities of New York and L.A., I longed for trees and fresh air. I also wanted to get away from my dad’s notoriety and establish a new life for myself out from under his penumbra of fame. I had a friend from New York City who had moved to Lenox. I would come up to Lenox to visit on weekends, and soon found that I didn’t want to have to go back to NYC after a weekend up here. It was a great time up here; The Music Inn was just getting started. Mundy’s Silver City Saloon in Glendale was tons of fun. Another local friend, John Hart, got me a job bartending at the Red Lion Inn’s Lion’s Den, and I found an apartment on East Main Street of Stockbridge. The spirits of the Berkshires had captured me and have held me here ever since. Do you have kids? And, where are they? What do they do? Where you their direct influence and supporter with the careers they have chosen? Robert: Mary and I have two children. Our daughter, Kate Feuer Burke, now resides in and is a member of the Select Board of Great Barrington. Kate and her husband Joe Burke have given us two wonderful grandchildren, Aoife (5), and Wylie (1yr 10 mos.) We raised Kate as a ballerina. For 4 years Kate attended and then graduated from the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri at Kansas City after graduating Monument Mountain High School. Kate danced under contract with the Ballet Memphis for two years in Tennessee. When the world financial crisis struck in 2007, funding for the ballet dried up, and Kate’s contract was not renewed. She moved back home and rethought her life. Found an interest in cheese and became store manager of Rubiner’s cheese shop within a year of her employ. Subsequently, Kate designed the new cheese shop within Guido’s Pittsfield store. Got pregnant with Wylie. Took leave of Guido’s and became the manager of the Great Barrington Farmers’ Market. I supported Kate’s love of dance but have had nothing to do with her choices of cheese, Farmers’ Markets, or Select Boards. She is a very self-motivated person. Mary and I endeavored to help our children to have lots of selfrespect and left their choice of life’s path to themselves. Our son Max Feuer, 31, now resides in New York City. He works for a British skateboard company called Palace Skateboards, which has brick and mortar stores in London and in SoHo, NYC, and an online store. The fulfillment center is in Boonton, N.J. Max is in charge of sales for the East coast of the US, as well as the fulfillment center. His hobby is to D. J. at clubs from New York to Detroit to Tokyo, Japan. He is engaged to marry a wonderful young lady from Tokyo. They have been waiting over one year for our State Dept to issue Miri Mastufuji, Max’s fiancée, a fiancée’s Visa. Mary and I will be visiting Miri and her parents in Tokyo in May. Max like his sister has been an independent thinker. I have had no influence over his life choices. I have had no experience with skateboarding or its culture, nor of deejaying. We only wanted our children to recognize their self-worth, and all the rest would take care of itself.
easy and enjoyable. Are you at a good place in your mind and heart these days? How so? Robert: I am, as I am no longer awakening in the morning to a call of duty. I don’t have to put on a tie and jacket and get to court before 8:30 am. My call of duty is the care of my home and the sharing of our lives with Mary. I am free to choose what I like to do. I have booked two musical programs come September. A wonderful musician, Vic Wooten, who wrote a book entitled, The Music Lesson, has a Summer camp in Tennessee. I will go there for his weekend on Theory, and ensuing week called, The Spirit of Music. I went to hear Vic play with his jazz trio at The Egg on 10 December 2017. I highly recommend his book to anyone interested in the spiritual aspects of music. Another event occurred later on the evening of 10 December 2017. For the first time in her 56 years of life, I came to meet one of my twin daughters born when I was 19 years old in 1961. I have since met with both of my twins in their hometowns in L.A., CA. The kicker is that each of my twins has had four children, and I have had the pleasure of meeting seven of my eight “new” grandchildren. The eldest, Phillip Lee, is the same age as my son, Max. 31. My Mary upon learning of all this, said, “Great, now I have two daughters who are but five years my junior.” This discovery was made by my “new” daughter, Candace’s sister, who noted my name entered as Candace’s father on a genetic testing website. Candace has noted the oddity of our story by calling it, “Not even in the movies”. There is much to tell of my new family, but bottom line is that you have to understand that on top of all I have said above about my life and my children by Mary, this genetic discovery has made me the richest man on Earth. What is your all-time favorite Disney movie? Or, book? I liked the old nature series of films by the Disney Studios, such as, “The Painted Desert”. I’ve read a lot and find myself hard pressed to name a favorite book. Given what I am up to these days, and what I have coming up ahead in September, I’ll choose Vic Wooten’s, The Music Lesson. I know this is not being fair to great authors, it is simply a reflection of my current bent. Can you share with us your favorite line of poetry, or phrase? “Youth, fervent estoppel on Heaven’s persistency, Come clattering through my door.........” By R.A. Feuer (1964)
Thank you, Robert!
What do you love best about summers in the Berkshires? Robert: The out of doors, the warm air, the great musical events, leaves on trees. The feeling that life is THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 21
JAANE DOE BURNS LIKE FIRE
PORTRAIT OF JOAN GRISWOLD FOR WEBSITE USE
ACILIUS PIED ALONGE
LINDA-KAYE MOSES The unruly jewels of Linda Kaye-Moses reflect a delight in the body-embellished, adornment, offering the possibility of intimate transformation. Implicit in her jewels is their narrative quality, allowing them to speak with her voice, while conversing with those who will wear them. Her work fuses jewelry techniques including: engraving, enameling, oxidation/patination, roll-printing, and cold connections, all integrated with precious metals, gemstones, found objects, organic materials, and occasional enclosures, reflecting her interest in archetypal chambers (caves, caches, treasure chests, reliquaries, etc.) while supporting and displaying the jewels As she works at her bench, She has a sense of unearthing what lies buried in the materials. . . the jewels are present before her hands begin to manipulate the materials, and all she need do is remove the extraneous material for the jewel to appear. You can find Kaye-Moses’ jewels only at Paradise City Arts Festival Northampton, MA, May 25-27 (Booth 731).
22 •THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019
berkshire digital | collins editions Opening in 2005, we do fine art printing for artists, photographers and anyone needing our services. These Giclée prints, can be made in many different sizes from 5”x7” to 42” x 80” on archival papers. In addition to the printing services, we create accurate photo-reproductions of paintings and illustrations, and can have client’s film scanned into digital files, for use in books, magazines, brochures, cards and websites. We also offer restoration and repair of damaged or faded photographs. A complete overview of services offered, along with pricing, can be seen on the web at www.BerkshireDigital.com A newly added service, is photographic portraits of artists in their studios, or wherever they would like, for use in magazines, as the author’s picture in a book, websites or cards. See samples of artist portraits on the website at www.BerkshireDigital.com The owner, Fred Collins, has been a commercial and fine art photographer for over 30 years having had studios in Boston and Stamford. He offers over 25 years of experience with Photoshop™ enabling retouching, restoration and enhancement to prints and digital files. The studio is located in Mt Washington but drop-off and pick-up is available through Frames On Wheels, located at 84 Railroad Street in Great Barrington, MA (413) 528-0997. Reach the Studio: (413) 6449663, or go online to www.BerkshireDigital.com
Jaane Doe has been part of the musical machinery, stemming the tides of change for more than three decades. This singer/songwriter, a mistress of reinvention in sound and likeness, has the ability to sing like an angel, or with the fierceness of a lion, sharing a message of depth and substance that comes straight from the heart. Born in New York, and traveling to the West Coast as a teen, her musical journey led her back East following her union with Andrew Berliner, Chief Engineer, Owner and Founder of the legendary Crystal Sound Studios in Hollywood California. During her music years in Los Angeles, Jaane was hired as a background vocalist for various projects, one of which brought her to Crystal Sound to co-produce Bobby Taylor with her mentor and longtime friend Joe Schermie, original bass player for Three Dog Night. Jaane, in leopard-spandex, and Andrew, in tie-die Tshirt with red suspenders, met and fell in love, married, and by the summer of 1994 had decided to give up the lifestyle and follow Andrew’s dream to return to Great Barrington where he had attended Cornwall Academy and at 17, earned his pilot’s wings with the assistance of his mentor Walt Koladzda at the Great Barrington Airport. Jaane Doe and Andrew Berliner very quietly assimilated into a happy life in the Berkshires sharing the work of supporting and raising a family together until August 30, 2002, when unexpected tragedy hit and Andrew passed away suddenly from a heart attack. BURNS LIKE FIRE is a tribute to her late husband and musical collaborator, and signifies Jaane Doe’s dynamic return to the music world. The blending of country-tinged Americana, Folk/Pop into a visual masterpiece with great songwriting, vivid imagery and inspired solos make BURNS LIKE FIRE a memorable album. In 2018, Jaane Doe teamed up with Annie Guthrie and was a featured performer at WoodyFest in Okemah Oklahoma. Jaane has new material in the works, and directed a music video shot here in the Berkshires, currently in post-production to be released in 2019. Jaane Doe Music and more - visit www.jaanedoe.com, www.facebook.com/JaaneDoeMusic, www.reverbnation.com/JaaneDoe, https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/jaane, https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/jaane-doe/214634239
MELTING HILLS 2018 16 X 20”
GHETTA HIRSCH DESIGNS BY JENNIFER Awarded Best Of Houzz 2019 Designs by Jennifer Owen of Great Barrington, MA has won “Best Of Service Award” on Houzz®, the leading platform for home renovation and design. The boutique interior design studio was chosen by the more than 40 million monthly unique users that comprise the Houzz community from among more than 2.1 million active home building, remodeling and design industry professionals. Congrats! Recognized as a fabric guru with an eye for color, Jennifer has achieved accolades for her unique sense of style and vision. She has been featured on the cover of House to Home, Lifestyle Magazine of Fairfield County, featuring a home in Westport; East Coast Home Design Magazine; Shippan Designer Show House, (benefiting Stamford Museum and Nature Center); Weston Designer Show House benefiting Connecticut Humane Society. They feature her definitive style of design, transforming spaces to uplifting, functional environments, “simple elegance” at its best! A native of the West Midlands England, Jennifer grew up with a mother who was a passionate knitter and a talented seamstress, with a love to decorate and a relish for fabrics and yarns. This led to many inspiring visits with her to the fabric market. Hence Jennifer’s passion! Her client base extends to Fairfield County, CT, Westchester County, New York City, Long Island, and Berkshire County. Jennifer has a showroom and office based on Railroad Street in Great Barrington, MA. Jennifer is a member of IDS (Interior Design Society), with extensive training in interior design, IDPC (Interior Design Protection Council), member of Better Business Bureau, Metropolitan Museum, NYC, Museum of Natural History, NYC, Museum of Modern Art, NYC, member of Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, member of Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center, and a member of A Women’s Creation Circle in Berkshire County. Designs by Jennifer, LLC - 6 Railroad Street, STE 17, Great Barrington, Massachusetts. Office: 413528-5200; Cell: 203-253-3647; www.designsbyjenniferowen.com
Today, I am sharing “Melting Hills”, an oil painting on canvas that was painted in April. Now we finally have a beginning of spring and the Berkshires are changing their colors. In March, there were greys and pale ochres against the purple mountains. We used to have white coating here and there. Now the purple is taking on a blue tone and the ochre is like a pale avocado green. The Northern pines continue to impose their dark green against the fainting purple or pink and they are waiting for the reddish buds of the maple trees. I am enjoying painting these changes on Mount Williams in Williamstown; I was inspired by the snow who appears to be giving us trailing goodbyes. If you are a gardener, you must have done your pruning and you are waiting for the flowering of the apple trees or the proud tulips that the deer will kindly leave behind. When I painted “Melting Hills”, there were no flowers yet, but since the place is where the Taconic Golf Course resides, I will go back there for their impeccable landscaping and colors. I already rejoice at the blossoming to come. As you can guess colors motivate and guide my creative process. Spring brings light that will enhance the warmer tones of my palette. I am looking forward to more painting moments outdoors and I invite you to view my work in my Home Studio in the next few weeks. EXCITING NEWS! I will be showing my paintings May through September 2019 in Rockport, MA. You can visit the following Gallery: Three Stones Gallery 10c Main St., Rockport, MA 01966 www.threestonesgallery.com All my oil paintings can be seen by appointment. Ghetta Hirsch - text or call: 413- 281 06 26: email at ghettagh@aol.com
MARK MELLINGER / TRANSPARENT WASHES
TRIPTYCK
MARK MELLENGER NOHO M55 gallery 530 W 25th St NYC room #408
June 25–July 13, 2019 I live in two separate worlds. One verbal and one visual. What they have in common is an attitude of pushing into the unknown; of allowing unconscious elements to take form within consciousness. I couldn’t live without both. Art came first, but after a while I began to feel selfindulgent and isolated. I wanted to address problems of mans’ impact on the environment. I went through careers in art, photography, carpentry, ecology and microbiology before landing in psychology at 30. 10 years ago, when we found a loft in Pittsfield, I returned to my first love, art. It’s not like riding a bicycle. I had to start from scratch. I feel I’m just now catching up to where I left off 50 years ago. I’m not satisfied with a piece for a long time. I’ll put it away and work on something else. I’ll look at it upside down and in a mirror, trying to get a handle on what’s wrong. It’s a very solitary meditation. I might gesso over everything except some small bits that are working; then start over from those. The viewer completes the process. It’s a collaboration. It’s a thrill when someone “gets” a piece, but I’m OK when they don’t. The connection with the viewer should be as rare and special as marriage. Mark Mellinger can be reached at markmellinger680@gmail.com / markmellingerart.com / 914-260-7413
THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 23
Interview by H. Candee
Michael, now that you live full-time down south, Nashville, TN, and originally from Berkshire County, how do you feel this relocation has helped your music career? Michael Fabrizio: Relocating was difficult but necessary. I was told if you want to make it in music you have to go through Nashville. It’s not necessary but it’s a tremendous advantage to have the Nashville experience. There is a great amount to be gained by living in Music City. It’s a musical family. An entire city devoted to the craft and art of music. Musicians, singers, managers, labels, songwriters, bands from all over the world descend upon Nashville. It is currently the fastest growing city in America. So many brilliant musical minds in one place, it’s a haven of creativity. I’ve met some incredible people simply by being in Nashville that I likely would never have met. My self-titled Michael Fabrizio album was produced by Kent Wells (producer- Dolly Parton) whose brother I was regularly training with at a local gym. My client heard my ring24 • MAY 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND
Photography by Edward Acker
tone which was a song I had recently recorded and connected me with his brother, the producer. Another instance, I connected and wrote with Grammy Winner Tommy Sims at his home studio while staring at his Grammy on the mantle. It’s incredible. Those things would never have happened outside of Nashville. So, at the age of 18 I moved from Boston, where I was studying criminal justice and playing baseball on a scholarship, to Nashville. Living in Boston was an incredible experience and I gained lifelong friends and incredible memories through my years there. Our team played at Fenway Park, against the Red Sox and we won the Beanpot Tournament in 2003, a competition of Boston area colleges including Boston University, Boston College, Northeastern, and others. We also won our division championship in 2003. However, I began to feel like I wasn’t doing all I could be doing by being in Boston. I had a love for country music and had recently received a call from my former piano teacher saying he was now producing music. It became a cata-
lyst for me to pursue songwriting. I wrote my first song, “Lose it All” in the small living room I shared with my 3 roommates in Boston. From there I decided to take the step further and move to the South to pursue country music. Early on in my music career I was infatuated with country music. My grandfather was a farmer and an avid listener of Johnny Cash. We would listen to Merle Haggard, Willie Nelson, Waylon Jennings, George Jones and many more classic country voices and it was truly inspiring. I found a lot in common with the Outlaw attitude of some of those guys. “I’m doing my life my way.” I remember my Papa always making comments about the “beat” of the music. He was particularly keen on the famous “train beat” that you heard on so many classic country songs. I decided I had to go to Nashville. Many people thought I was crazy, leaving the comfort of my hometown state, my friends, my teammates, and my family and moving a 1000+ miles south to pursue a career in music. The decision was not without its doubts and I
Photo by Emma K. Rothenberg-Ware The Colonial Theatre Pittsfield, MA Catch the Fever show 2018
can think of many times I sat alone with my lyrics second guessing myself and my decision. But, confidence comes from within. My dad says that it’s art and with art, nobody has to like it, YOU just have to believe in it. So that’s what I did, I believed. While a student athlete in TN I played shows for friends and teammates and opened up for country artists Craig Morgan and Jessica Andrews who came to town for the TN Soybean Festival. I would hold shows in our auditorium as well as in the quad and the open area that was at the center of our apartment complex. I graduated college in TN in 2006 and 2 months later moved to Nashville. Since then, I’ve been honored with songwriting awards; I’ve written songs for movies; I’ve had songs on national TV and I’ve opened for many award winning artists and bands. I have written songs with Grammy winning songwriters, acted on National TV, put out 6 albums and founded and ran my own music company. Moving to Nashville was one of the best decisions of my life. The road wasn’t easy, but the journey was well worth it. I am excited about future music I will be writing and how and where it will be recorded and who I will be recorded with. What is it about the Nashville music scene, past and present that you love? Michael: I love artists. I love those people who show their souls through their art and artful endeavors. Musicians have such a high level of passion. To write meaningful songs AND then be able to deliver them in a meaningful way to touch the heart and soul of another
human being is a true gift. The history of Nashville is well documented and has shaped the industry in many facets. Many believe that Nashville is “country music city.” The reality NOW however, is that it has become a true “Music City” showing love to all genres of music at high levels. I love the camaraderie among artists in Nashville— the desire to support and help one another become better. This has been a long-standing tradition within the Nashville music scene; since the days of Miss Tootsie helping out young musicians, i.e. Willie Nelson, when they couldn’t pay their bar tabs, feeding them when they couldn’t afford to eat and connecting with them and other talented artists to create some of the legendary songs we know today. Tell us about the type of music Fabrizio and the Fever play? Michael: FnF have been dubbed “genre-gypsies.” The songs are inspired by my eclectic background. My father played a lot of Steely Dan, Etta James, Van Morrison and classical music and my mom listened to Bonnie Raitt, The Eagles, Billy Joel, James Taylor, Jackson Brown and many more. Between them, I learned a great deal about the music of the 60’s and 70’s and then I discovered new bands that I was drawn to including Guns and Roses, Nirvana, Tupac, OutKast, Tim McGraw, Bon Jovi, Metallica, The Police, REM, U2, Eminem, Red Hot Chili Peppers and SO many more. I have been influenced by many different musicians, painters, poets, songwriters and visionaries. My stories stem from my life and the lives of those closest to me and the genres
FABRIZIO AND THE FEVER
range from rock and Americana to elements of hip hop and R&B, blues and even classical music. I enjoy writing using all types of genres because you never know where a song is going to go and what is meant for that song. You can take lyrics and turn the song into ANYTHING you want with the right musical knowledge. The opportunities for a song are only limited by the writer/producers’ imagination. I continue to be inspired by the people and life around me and will continue to be authentic and unique in the words and music that I write. You will be returning on May 17th to do a concert here in the Berkshires! What is the main purpose for a return engagement? Michael: For the last several years the Catch the Fever Colonial Theatre event has been a performance the band and I always look forward to playing. When I first began performing my original music, I was doing a lot of benefit shows, mainly Relay for Life concerts throughout NY state as well as a Children with Disabilities concert in Central Park NYC with Berkshire Legend David Grover. Benefit shows give you the ability as a performer to do something more than music, and that is to give back. To give back in any capacity is the reason I got into music in the first place. This is about helping people. Telling them that they are not alone in their feelings, in their darkness, even in their happiness. Music binds us and is a natural enrichment for the soul. On May 17th, we celebrate the life of Richie Dupont Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 25
MICHAEL FABRIZIO
The Fabrizio Family
whose life was tragically taken in a house fire. Richie was an actor and from all the accounts that I’ve heard, he was incredibly diverse, and a charismatic and caring person. He was talented and was a bright spot in the future of the Berkshire theatre community. The yearly benefit show helps raise money to provide scholarships for children unable to afford to attend the Berkshire Theatre Summer Camp. The last several years combined we’ve sent close to 100 children to the camp. Our sponsors have been incredible, including all the local Berkshire County businesses that share our love for the arts and the betterment of our local children. The camp is much more than a place to learn how to act and be on a stage. It gives children another avenue to display their feelings; what’s bothering them and what’s making them sad/happy, excited. I believe the arts are the single most important thing a child can have growing up. The Colonial show gives children without the financial means to attend a prestigious theatre camp and show them another side of life. A side where they don’t need anything more than determination and fearlessness to overcome life’s challenges. We have no doubt 2019 will be even more successful! 26 • MAY 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND
Photograph by Edward Acker
What do you have specially planned for this concert? Michael: A LOT of fun! A lot of dancing, plenty of energy and top-quality Nashville talent. I don’t want to disclose too much, but…we will be revisiting a few of our past staples and playing a bunch of new, never heard LIVE before songs as well as a few unique cover songs that I have been drawn to recently. The last few years, they have taken out the first few rows of seats because nobody could sit still. The room is definitely buzzing! I love watching my daughter and all the kids dancing in the front, and adults dancing in their seats! Following the performance, we will keep the night alive at the ever-popular Hotel on North for our After Party! Will you have the time to see your parents and friends and shoot the breeze a little? Michael: Absolutely, the Berkshires will always be my home and a place I’ve always found solace and love. Honestly, I think the air quality is better in the Berkshires! I breathe better and really can focus much better. I enjoy hiking and being in nature in the Berkshires and spending time with my family is always a wonderful
glow for my heart. I look forward to seeing life-long friends and making new ones. I really want my daughter to have some of the experiences I had growing up in the Berkshires, so I’m planning on showing her a lot of things while we’re in town like fishing, hiking, catching butterflies, biking, etc. We plan to be outside a lot! Your dad is a physician and a visual artist. Is there a common interest that may overlap that you both share? And with your mom? Michael: I think my dad and I, at our core, share a thirst for knowledge. We both love to read, and when we get involved in something, we tend to learn as much on the subject as we can. I’m really big on gardening and botany, and a lot of that comes from the joy I saw in him growing up and working in the yard; shirt off, sun on his back and enjoying life. We both certainly enjoy music. He and my mom were in a band before I was born and growing up our family would often “jam” at dinner parties with everyone taking part. He’s playing the banjo a lot now and getting really good. We’ll play through some songs to-
“Head Theatre” cover art by Sam Holeman, edited by Terra Turner Nashville, TN Recorded at The Studio Nashville by Brook Sutton
gether whenever we can, our favorite has to be “Halfway Home Cafe” by Ricky Skaggs and Kentucky Thunder. My mom and I are tuned into each other. Since having our daughter, I understand my mom a lot more than ever before. The worry, the fight and ferocity for your children. I’ve learned a lot about business from my mom. Starting my own company would have been a lot harder without her guidance and advice. We both share a drive to perfection and try to take that approach in whatever it is we’re doing. My mom was also the one who got me singing! So! I love her for that. We’d sing a lot in the car when I was growing up and I continue to remember those moments fondly. Our favorite song was “Small Town” by John Cougar Mellencamp. I also share a love to cook with my sister Mia. She’s a fantastic cook and also has a very creative and brilliant mind. She currently lives in Nashville as well with her boyfriend Said and works in the fashion industry. By the way, what’s the scoop on your newest album that is coming out? Tell us about it, please. Michael: I am currently writing for the new album, and
a few songs that are being performed at the May show will likely be included on that project. I’ve written a lot of material over the years with over 200 songs published, but many of those have NOT made it on an album. I’m looking forward to going back and tweaking some old songs and bringing them back to life. We are also looking to shoot a music video this fall which is really exciting! I believe it will be a fantastic experience and I am looking forward to what the final product will look like and sharing it with my fans. Have you had formal music education, or are you self-taught, or both? Michael: Both. I fought my mother about taking piano lessons when I was about 11 but it was one of the better decisions I ever made. I also took a small number of music courses in college while in Tennessee. Those courses focused on hearing sounds and knowing what notes they were or sight-reading, as it’s called. I believe learning a musical instrument is something everyone should try to do in their life. Expressing your feelings through the use of music is one of the most therapeutic and beneficial things you can do for yourself. While at
school in Boston, I taught myself guitar, slowly but surely. My roommate was quite good and inspired me to learn. My father also plays guitar and was a trumpeter back in his day, so I was encouraged at that point to begin to learn. I practiced harmonica while driving back and forth from Boston to the Berkshires to visit family, I played along with the radio. I’m nowhere near a great harmonica player but it is a really fun instrument to play. As for other family musicians, my grandmother sang in the Long Island, NY based Sweet Adeline’s, and my aunt Theresa was also an accomplished singer/songwriter, and both have been incredible inspirations in my musical life. Unfortunately, both have passed on, but I still keep mementos of them close by when playing shows. My aunt was killed tragically in 2004, and that moment changed the lives of all of us close to her. It was a devastating loss to our family, and I think put everyone in a state of anger and depression for many of the years following. It took a lot of bright lights to pull us back from that tragedy and music was my medicine. It was where I ran to when the world came crashing down. Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 27
MICHAEL FABRIZIO
ALBUM COVER FROM MICHAEL FABRIZIO “INSIDE/OUT” RECORDED AT THE SOUND KITCHEN BY KENT WELLS PHOTO BY DAVID PELHAM AT THE RED PONY FRANKLIN, TN
I really enjoy learning about music and playing music, but I also enjoy teaching it! I teach our daughter now and it’s something I’ve really enjoyed doing. Watching her learn and practice on her own is an incredible thing to see happen. She’s doing scales now, and that’s something I thought would be a few years off. She’s actually quite good on the harmonica too, but dancing is her forte. She is gifted. She has more rhythm than a jazz band and feels the music incredibly well for her age. I don’t believe you ever stop learning from music or about music. It’s something I’ve enjoyed doing in my life and something I will continue to play till I can no longer do it. I will be an advocate for it, and its benefits. I hope to leave the world with some really good songs before my time runs out. To be a songwriter, you must love poetry, yes? Is it like a puzzle to combine words with a tune? What’s that all about? Michael: I love poetry, my favorite author/poet has to be Norman Maclean (you may have heard his words in the famed fly fishing tale A River Runs Through It) as well as Ralph Waldo Emerson and his paralleling of God and Nature. I also enjoy reading Japanese Haiku and Irish Limericks. As far as my own writing, I think it’s a truly remarkable thing to match them perfectly. There is a feeling, sort of like internal goosebumps when you know it’s all fitting correctly. Sometimes I have a melody and I figure out what chords correspond, and I go from there. Other times, I have lyrics and need to find the perfect melody to fit with the theme of those words. Minor and major chords, different keys, so many different combi28 • MAY 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND
nations to sift through. It’s a balancing act and most of the time you fall off the wire, but when you get it right it’s transcendent. Tell us with one of your most treasured stanzas from one of your songs. What spiritual meaning from real life experience does it have for you? Was it related to an experience you can share? Michael: When I write it’s dependent upon the circumstance. What am I writing for? Who am I writing for? Sometimes I do it for myself, but generalize it for the commercial world. Other times it’s specific, obvious and literal. It’s hard to think of just ONE stanza but I think one of my greatest joys was writing a song called “Anabelle.” The song was inspired by a child, although our daughter “Anabella” was not born yet, or even a thought at that point. The song seemed to pour out of me; it was full of so many emotions and began to become a story of love, my pain, along with some of my fears of being a father. When we found out we were having a girl, it was the only name we couldn’t get out of our heads. We changed it to “Anabella” to make it more Italian, but she was certainly alive in that song, months before we knew we were pregnant. Anabelle, what are you doing now I’m gone and you’re on your way to someplace I don’t know when you get there Anabelle tell me where to go I also have to say that “Bag of Harps,” which is my father’s favorite, is special for me, as well. It’s really
about when I overcame a lot of the anger and pain I was dealing with. I was at the time playing exclusively keyboard in Nashville, and was lugging my keyboard all over town (it weighed close to 100 lbs at the time) and it seemed like such a heavy burden. So, the analogy of carrying a “bag of harps” (harps are harmonicas and as you can imagine much lighter than a keyboard) is what lead me to this song. Letting go of your worries and being free from the burdens you’ve hung on yourself. a bad of harps I carry now no heavy load hovering round dealt with things i’ve pressed about a bag of harps i carry now unto ourselves we put the strain senseless hope for a peaceful rain when we rise what will we gain unto ourselves we put the strain Chorus: for a bag of harps there is no weight no constant pull no pressing fate no shoulders tired no back in pain for a bag of harps there is no weight
How did Fabrizio and the Fever, the name, come about? How and when did this group start? It must be a memorable story for you how it all developed. Michael: Well for a long time in Nashville, I went as Michael Joseph. That was the “country” artist name I
MICHAEL FABRIZIO
used. Then I went back to Michael Fabrizio which was the rock/alt/pop country name I used. Then came Fabrizio and the Fever. My wife and I were talking one night on the porch and she came up with a brilliant way for me to find my true artist-self. Who was I as a performer/writer/artist? So, she helped me create a vision board. I had spent many years honing my writing and my image and was still confounded as to who I was. After all, I loved all genres of music and was only performing one. I decided that I had to accept that I was a multitude of emotions and had a diverse background in life and music. I needed to write for ME and not for the industry. I wanted to write meaningful, interesting and poetic songs. Not simple, standard and obvious ones. That was the start of it. I began writing interesting songs. Then came the bowling alley. An old, beat up, run down, bowling alley. My friend Patrick and I were setting up our names in the computer. There was a split second where I decided to write something completely off the cusp and something nobody, ever, had called me before, Stingray. I don’t know why I picked that name at all. It was completely drawn from the Universe. Since then I have found an incredible amount of inter-
AT THE LOCAL NASHVILLE, TN PHOTO BY TYLER WOODS
esting things in common with the stingray, and have seen stingrays in so many places I likely wouldn’t have noticed before. I learned that a stingray in dreams represents your emotions and how you are trying to run away, hide or ignore them. Stingrays are clever and can be a symbol of protection. So how does that coincide with Fabrizio and the Fever…well…a few weeks later my friend Patrick called me and said, “do you know what a group of stingrays is called?!?!” I, of course, looked it up and there it was— a “fever.” Fabrizio and the Fever sounded good. It flowed well, and symbolized what I believed to be the re-birth of myself as an artist. The name stuck and the “fever” became my fans, family and band. It was a group of people, I believed were there to support and encourage the growth of the band, and my artistic endeavors. What about the backgrounds of the members of your band? Michael: The band has evolved into many different combinations over the years. Our initial trio, which actually played our first out-of-town show at The Colonial Theatre, was comprised of Steve Wolfe and Alex Con-
erly. Alex has gone on to pursue his bluegrass dreams with The Barefoot Movement, a well-respected bluegrass outfit. Steve “Wolfeman” Wolfe, is one of the first people I ever met in Nashville, and one of the best drummers I know. He still remains one of my drummers. Since the trio changed into a band, we added my guitar player, backing vocalist and good friend, Mark Lonsway. Mark is the head sound engineer at Warner Brothers Studios in Nashville. His ear is spot on and his talent is renowned. Mark likes Jameson, so handing him one is never a bad idea. Our electric guitar player is Nashville-known shredder, Matt Zehr. Matt is one of the premier guitar players playing Nashville’s Broadway music scene. He has played with FnF for over 4 years, and continues to be a close friend of mine. Matt just recently got married in the beautiful mountains of North Carolina to his new wife, Hannah. For our Colonial show we’re bringing back my Australian brother and notable singer/songwriter Carl Wockner. Carl is playing bass for FnF as well as opening the show with his own original material. Carl has Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 29
doesn’t care. I’ve seen artists with tens of thousands of “likes” and not post any content that involves their music. It happens all the time. It’s about image and popularity. Much of the artistry is lost to the high demand of companies needing to turn profits. I think our band affects people. I think we do it for the right reasons. The love of music. the roar of a crowd, the energy on stage, the bond between the fans and the music, and you. It’s one of the most incredible feelings on Earth. I believe our music is honest and heartfelt, full of energy and passion. It’s something everyone can relate to and find their own meanings within the lyrics. Michael, tell us a little about your latest album? Michael: Head Theatre was released last year and is the newest album to date. The album was recorded in an old church-turned-studio in Nashville by talented producer/bassist Brook Sutton. Brook has a jazz background and is a formidable bass powerhouse on the Nashville scene. The album contains six songs and several written by myself and hit songwriter Greg Crowe (Montgomery Gentry, Will Hoge, Lonestar). The album was years in the making for a few of the songs that were never put on previous albums and were finally given daylight such as “Figure it Out” a rock anthem and “Dancing on the Rooftops” the album’s single. You can find Head Theatre on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon MP3 and we have our Pandora station Fabrizio and the Fever Radio.
PHOTOGRAPH BY NICHOLE SIMS FABRIZIO
won numerous awards in Australia, as well as the US and tours nonstop throughout the year. What chemistry makes the band work well together? Michael: I was told when I first moved to Nashville that it’s 90% hang and 10% talent. Meaning, that if you can’t be a good hang with the band, it’s never going to work. You cannot rely on talent alone. The industry is crazy and competitive, and having big ego’s and people that are not focused can end a career. In terms of my band, we are all friends, we have always been there for one another and are instrumental, no pun intended, in each other’s lives. It’s a brotherhood and a bond. 30 • MAY 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND
What do you think makes your band different and special? It’s amazing to me, how some great bands fall apart after one great hit. And other bands, like the Stones, well, you know, together til’ the end. What do you think keeps a band working together and for so long? Michael: I’ve seen a lot of bands come and go, rise and fall. In my opinion, there is too much pressure being put on success and “likes” and “followers” and the mad rush to the top and of course $. Bands think they need to play all the time, promote all the time, party all the time, post all the time and be this big thing. The beauty of music is the music itself. Once that starts to deteriorate from all the things that suck the life out of it, then your left playing songs with no feeling to a crowd that
Looking back on when you were a child, what was it like growing up in the Berkshires? When and how did you first take an interest in music? Michael: It was idyllic. I spent a lot of time being outside, doing martial arts, sports, and collecting and cataloging things. Butterflies, rocks, stamps, coins, comics, baseball cards, Starting Lineup action figures. The list is endless. I spent a lot of time with my family, and we lived a very close knit Italian upbringing. Big family dinners at my Nana and Papa’s house, homemade pizza night, love, passion and hard work. My interest in music was immediate. I think it is with all children. It’s something you hear from the womb and react to before you take your first breath. Voices, people singing together, instrumentation. I was always drawn to it but never really thought I would get into the music business as a career. I just knew I loved to write, and I always felt that I wrote honestly and had a way of putting words together that made people listen. Once I learned to play an instrument everything came together. I remember I used to write long prose in birthday cards for my family. It was something I think everyone looked forward to reading. Who doesn’t love a child’s version of poetry!? I am definitely re-fostering this in our daughter. I’m alway singing in the house, even if it’s “wake up” songs or “go to bed” songs or “brush your teeth songs.” I’ll ask questions to her in a sing song voice and she’ll respond the same way. We’re basically singing to each other with a Q and A session, it’s really hilarious. What do you love the most about being on the stage? What do you love the least, and why? Michael: What I love the most about being on stage has changed a lot over the years. Sometimes it was the crowd’s reaction, other times it was a personal experience, within my head, that was therapeutic, and a place where nothing else was bothering me, or on my mind,
MICHAEL FABRIZIO, HOTEL ON NORTH, PITTSFIELD, MA
except what I was singing in that moment. It was freeing. Other times, it was the faces of those I love cheering me on and singing along with the music. Really, I love everything about being on stage. It’s an extremely vulnerable place to be, and I love the challenge of getting better all the time. The world is impacted regularly by things we never see coming. I find its similar with music. You can affect someone, even if they weren’t expecting it. The song “California” won a contest. We can hear it on YouTube. Tell us about the personal connection you have with this song. Why do you think it won a prize? Michael: Funny thing is, I won a song contest to fly to California to meet with music supervisors and pitch my songs, and during THAT trip is when I wrote “California”. Then, I flew back, and won another contest for ‘California’. The song was written as a love song, really, but also, a song about “making it.” It was about me traveling to better our lives and doing what I love, but having to be away to make it happen. What was your first music road trip experience
PHOTOGRAPH BY EDWARD ACKER
like? Can you paint a picture for us of how it all went down? There must be one life time experience you will never forget, and will willingly share with us? Michael: Hahaha “willingly share with us!” Yes of course, I remember explicitly the feeling of “I’m really doing it!” You know?! That first time that you take the plunge and get the guys together, and head out to play somewhere else other than wherever you’ve been playing! I think for me, it was a little later in life, because so much of my early life was absorbed by baseball and traveling. I didn’t really travel to play music till I was about 19, or so. I took a Berkshire based musicalwrecking crew including David Grover, Mark Kelso, Linda Worcester, Terry a-la Berry, Rob Sunderland, Paul Rice and a few others to NY state to do some Relay for Life shows and it was such an inspiring experience to be around all those professionals- they were playing my music! Music that I had written, and poured life into. Years later, I wrote a song called, “I Can’t Be Beat,” inspired by a fellow student-athlete who had bone cancer. My first band experience was a catalyst in writing this song that ended up being featured on NBC sports, along with my friend and her story.
What other music-related avenues have you worked or explored? What was it like working in film? I am a producer on all of my albums, and it has brought me a lot of joy putting songs together. It has so many moving parts, and once they all find the right place at the right level, and fit together, you’ve got it. This usually takes about 1000 years. Ha, it’s a never-ending thing— the production “ear.” Working in publishing is a fun avenue, and I work well in it. In Nashville, nearly every artist has songs written for them. Most people don’t realize this, but it is in fact the truth. Some artists have teams of writers, and others rely on the label’s publishing arm to provide “the best songs for them.” That being said, there are a lot of people looking for great songs, so “pitching” songs in Nashville is a full-time job. There is also ‘pitching’ for TV/Film and commercials. Publishing typically relies on royalties, which is money paid to you by your PRO (Performing Rights Organization) whenever the song is played, either digitally or live. I also work extensively in the booking world and own a successful booking agency with a roster of talented bands from all across the US. I’ve been putting Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 31
MICHAEL FABRIZIO
MICHAEL FABRIZIO ON PIANO PITTSFIELD, MA
on shows for the last 13 years in Nashville. Rock shows, country shows, pop shows, private shows, you name it, we’ve done it. All kinds of genres and all types of venues. Theaters, bars, streets, buses, salons, backyards, corporate conferences, frat houses, holiday parties, I think you get the idea. They’re all fun and different and we work with a variety of businesses to promote local, up and coming talent. www.redrootsmusic.org for more info. What has been your strongest marketing strategy that you use to maintain a strong public presence? Michael: Well, you have to be in the public eye to be in the public eye. So, getting out and going to shows and mingling is crucial. Chatting with people, networking with bands and industry people is all part of being successful. People get into the social media feeds a lot these days and this is something I have not done a lot of. I am old school with my marketing. It’s provable. We may not bring the heat on social media, but we’ll bring em’ to their feet from the stage! It IS important though, and I do a lot of social media for my Nashville Masquerade brand because it’s really a promotionsbased product. Without promoting the Masquerade, it would not be what it is. What was one of the most challenging times for you on your journey upwards in the music industry? Michael: I think the feeling of when I first moved to 32 • MAY 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND
PHOTOGRAPH BY EDWARD ACKER
Nashville and realizing how damn talented everyone was! Seriously, there is so much talent in that city, its incredible. Worldly talent in a small city. Everyone I met was a musician chasing a dream. So many were better than I was. I was scared and in shock and definitely questioned my decision. Then I listened and I learned. I hit it hard and worked with some incredible people that took me in and helped me navigate the city. It’s about the journey, right?! Just be you, nobody wants another Elvis or Beatles. Be your unique self. I’m honored and blessed to be in the company I keep doing what I love to do.
music has done for me; I think it has expanded where my thoughts go and what I am capable of considering. It has pushed my creativity. I look at situations in life from multiple angles. It has made me conscience of people who try to take advantage of you, and it has left me open to hearing new talent. It has shaped my daughter’s life and has shaped our family life. I am proud to be a musician. I am happy to have chosen a creative path in life. It has been rewarding, fulfilling and full of incredible people and experiences.
What advice would you give an up and coming artist? Michael: Haha, I think my dad…and Journey said it best…”Don’t Stop Believing!” Also, I’d have to say practice, practice and practice. I tell our daughter all the time, you have to practice if you want to get better, so, she says, “is that what you did? I answered, “no, that’s what every musician does.”
Tell us about the Nashville Masquerade that you are responsible for creating? Michael: It’s a musical showcase. We have worked with hundreds of bands over the years, and the goal is to bring original artistry to the forefront. We frown on commercialized music. We support local Nashville musicians on their way up. The show has been held at numerous venues across the country from Wisconsin to Florida. I am hoping to bring an “episode” of the show to the Berkshires in the next couple years.
How has music helped you become who you are today? Michael: Who I am is a combination of socialization, family influence and nature vs. nurture. Music is none of that. Music is otherworldly. It puts you in a different head space and makes you part of a much bigger universal language. That type of thinking is what I think
What time in history is your favorite? Would you find yourself happily living during this time period because of something music-related? Michael: Haha oh wow…ummm…My favorite period in history is different than my favorite time in history! I think my favorite period would have to be the 14th century and the start of the Renaissance period in Flo-
FABRIZIO FAMILY: (DAD) MICHAEL, NICHOLE, MICHAEL, ANABELLE AND KATHLEEN (MOM)
rence, Italy. I think it would have been amazing to be a musician during such a massively important period in human history. Ever-changing and continuing into modernism. To be at the start of such a point and looking back would have been monumental. I do also love the wild west but I don’t know about being in a saloon playing piano with bullets flying overhead! My favorite time is when my generation was born. Which they’re now calling the Xenials. Ha-ah! I think that we were keen to our parents’ generation and what happened with music, culture, America, civil rights, women’s lib, WW1, WW2, Vietnam, The Great Depression, The War on Drugs, TV, radio, etcetera, so many things I can conceptualize with my parents. Things that my daughter hasn’t seen and will likely only read about. We were at one of those breaking points where the world changed forever and can never revert. Our kids will never really understand our generation because most of that world is lost, or only seen in pictures and online. It’s a very different world now. How busy is your daily schedule? How do you make it all happen? Michael: Busy and diverse! Around 6am I’ll get up and do some stretching, breathing and pondering. I’ll make hot lemon water with ginger to get me started (thanks to my wife Nichole for this one). It’s so refreshing for my body, and I start the day off clean and fresh. Then I’ll go into my office to work, and then, make breakfast
PITTSFIELD, MA
for Anabella and take her to school for 8:30. Then I’m off for a walk with our Boston Terrier, Pepper Norman and then a bike ride. I will listen to podcasts, talk with my mom or best friend Gary, or take meetings during my ride. Then it’s back to work till lunch. For lunch I typically will make something fun in the kitchen using as much homegrown ingredients as I can. Then back to work until late afternoon. Then it’s family time till dinner. I typically cook dinner. It’s something I really enjoy and something my Nana inspired in me. Her food was simple and delicious and something I try to replicate often with my own twists. I enjoy cooking new things and being creative in my cooking. After dinner I’m usually writing, recording, reading, researching, watching Netflix documentaries (guilty!) gaming (guilty again) and likely staying up until I am too tired to work productively anymore. When something hits me, I get into it. Most of the time that happens when everyone is sleeping, and I can focus fully on the task at hand. There are a lot of sleepless nights and long days throughout the year, but I enjoy what I do, and I love being able to do it from anywhere in the world. That freedom is worth everything. Freedom is time and time is worth much more than money. Throughout the week I also tend to 200+ plants in our home and around our property. This includes, bonsai’s given to me by my father as well as our garden. I always loved botany and plant science, it’s something I’ve gotten into heavily over the last 5 years.
PHOTOGRAPH BY EDWARD ACKER
Tell us about your life partner and beautiful daughter? Michael: Nichole and I met in Nashville while I was working as a trainer at a popular sports training facility called D1 Sports Training. Nichole and I flirted back and forth for a couple of months before I finally asked her on a date. We have been together for over 11 years now and we are as excited as ever before about life, adventures and exploring together as a family. We are very fortunate for the hard work we put into our lives and look forward to a bright future full of creativity and love. Nichole works at a Clinical Research Organization managing clinical research studies and is currently going to school to become a holistic health coach. We also plan to start a family business together in the near future involving health and wellness. Anabella is the light of our lives and I absolutely love being a father. It’s something I have embraced through and through and I know that neither of us can imagine our lives without her. She is all that is right in the world and full of hope and promise an abundance of laughter and joy. She is funny as hell! We are constantly sharing stories of things she did and phrases or words she said. Any set goals you have on your list that you are working on that covers a big dream you have? Michael: Yes, a lot is in the works that I can’t share just yet. ;). However, I am also working on a movie script Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 33
MICHAEL FABRIZIO
MICHAEL FABRIZIO AT THE BLUE BAR, NASHVILLE, TN
I’m pitching to Lifetime as well as a sci-fi utopian thriller I’ve been writing piecemeal for the last 3 years. It’s a process. So much music going on now. I think the internet and social media has made it possible to share different sounds, and educate and inspire. But, I am also wondering, maybe there is too much out there, and that it makes it harder for the real good musicians to be noticed. Thought? Michael: Just be you. You can’t change what’s happened with social media but it doesn’t mean you have to embrace it. I certainly don’t. I use it because I have to, not because I want to. I think the #1 way to support REAL musicians is to go out and hear LIVE MUSIC. Support LIVE MUSIC. At least that way your supporting actual musicians and not “instafamous” faux-talent rip offs. They really are everywhere these days. There is no doubt that the music market is completely saturated at this point. There is so much to choose from that you can get lost. People try to stand out and then they’re being commercialized, it’s a tight line. I just push forward, keep putting out music, being true to myself- that matters to me, and continue to work with talent and companies that understand the business as I do and want to better it, ultimately change it. I think since social media, all the odd and strange and unusual kinds of music people play are being shared. Have you seen the video on face book of the 34 • MAY 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND
PHOTO BY HEART OF MINE DESIGN
street musician playing about 30 wine glasses to the opera Carmen? Have you come across anything that has totally amused you? Street musicians really do well these days, I think! Michael: Ha, I’m constantly amused searching YouTube, it’s an endless pit of hilarity and talent. I heard a guy singing “Unchained Melody” in a subway station that was pretty incredible. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lv35Hlc-yx8 and then there’s the funny guinea pig videos my daughter always wants to watch!
After May 17th, when you return to Nashville, what’s on your agenda? Michael: Actually we’re going to spend the summer in the northeast. I’ll travel back and forth to Nashville for some shows, but we’ll be adventuring a lot together with family this summer and we’re really excited about it. I’ll be playing more shows in the northeast as well as writing and recording some new material in the Berkshires. Once we’re back in Nashville, I’ll get back to writing and recording with new and old songwriting buddies and releasing our first ever music video!
What musicians have been your true inspiration? Michael: I found great inspiration from the music of The Eagles, Elvis, The Beatles, Johnny Cash, Willie Nelson, the songs of Townes Van Zandt, Tom Waits and James Taylor, the charisma and entertainment of Michael Jackson, Axel Rose, and Mick Jagger and the musical brilliance of Bach, Beethoven and the classical composers.
official website: www.fabrizioandthefever.com official RRM website www.redrootsmusic.org IG FnF: @fabrizionfever IG Nashville Masquerade: @thenashvillemasquerade IG Red Roots Music: @redrootsmusic
On your day off, if there is such a thing, what is your favorite thing you like to do best? Michael: I prefer to take a lot of days off in a row and call it a VACATION! I enjoy being outside. So, on days “off” or with extra time I like to spend it outdoors if possible. Depending where we are, I would find myself fishing, biking, gardening, hiking, swimming or something conducive with being outside.
Michael Fabrizio Founder-Red Roots Music www.redrootsmusic.org T hank you Michael!
CHRIS TUCCI, PETER WISE, AMY BRETANO, SARA KATZOFF
BAZAAR PRODUCTIONS Oscar Winner Allison Janney pledges matching grant for new performing art venue’s resident theater company. Allison Janney, stage, film, and television starhas pledged a matching grant for Bazaar Productions/Berkshire Fringe’s fundraising campaign. Bazaar Productions/Berkshire Fringe is a 12-yearold nonprofit theater company in the Berkshires relaunching their programming in The Foundry, a new performing and visual arts center in West Stockbridge, MA. The venue serves as a holding tank for emerging artists in music, theater, and spoken word, in addition to educational and community workshops. Bazaar Productions summer season will include Particularly In The Heartland, originally developed and produced by Brooklyn-based ensemble The TEAM, Bazaar Productions cofounder and co-artistic director Sara Katzoff will direct the piece in August at The Foundry. For more information: amy@thefoundryws.com or bazaarproductions.org
FANFARE, ACRYLIC / COLLAGE 40 X 30”
MICHAEL FABRIZIO PAINTINGS My paintings are, despite their abstract nature, representative of the dialogue we all have with living, of the contact between us and our world. They are an art made of many moments of observations of life, long and short, sweet and stinging. They are a collection of impressions, messages from living, and thoughts from the heart. They represent expressions and impressions of my reaction, wonder and interaction with my world. They are my attempts, as Shakespeare said, to see the sermon in a stone. Michael A. Fabrizio https://www.fabriziomd.com, 413-443-9629
BERKSHIRE OPERA FESTIVAL (BOF) Proudly presents Gaetano Donizetti’s charming classic Don Pasquale with performances August 24, 27, and 30 at the Mahaiwe Performing Arts Center in Great Barrington. The production is conducted by Artistic Director Brian Garman and directed by and Director of Production Jonathon Loy, the co-founders of Berkshire Opera Festival. There will also be recitals and outreach events around the Berkshires, including an exciting new collaboration with Hancock Shaker Village entitled Ain’t it a Pretty Night: Excerpts from American Opera, and Savor the Sound: An Evening of Bel Canto, a free concert for the Berkshire community. Don Pasquale will be sung in Italian with projected English translations. Tickets are priced from $20 to $99. For more information, please visit www.berkshireoperafestival.org/donpasquale.
THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 35
Gary in the mystery bus, Sandisfield woods
GARY LEVEILLE LOCAL HISTORIAN Interview by H. Candee
Gary, tell me where your passions lie? Gary Leveille: That is a big question! Family, writing, humor, satire, researching history, photography, exploring the outdoors, geology, the Berkshires, the Shakers, boating, swimming, water skiing, antiques. What is it about history, especially local Berkshire history that makes you feel so energized? Gary: Several of us local historians joke that almost everything that has ever happened in the world is somehow linked to the Berkshires. From Cyrus Field and the transatlantic cable, to the abolitionist movement, to the Hubble space telescope. Pick a topic and it usually has a strong Berkshire connection. So there are an endless number of historical subjects to explore and investigate. I find that exciting. How did you get into this? Did it start out just as a hobbie? Gary: I was always interested in my “surroundings.” 36 • MAY 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND
Photographs supplied by Gary
As a kid, spending part of each summer at Prospect Lake in North Egremont, I was fascinated by tales about the local Mohican Native Americans, the Knox Trail, even ghost stories. When the Dutch and English settlers negotiated with the Mohicans to purchase the land in North Egremont and Alford, a wise and respected Indian by the name of Shawenon negotiated the deal. It was called the Shawenon Purchase, and I was intrigued by him. It took years of research, but I eventually wrote about him in my book entitled “Eye of Shawenon.” I had a double major in college: English and Earth Science. Some would say that’s an odd combination. Of course, I like to write, and Earth Science is – in a way – our earliest history. We had a wonderful professor at Western Connecticut State University in Danbury. His name was Dr. Donald Groff. He would bring us to big road cuts and have us examine the twists and turns of the rock layers. We would try to determine what happened to the earth over millions
of years. The geology of the Berkshires is quite complicated and challenging to understand. Although much of my career was as an editor and content writer in the corporate world of toys and games, early on I also began writing about people and events in history that I found intriguing. What are you working on now? Gary: Currently I’m researching a few different topics that I’m not yet ready to reveal! I often get so “caught up” in the research that I have to remind myself of those wise words by the great historian David McCullough. He wrote, “There’s an awful temptation to just keep on researching. There comes a point where you just have to stop, and start writing.” My most recent book is “Southern Berkshires Through Time,” which is comprised of numerous brief narratives paired up with vintage photographs in a “Then and Now” format. I try to write concise, yet informative and entertaining segments. I work
GARY WITH THE SALT SUCKER, STAR TREK
hard to tell interesting stories with important information using as few words as possible. My early training was writing catalog copy, so I learned how to deliver a succinct story, hopefully in an engaging way. Another recent book is entitled “Legendary Locals of the Southern Berkshires.” It didn’t get as much press as I had hoped, but I am very proud of it. What were some of the challenges and rewards making your first book? Gary: My first book was entitled “Around Great Barrington and Stockbridge,” also a gathering of photographic essays. I just love old photographs. They fascinate me and often provide an incredible window into our past. For 28 years I’ve been writing a photohistory newspaper column, first for the old Berkshire Courier and in recent years for the Berkshire Record. The two biggest challenges in writing the first book were finding a publisher, and then figuring out how to fit the publisher’s format. If I had my way, that book would have been twice as long, but then it would have been too expensive to produce. The biggest reward was having the opportunity to share the incredible photographs I found with others. Can you tell us any amazing, interesting, mysterious stories that you’ve discovered along your research projects? Gary: Ha! How much time do you have? Seriously, I’ll share two stories with you. The first tale is a legend with a kernel of truth to it. As you know, structurally failing Berkshire bridges are in the news lately, so it would be appropriate to tell the tale of Great Barrington’s first “Great Bridge,” which we now refer to as the “Brown Bridge” over the
Housatonic River near Domaney’s Liquor store. Back in the mid-1700s, Mr. Van Rensselaer, a wealthy land baron from Albany County, New York arrived in Great Barrington on horse-back. It was a dark and stormy night. Barely able to see more than a few feet in front of him, Van Rensselaer finally spotted the dim light of Root’s Tavern which stood on the far side of the Housatonic River. Upon his entry into the tavern, Van Rensselaer was welcomed by the inn-keeper who asked him where he had crossed the river. Van Rensselaer answered with puzzlement, “on the bridge, of course.” The inn-keeper stated that this was not possible. The partial frame for a new bridge had just been erected that day. No crossing planks had been nailed down. Only a narrow center beam was in place. Van Rensselaer responded that this could not be true because his horse had come across the bridge without any difficulty or reluctance. He readily admitted, however, that it had been so profoundly dark that he couldn’t see anything distinctly, but he worried little because his horse was smart and surefooted. Again, the inn-keeper proclaimed that it would have been impossible for a horse to cross on the narrow, foot-wide center beam. And after enjoying a tasty cup of “flip,” Van Rensselaer went to bed, neither man believing the story of the other. At daybreak, the inn-keeper invited his guest to step outside and view the bridge. Peering to his right, Van Rensselaer immediately spotted the frothy, turbulent river, spanned only by one thin wooden beam balanced high above the deep crevasse. He gazed for a brief moment in astonishment, and promptly fainted. My second mysterious story takes place in North Egremont. It was an icy day in December 1874 when
a New York Times reporter arrived in town. He was chasing a story so shocking that it could have been penned by “Frankenstein” author Mary Shelley. The newspaper correspondent was investigating a report filed about Stella Newman, a sweet young girl who passed away, was interred in the local cemetery, and had allegedly been exhumed and restored to life in a medical college dissecting room. It’s hard to believe that this story could get any stranger, but it does. And eventually the gravesite was dug up to see if Miss Newman’s body was still there. To experience the whole monstrous story, you’ll have to get a copy of my book: “Eye of Shawenon.” Did you ever hear about the two witch sisters that lived near Chesterwood? I went there with a friend, and found these very old buttons and an old timepiece buried under the mud near the side of the abandoned and fallen down remains of the house, I still have them. I love to dig for old bottles and relics, do you? Gary: So, you’ve heard about the witch sisters who lived near Chesterwood? Unfortunately, I think I once dated one of them! But my memory is faded, perhaps because of the spell she cast upon me. I must admit that I do have a metal detector and occasionally search for treasure. And I have dug up several interesting old bottles over the years. I actually collect old Berkshire dairy milk bottles, and have a sizable collection of them. Do you feel often like a detective? Was there one detective moment for you that stands out? Gary: Oh, yes. As a kid, I read every single one of the Hardy Boys detective books, and even a few of Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 37
GARY LEVEILLE
GARY ROLLER BLADING
the Nancy Drew mysteries until a librarian made a snide comment. In fact, I have first editions with original dust jackets of all the old Hardy Boy books. And so, I wanted to be a detective until I was old enough to realize that it is a dangerous job. It is far safer to investigate the past! As for one detective moment that stands out? Probably when I learned that there was a secret room located beneath Great Barrington’s Newsboy Statue. It supposedly had a treasure chest. But I checked. Not true. I also investigated a secret cave located very close to downtown Great Barrington. It exists, but I don’t want to give the location because it is on private property. Are you trivia buff as well? Facts are so interesting, and much easier to share then telling good jokes. Gary: How did you know? During my years working for Milton Bradley Company, Hasbro, and Parker Brothers, I worked on several trivia games including 38 • MAY 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND
versions of “Trivial Pursuit,” and my favorite, “TV Guide – the Game.” So, here is a Berkshire trivia question for you. What Berkshire songwriter helped produce the song “Town With Out Pity”– the first pop song ever performed at the Academy Awards. Here is a hint: Along with singer Gene Pitney whom he managed, this man co-wrote or produced hit songs for Ricky Nelson (“Hello Mary Lou”) and Bobby Vee (“Rubber Ball”). The answer: the late, great Aaron Schroeder. In what ways strike you as the most outstanding in changes you have seen come to the Berkshires over the past ten years? Gary: There have been many changes. Here are just a few: General Electric in Pittsfield shut down, putting thousands out of work. The Housatonic River is much cleaner. Railroad Street in Great Barrington went from a blue-collar, rough-and-tumble area, to a street lined with upscale, boutique shops appealing
to tourists. The incredible Mahaiwe and Colonial Theaters have been restored. What is one rule in life you must follow? Gary: It is always a good idea to read the instructions before playing a game, or when trying to assemble a product! I also appreciate words of wisdom from Mother Ann Lee, founder of the Shakers: “Do all your work as though you had a thousand years to live; and as you would if you know you must die tomorrow.” What kind of music and art are you attracted to, and why? Gary: I am partial to photography, but I like all types of art. Two of my favorite artists have connections to the Berkshires. David “Dutch” Vosburgh is an incredibly talented artist who lives in Sheffield but keeps a low profile. He created the cover art for my “Eye of Shawenon” book which features the Native
STOCKBRIDGE TRAIN Courtesy of Gary Leveille
American Indian named Shawenon standing on a hill overlooking Prospect Lake in North Egremont. Another wonderful artist who was born and raised in the southern Berkshires is Fay (Stoddard) Wood. Her studio is located in Saugerties, New York. She works in several mediums including oil on canvas and glass, found object sculpture, hand-carved sculpture, tapestry, illustration, and collage. She is amazing. As for music, you might say that my tastes are “unevolved,” as I mostly enjoy the sounds of 1950s and 1960s music. I consider Gene Pitney to be one of the greatest, yet most under-appreciated pop singers ever. Nat King Cole and Frankie Laine are two other favorites. I also like jazz, show tunes, and what I call “populist classical” by composers like Aaron Copland. Who in the Berkshires throughout history has been your most inspiration, and is there an outlaw of such that you have studied and somehow admire? Gary: When I was a young lad, the proprietor of the North Egremont store was a likeable bald fellow named Joe Elliott. He was a very interesting man who had a great love of local history, especially pertaining to the Revolutionary War’s Knox Trail through the Berkshires. Joe had a way of telling stories that captured my interest. I am also fascinated by controversial figures in history that still evoke emotional responses from people. These are people who played an important role in the evolution of the United States, but were
also flawed – just like all human beings who make mistakes and are not perfect. One example is Berkshire native and civil rights pioneer W. E. B. Du Bois. He was a brilliant man, far ahead of his time. But he grew weary that his efforts to achieve equal rights for black Americans remained elusive. As he became elderly, despite his immense intellect, he was manipulated by leaders in the Soviet Union and Communist China into making some—in hindsight—foolish statements. But his comments have to be taken in the context of their time. Remember, during World War II, the Soviet Union was our ally. Like all humans, Du Bois made some errors in judgement, but I think he should be cut some slack. His impressive, long list of achievements far outweigh a few poor decisions. Another controversial figure is Laura Ingersoll Secord. She was born and raised in Great Barrington, yet is honored in Canada as a heroine of the War of 1812. Some consider Secord a traitor to the United States based on actions she took to protect her family and neighbors after the U.S. declared war with Great Britain and invaded Canada. I share a different reality. Laura had been a resident of Canada for nearly 20 years, and was a British subject when the invasion took place. Her home was illegally commandeered, and her husband seriously wounded by a renegade militiaman. When you understand the facts and details, there is little doubt in my mind that Laura Secord was a brave person who ultimately saved hundreds of lives—including American lives. Architecture tell so much about a place. What is
most significant about our Berkshire towns’ buildings and homes that you find interesting, and why? Gary: First, let’s take a look at downtown Great Barrington. As much as I hated to see our beautiful pears trees cut down a few years ago, I look at the results as a glass half-full instead of half-empty. Some interesting and beautiful architecture is now revealed. Much of downtown is comprised of attractive and unique brick structures, built as the result of several major fires engulfing previous wooden buildings in the late 1800s and early 1900s. Here is more trivia: Great Barrington’s town hall was built exactly the same as the town hall in New Milford, Connecticut. I sometimes wonder if the architect charged both towns for the same design. Several of our churches, and mansions like Searles Castle are built of Dolomite, a stone quarried locally. St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Church is made of Marble from a quarry in a nearby town. Why did one church pick Marble and another pick Dolomite? And why do I ponder things like that? Perhaps it’s the investigative geologist in me. The Captain Truman Wheeler house located on Great Barrington’s South Main Street is headquarters for the Great Barrington Historical Society and town museum. It started as a small Dutch style home, and was greatly enlarged and modified into an Englishstyle salt box in 1771 by Captain Wheeler. He was a farmer, storekeeper, entrepreneur, politician, and military man. The farmstead stayed in the same family for 200 years, Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 39
GARY LEVEILLE
1941 NORTH EGREMONT STORE, MASS. Courtesy of Gary Leveille
1905 MAHAIWE INTERIOR Courtesy of Gary Leveille
40 • MAY 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND
SANDISFIELD, NEW BOSTON ROCK VIEW
and remains surprisingly unchanged. Trivia again: During a chase between the local sheriff and rebellious, debt-ridden farmers – and just hours before the last battle of Shays’ Rebellion in 1787 – a bullet was fired into a wall of the Wheeler House. Nobody knows exactly where. Hancock Shaker Village is another example of architecture that I love, although I might be a bit biased. My great-great grandparents were raised by the Shakers. But the Shakers practiced celibacy and separateness between the sexes. My ancestors fell in love, so they had to leave the Shakers and set out on their own. The Shakers often took in orphans. About fifteen years ago, I met an elderly woman in Florida who was the last child raised by the Hancock Shakers. Her name was Clair. She left the village in the 1940s, and hadn’t been back since. She had an astonishinglygood memory, and I was honored to interview her several times. The video tapes are at the Hancock Shaker Village Library. Before she passed away several years ago, Clair asked to be buried in the Shaker cemetery. Her wish was granted. Do you explore old cemeteries? Are there any that are kept secret? Gary: Sure, I explore cemeteries. And I’ve given a
Courtesy of Gary Leveille
few cemetery tours/hikes during Housatonic Heritage week in the fall. Of course as I get older, I know more and more people who reside there! I like to go for hikes, but since I am slightly compulsive, I sometimes feel the need to use my limited free time to my best advantage. So cemeteries allow me read and study inscriptions as I walk! As for “secret” cemeteries, yes there are a few. One such graveyard, overgrown in the woods near Phillips Road in Egremont, is guarded by scores of blood-thirsty ticks. There is a beautiful little cemetery in Stockbridge that had fallen into disrepair. Retired Stockbridge police chief Rick Wilcox and I worked hard to clear away brush and dead trees, and we got the beautiful gravestones restored. But we couldn’t brag about the location and our efforts because…well, it’s a secret! I can feel when we have driven over the border that between Massachusetts and New York State, especially near West Stockbridge, MA. There is a distinct vibe I get, and can feel it with my eyes closed, this change of going from one state into the next. Just entering New York State, I get a haunting feeling. Do you know what I mean? Gary: This is an interesting question, but for reasons you might not expect. You see, until the latter 1700s, the borderline between Massachusetts and New York
was in dispute. Unofficially, the border was considered to parallel a line roughly 20 miles east of the Hudson River. But this was often ignored when convenient. And the reason for this was as much political as it was the mountainous terrain that was hard to survey. Large portions of New York colony bordering the Berkshires operated as a feudal state. That is, rent-paying tenants lived on land owned by wealthy Patroons named Livingston and Van Rensselaer. In Massachusetts, settlers generally owned their own land. So it made sense that settlers in places like North Hillsdale, New York (then called Nobletown) claimed to be part of Massachusetts and refused to pay rent. Folks in other towns thought the same thing. For example, take a drive over to nearby Spencertown, New York, or a bit further to the hamlet of Concord, New York. These places look and feel like New England. The unlucky folks who settled in what it now Austerlitz, New York remained engaged in legal battles for several decades. Since their deeds specified Massachusetts land, New York land speculators claimed the deeds were invalid and tried to wrest the land away from them. You mentioned that you feel a strange vibe near the West Stockbridge border. That was once part of an area (as was Egremont) known as “The Gore” or Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 41
GARY LEVEILLE
GARY GIVING TALK TO CANADIAN VISITOR AT TOWN MUSEUM HISTORICAL SOCIETY
What was one of your most favorite Berkshire public events you have attended? Gary: Probably the 100th year “birthday” celebration and rededication/restoration of my favorite outdoor sculpture – the Newsboy Statue and Fountains on Maple Avenue in Great Barrington. Several of us worked very hard for years to raise the money to restore the statue and bronze animal fountains. It is a wonderful sculpture and very well-done artistically. I also enjoyed the whimsical Zucchini Festival in West Stockbridge. That was a lot of fun, but way too much work for the organizers of the annual event. ONE OF GARY’S BOOKS
“No-Man’s Land.” Both were narrow, triangularshaped, unincorporated lands claimed by both Massachusetts and New York. The triangular shape was partially the result of surveying challenges created by the Taconic Mountain range. There is no truth to the rumor that the Gore was once owned by ancestors of former U.S. Vice-president Al Gore! The term originally referred to a triangular-shaped piece of cloth used to make clothing or sails. 42 • MAY 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND
What do you love about living in the Berkshires? Gary: For me, the Berkshires provide a healthy combination of beauty, nature, culture and history. Some of the political stuff annoys me, but I don’t think it wise to elaborate. And dare I admit that I miss K Mart! How would you describe the Berkshires and its history to an alien (from space!) that wanted to live here, but needed to know the facts? Gary: Before attempting to answer this question, I chatted with Captain James Kirk and Mr. Spock of the starship Enterprise. Both advised me to answer you in the Klingon language, but I overuled them, knowing that Romulans might be offended. Seriously though, I
have good, reliable, sensible friends who have seen UFOs in the Berkshires. A television program will soon be filming and producing a program about this, but I can’t give away any secrets about that yet. If aliens have visited, (they would, of course, return) perhaps they already recognize the Berkshires as a home to generations of thoughtful, intelligent people with whom they might safely interact. If not, we should consider setting our phasers to stun. Are you a Berkshire native? Tell us a little about your growing up years. Please. Gary: As a local historian, most folks assume I was born in the Berkshires. I must confess that although my parents were originally from western Massachusetts, I didn’t set foot here until I was about 12 years old. We came here on a camping adventure, and I quickly felt at home in the Berkshires. I spent my childhood in Cheshire, Connecticut, a suburb between Waterbury and New Haven. I had a newspaper route. I published a neighborhood newspaper with a friend which evolved into a satirical publication that I suspect my neighbors did not appreciate. After college I returned to the Berkshires and then left again. For a time, I worked for a water ski magazine in Florida. After returning here a second time, I decided I wanted to stay. In order to do so, I had a long commute to work each
GARY WITH NOTED STEAM PUNK ARTIST JIM BREMER WITH RAT ROD
GARY AND DANCING ROCK, GREAT BARRINGTON
day. But I listened to a lot of audio books in the car and, over time, saw some interesting sights on the Massachusetts Turnpike. I remember a beer truck overturned between Lee and Westfield. The driver was okay, thankfully, but dozens of cars pulled over to pick up the free beer cans strewn over the highway. If you were to resite your most meaningful line from a poet or literary source, can you tell us what that is and its meaning to you? Gary: I like lakes. So one of my favorite quotations comes from Henry David Thoreau, who wrote, “A lake is the landscape’s most beautiful and expressive feature. It is earth’s eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.” I like boats. In “The Wind in the Willows,” author Kenneth Grahame wrote, “there is nothing—absolutely nothing—half so much worth doing as simply messing about in boats.” And, of course, I like history, so again I turn to historian David McCullough who wrote, “…history ought to be a source of pleasure. It isn’t just part of our civic responsibility. To me it’s an enlargement of the experience of being alive, just the way literature or art or music is.
GARY WITH TAMI, PROSPECT LAKE, EGREMONT
Thank you Gary! THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 43
Jackson, tell me, what do you do best? Jackson Whalan: What ignites audiences most is my freestyling (improvising rap on-the-spot). It might be what I do best. Sometimes I tell the crowd to shout out topics for me to rap about, sometimes I give out pieces of paper for people to write words on and hand back to me, and other times I just go for it. That’s the “special sauce” of what I do. I’m a firm believer that freestyle is only freestyle if it is not pre-written. I write songs, record, tour, collaborate, and spend a lot of time marketing my music (and much more), but freestyling seems to be the most awe-inspiring thing for others to experience, as sometimes even I don’t know how I’m doing it. Check out a video of me freestyling at a Sofar Sounds show in Denver, CO here.
JACKSON WHALAN LYRICIST / MUSIC PRODUCER TOURING / RECORDING ARTIST Interview by H. Candee Photographs courtesy of Jackson
44 • MAY 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND
Tell me about your most immediate project, it sounds like you are really aiming for the stars! Jackson: Earlier this April, I recorded five songs and videos at Pilot Recording Studios in Housatonic, MA, all in one day. I did this with my live band project: Jules Jenssen on drums, Brian Ross on bass, Ian Evans on keyboard, Ian Stewart on trumpet, Tyler Gasek on saxophone, and me on lead vocals and sample pad. We were also joined by my good friend Michael Wilbur of the band Moon Hooch. He is featured on vocals and saxophone on the song “Climate Chaos”. Will Schillinger engineered the session at Pilot with Pat Waltman assisting. The video was filmed and is currently being edited by George Cox (Outpost). Amy Inglis (Avida Love Photography) was with us taking photos and getting behind-thescenes footage throughout the day. Our trumpet player Ian Stewart is mixing the audio. We will be releasing this recording as an EP on June 21st, titled Epic Proportions. Videos for the songs will be coming very soon and will be rolled out one-by-one leading up the release. My main objective with this project is to showcase this incredible ensemble of musicians that I’ve brought together. I see us expanding our audience with this next release, playing bigger shows and music festivals, and giving people what they want they want to hear, which is a tight live band and lyrics that focus on important matters. I’ve been working very hard to make my live performance as exciting as possible. Working with a live band is a huge step in that direction. These guys are also some of my closest friends. In terms of the message, my lyrics have a social justice edge that the music reflects. In the title track, “Epic Proportions” I express the urgency of the need to stand up to world leaders, a demand for human rights, non-violence in Hip Hop culture, etc… Other songs touch on climate change, the ocean as a metaphor for the music industry, and the experience of meeting someone new and falling in love. What are the challenges involved? Or, is it all fun…What is the hardest work? Where is the most fun and wonderfulness part to all this for you? Jackson: There are countless challenges in my music career, and I find all of them to be fun. Marketing my music and booking shows is the hardest work for me. I’ve been signed to booking agencies before, but right now I’m independent. It may appear that I’m just doing music, but there’s a whole business that I’m managing behind the scenes, mostly on my own. It gets tough when I start spend-
Jackson Whalan performing with Moon Hooch in Atlanta Georgia in 2017 In this photo (left to right): James Muschler, Michael Wilbur, Jackson Whalan, Wenzl McGowen
Photo by Thalia Kazakos-Resh
ing a lot of time on those parts of my career that don’t involve making music. The wonderfulness pours in when I am playing a show for an engaged crowd, when I’m writing a new song, when a song or video goes big on the internet, when someone buys my album, or a listener goes out of their way to tell me that I inspired them. When more than ten years of making music pays off in various forms, I feel fulfilled. The recent recording session with my band was one of the best days of my life. Recently, a fan made a music video to one of my songs with footage of the people of Venezuela. The person sent me the video and said that my song has been on repeat since they first listened to it. Stuff like that really touches my heart. How did you find your avenue? Is it all hip-hop? Jackson: I found my avenue through fiercely getting myself out into the world and exploring. Being able to walk up to people and introduce myself has been a huge factor. At an early age I started going to shows and festivals, and next thing I knew I was performing at them, through hard work and connecting with proactive people. In my life, hip-hop is the tree trunk,
and everything else is branches. I’ve been influenced by tons of electronic music, jazz, neo soul, and so much more. When I was in college, I was in a band called Technicolor Lenses. The group had elements of hip-hop, but we crossed over into the jam and electronic scene too. A big event for me that opened me up to a whole world of artists was The Big Up Music Festival in Ghent, NY in 2010-2011. I definitely departed from just trying to do hip-hop and was thrown into a three- or four-year stint of immersion into the electronic festival culture and “bass music”. In the past couple of years, I’ve returned back the more classic style of hip-hop that I love so much. That’s where my heart is at. Sounds like you have one foot in NYC and one foot in your native-born territory… What’s up with that? Jackson: Ever since I was young I wanted to live in New York City. I moved there in 2009 and attended The New School. I lived in Manhattan, then Brooklyn until I graduated in 2013. I’ve been back and forth since then and have also spent a lot of time in California amidst touring nationally. Over the years I’ve built
a solid community of friends and musicians in NYC from performing there so much. Now I’m based in The Berkshires, but It’s very easy to go down there and be productive and come back home. I’ve recently played at Rockwood Music Hall in NYC with the live band project, and Sofar Sounds NYC. I’ll always have ties there. The Berkshires is a special place though and I’m happy that I’m from here. How did you learn the ropes for marketing yourself and fellow music makers you work with? Jackson: I do my best to intently study the strategies of the artists that I love listening to. I’m always fascinated by how music reaches me, so I always try figure out how that happens. To be honest, a lot of it is intuition and just hoping that I’m doing the right thing. I have never studied marketing in an educational setting (although that might be useful). I’ve found that video content can make the biggest impact, hence I place importance on putting out videos. Consistency is crucial. I also found David Carriere’s book Publicity: 7 Steps to Publicize Just About Anything was a helpful read. Social media is good and all, but an email list for your fans is better. Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 45
Jackson Whalan at his studio in Housatonic, MA
Photo by Avida Love Photography
Playing shows creates buzz. The list goes on. Being on tour is still the best way to get a fanbase, even with the potential of the internet. You really have to focus on all of the moving parts, and it’s way bigger than just social media. Do you work for someone? Is it difficult to carry all this weight on your shoulders, considering, they say, it’s hard to make it in the music world? You have extensions outbound, in video making, producing, does this all help to make money for you to survive? Jackson: I’ve lost count of how many people have told me, “it’s going to be a really tough road for you.” Why do people tell me that? What’s harder than it being hard, is people continuing to tell me it’s going to be hard. I’ve been through a lot. At times it’s been difficult, but the rewards far outweigh the difficulty. There’s no other life I could live. This is me. It was hard for every artist whose art encompassed their life. Van Gogh, Freddie Mercury, Amy Winehouse, Nina Simone, Franz Shubert, even James Taylor… Just go on Netflix and watch a documentary about any musician. They all had it hard too. Two weeks before Bruce Springsteen was signed to a record label, he didn’t have enough change in his car to get from New Jersey to New York City. It’s reassuring to hear those kinds 46 • MAY 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND
of stories. I currently engineer sound at The Barn in Egremont, MA, and I occasionally work as a stage-hand at The Mahaiwe Theater in Great Barrington. My business is in music, and I offer a set of skills and services, including video work, that all fall under Jackson Whalan Music. In the past, I’ve worked a wide array of jobs to support my music. I always try to do work that relates back to the music. I believe that once an artist stops being afraid of success or afraid of money and business, things start working out. I’m getting a taste of that now. I wish I was this focused earlier. Musicians are fed a lottery mentality, an American Dream-like scenario that one day we will hit big and never have to worry again. While of course I’m ready for that, I’m not waiting for it. I’m creating that reality from hard work. If I have some sort of overnight success, I’ll know that I worked hard for it for a long time. How do you extend your talents to the community and its up and coming crazy bunch of kids? Do you think you are an inspiration to them? Jackson: I recently had a young artist come to my studio. I showed him how to independently release music on Spotify, iTunes, etc… I like helping young artists get their music out there. I would hope to inspire young people in the way that I was inspired when I
was young. I have to get out a bit more and see what’s up. I’d love to hear more about young people who are creating music in The Berkshires. If you are one of those people, come talk to me. What has been the roots for you when first starting out in music? Where did you begin all of this? Jackson: It all started in my early adolescence around age ten or so. Hip-hop/Rap was the only form of music that reflected how I felt inside; aggression and frustration with the system being channeled into something positive. The first album I heard was De La Soul’s Art Official Intelligence when my older brother Adam left his CDs at the house after moving out. It was Nas’s album Illmatic and the song “N.Y. State of Mind” that made me realize I wanted to rap and make music. Then I met Regi Wingo, one of the most talented local rappers I know, at Railroad Street Youth Project. He taught me how to rap. I’ve since been influenced by tons of music: electronic music, jazz, and so much more. But, I could talk about those beginning years forever. The first people who helped me to record were Pablo Zukowski and Janos Fulop (The Arcitype). Where do you go to get good advice? There must be a mentor in the picture.
Jackson Whalan and his live band recording at Pilot Recording Studios in Housatonic, MA In this photo (left to right): Pat Waltman, Ian Evans, Brian Ross, Jules Jenssen, Jackson Whalan, Ian Stewart, Tyler Gasek, and Will Schillinger
Photo by Avida Love Photography
Jackson: I do have a few mentors and close friends whose opinions I really trust. There is a top advisor and an inner cabinet. You must feel some humble moments… You sing and poeticize about life. Life in Housatonic! What a great video. This must have felt rewarding to create from just a small vision in your mind. It encompasses music and visuals… How does this satisfy your hunger, Jackson? Jackson: You must be referring to the music video for “Souled Out…”. My dad called that the hip-hop version of “Working Man Blues”. I love how that song and video came together, with zero dollars spent. “Souled Out…” was written and composed with Jules Jenssen, and it’s the only collaboration on recording I have that features Regi Wingo (Dominik Omega), who taught me how to rap back in the day. The chorus says it all. Musicians are fed this idea that one day we can “find some gold” or “blow up” and finally “make it”. I felt like Housatonic was the perfect setting for this, with the river and the mills that used to be used in the industrial revolution. There’s a sadness, a desolation, and a sleepiness in the town that goes along with the song and its subject matter. We filmed in the dead of winter. It satisfies my hunger to know that we could produce a music video in our hometown with the cre-
ative friends and resources that we have available. Tech savvy – that must be essential and fun too. Where do you learn all that you know on this up to the minute techy stuff? Jackson: I use Ableton Live to produce a lot of my music and make beats. My friend Brandon Lewis taught me how to do that. I learned from friends and collaborators. We’ve shared tips, tricks, and sound banks with each other over the years. I also worked at SubStation recording studio with my longtime mentor and good friend Robby Baier. He taught me a lot of what I know about the studio recording process. You are absorbing so much info… Like, the opposites, living in the Berks, and living Brooklyn. What difference do you feel that influence your composing? Does one location give you more than the other? From a creative stand point, do you feed off of being in both places? Jackson: You have to push yourself here in the Berkshires, whereas a place like Brooklyn or NYC pushes you. The city is so competitive that you will quickly know that what you are doing needs work. But up here it’s like, you can get away with being mediocre. So, you have to go to the city and get better and see what’s out there. The Berkshires is pretty dry when it comes to innovative music, so you really have to immerse
yourself in other places that push you to get better. This might sound rude, but aside from some old-timey bands who play around here all the time, there’s not much really going on. Being a big fish in a small pond is not what the goal is. I’m constantly learning and growing, and New York City is the best place on earth to do that. But, nothing beats writing music in The Berkshires. What’s the behind-the-scenes like, working with so many different people? Is there an underground movement in the Berkshires just dedicated to making in the moment music? Jackson: Behind the scenes there’s a lot going on… lots of rehearsing, mixing, strategizing, planning, and sitting in the studio coming up with new ideas. There is definitely a movement in The Berkshires, but I think more people need to recognize and support it. Like I said, there are a couple groups of older musicians who play for older crowds, but we have to make something happen for our younger generation. What do you do on your free time? Jackson: I knit. I listen to Democracy Now. I like playing basketball, meditating, hiking, and riding my bike. I don’t have so much time for those things lately, Continued on next page... THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 47
Jackson Whalan and his live band recording at Pilot Recording Studios in Housatonic, MA In this photo: Jackson Whalan, Ian Stewart, and Tyler Gasek
Photo by Avida Love Photography
48 • MAY 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND
Jackson Whalan and his live band recording at Pilot Recording Studios in Housatonic, MaIn This photo: George Cox (videographer), Ian Evans, and Jackson Whalan
Photo by Avida Love Photography
but I’m getting better at balancing my time. I really just like not having free time. When I have free time, I’m making plans to fill it with music stuff. What’s important to you right now? Jackson: Social and political justice, human rights, and the Green New Deal (addressing climate change). Also, really excited about this live band project… What are your future dreams and are any of those in the beginning stages? Jackson: My dream is to have an overflow of people knocking on my door. I’d like to get to the point where I’m playing big shows for thousands of people and be able to financially support the whole live band. I think getting on tour opening for a big name would really help. Yes, I’m having glimpses of this. I’ve already toured most of the U.S., and one of those tours was opening for Moon Hooch. I think when the next project comes out we will be well on our way. It’s also my dream to have at least 20,000 monthly listeners on Spotify by the end of 2019. I want to be famous, not to be famous, but because I made a difference in peoples’ lives through music. If you can name drop, who would you say has been your best music friend, and why? Jackson: Jules Jenssen among many others. We’ve been through so much together and have collaborated consistently for a long time. We’ve been allies to each other out here in The Berkshires. I could say the same thing for a handful of people in my life. I believe that friendship speaks through the music.
Are you a trendsetter? How would you say your music leads the way? Jackson: I don’t know if I’m a trendsetter. That’s for the world to decide. I think a lot of artists aim for that. There have been instances when my music has “led the way”. In 2008 I performed at The United Nations Headquarters in New York City for The International day of Peace. I used my original hip-hop to encourage peace and youth empowerment in front of Messengers of Peace like Jane Goodall and Elie Wiesel. I performed there again in 2013, and in general I use my music in a leadership fashion to invoke positive societal change.
and being in the center of it. Jackson: 1.The people I meet 2.Feeling accepted. 3.Contributing to culture 4.Performing 5.Bringing value to others. Supply us with your most valued set of song words, and what do they mean if not the obvious. Death and The Maiden (feat. Dave Eggar, Katie Jacoby & Lily Fangz) From Millennial Sound, released May 18th, 2018 (Chorus)
What did you do after you got out of high school? Jackson: I moved to New York City and attended The New School. I formed a band called Technicolor Lenses and played all over NYC, as well as some regional festivals. During my time in college, I went to India and studied abroad, learning about Integral Sustainability.
Hold me, don't take me away
What are you sentimental about and touches you deeply? Jackson: The goodness in peoples’ hearts; when people go out of their way to help others for no reward.
Leave me alone, I must exist
Tell us something you really need to share. Jackson: I’m seriously excited about this live band project that’s coming out soon. Stay tuned! I also have a Patreon page where Patrons get exclusive access to special rewards for supporting my music.
Can I be immortal?
Name five things you love about the music world
But here you are, waiting to greet me ........
We on the edge, only one step away Hold me, don't take me away We on the edge, only one step away (1st Verse) Death of the innocence, looking into the abyss Life is a pleasure and it's not to miss Touched by your fingerprints Living in fear? Who does it benefit? No avoiding this void it's a portal Bleak fate can't beat fate But you might end up with a clean slate Only my heart beat could defeat me
THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 49
JACKSON WHALAN and his live band performing at Rockwood Music Hall in New York City In this photo: Jackson Whalan on vocals, Jules Jenssen on drums, Brian Ross on bass guitar, Ian Evans on keys, Ian Stewart on trumpet, Tyler Gasek on saxophone Photo by Avida Love Photography
Calling but who's really hearing ya?
And I wake up feeling faithful
Displaced, like refugees fleeing from Syria
Surrounded by people, I'm grateful
No one's inferior only delusion could turn us impe-
Always thought that you were so hateful
rial
But those thoughts became so painful
Evil is killing you, catch it on video
You can have me today
Physical material, disappearing into the ethereal
We can do this dance all the way
As time pass and it's beautiful
As I disappear into the sunset and become another
Earth quakes and the earth shakes
ray
Didn't have control in the first place
And I'm living on your edge
Drive me away from my birthplace
And I balance on the fray
Feed me your potion, it's the worst taste
And you chase me with your karma
Show up in the shadow's with a cursed face
So I vanish after the drama
Please spare my from despair
Hold me, don't take me away
But you tell me to beware but it's got to be fair cuz
We on the edge, only one step away
I ought to be here
Hold me, don't take me away
But death is a brutal cry, the drought when the well
We on the edge, only one step away
runs dry
Hold me, don't take me away
The answers we don't find, when we choose to ask
We on the edge, only one step away
why
Hold me, don't take me away
(Refrain)
We on the edge, only one step away
(2nd Verse) Take my hand, you’re not my enemy Be brave cuz you better be I'm your friend you see On the other side rest eternally 50 • MAY 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND
Death and The Maiden was originally composed by Franz Schubert in the year 1817. The original song text is derived from a poem by German poet Matthias Claudius. In the first verse, The Maiden is afraid of death, telling death to go away. Death is seen as scary and ominous, looming over The Maiden. In the second
verse, Death responds to The Maiden, explaining that he is a friend and to not be afraid. My verses reflect this original text, but with my own spin. I worked with cellist and composer Dave Eggar on this song. We call this style Chamber Rap: the combination of Classical with Hip-Hop/Rap. Upcoming Concert: May 24th at The Barn in Egremont, MA. Website: https://www.jacksonwhalan.com/ Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/artist/4DC3sI1OQyd1gYxmbNCKzX Apple Music: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/jackson-whalan/id834690680 Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jackson-whalan Bandcamp: https://jacksonwhalan.bandcamp.com/ Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/jacksonwhalan Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JacksonwhalanMusic/ Instagram: http://instagram.com/jacksonwhalanmusic Twitter: https://twitter.com/JacksonWhalan Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/jacksonwhalan
Thank you Jackson!
PROUT’S POINT REVISITED COUNTRY ROAD WATERCOLOR
MARGUERITE BRIDE BECKET ARTS CENTER
DAVID REED In 2019, David Reed & Tamboura Productions celebrates 30 Years of creating ways to accommodate the diverse demands and shifting sands of the musical marketplace by providing distinctive, diverse and high-quality artistic entertainment, recordings and hand-made musical instruments - all at affordable rates for music lovers of all ages. Beginning in 1989 with the combined vision and talents of multi-instrumentalist/vocalist/songwriter David Reed and percussionist Armando Zanecchia’s exotic (and quixotic!) interpretations of contemporary folkrock, blues and world-beat music, the fledgling DuoTamboura (taking its “Tamboura” moniker from the Caribbean island of Dominica’s “drum of the merengue”) organically expanded - sometimes to 7 members! - earning an endearing (and enduring!) reputation for being the only Caribe-vibe dance band in the Berkshire Hills of western Massachusetts...and way beyond. Our adventures have taken various Tamboura incarnations through time and space to festivals and venues throughout the Northeast USA, the Caribbean, Italy, Switzerland, England...even Bulgaria! Little did we know at the time what a journey we had embarked upon, gathering fantastic musicians along the way, sometimes expanding the band to seven members! Tamboura’s member roster reads like a Who’s Who of Berkshire County musicians! We invite you to peruse the pages of our website. Get acquainted with us by reading our bios, enjoying Audio & Video Clips from our musical artists, viewing glimpses of our travels and adventures in the photo Galleria, and visiting the Dry Ducks General Store for recordings, hand-made shakers, cigar box instruments from “Dr. Ea$y’s Sonic Boxes” and cigar box lighting from “Dr. Ea$y’s Man Cave Lighting Co”. Or, read some of David Reed’s and Dr. Ea$y’s (mostly) light-hearted stories and essays in Blogwash. Better yet, come on out to a live show...we’d love to meet you! We think you’ll enjoy what you find under our virtual Big Red Umbrella. We believe once you do, you’ll come back for more! And to our families, fans and friends, THANK YOU for supporting David Reed & Tamboura Productions and Dry Ducks Records over the past 30 years!
Marguerite Bride will be one of the artists exhibiting in the Becket Arts Center’s first group exhibit of the season which runs June 22 – July 7. Gallery hours are Thursday – Sunday, 12 noon – 4 PM. In addition to Bride’s watercolors, see works by Ben Mancino, Patricia Hogan, Joseph Tracy, and Sean McCusker. Come to the opening reception on June 22, at 2 PM. The Becket Arts Center is located at 7 Brooker Hill Road in Becket, Mass. Also, a new assortment of Marguerite Bride’s watercolors - small matted originals (spring/summer village scenes), were just delivered to Hancock Shaker Village. Now is a great time to commission a house portrait or favorite scene you would like captured in a watercolor. Paintings (or even a personalized gift certificate, then I work directly with the recipient) make a cherished and personal gift for weddings, retirement, new home, old home, anniversaries…..any occasion is special. Commission work is always welcome. Be in touch directly with the artist…it is guaranteed to be a fun adventure! Bride’s solo exhibit, “Jazz Visions”, 22 original watercolors, mostly on canvas, are on “long-term” exhibit at 51 Park Tavern in Lee, Massachusetts. Fine art reproductions and note cards of Berkshire images and others by the artist are also available at the Red Lion Inn Gift Shop (Stockbridge), Lenox Print & Mercantile (Lenox), Good Purpose Gallery (Lee); and a variety of other fine gift shops, and also directly from the artist. Contact the artist and/or visit her website for more details. Announcement of other summer shows will be coming soon. Check the website for the most up to date information. Marguerite Bride – Home Studio at 46 Glory Drive, Pittsfield, Massachusetts by appointment only. Call 413-841-1659 or 413-442-7718; margebride-paintings.com; margebride@aol.com; Facebook: Marguerite Bride Watercolors
BRUCE SHICKMANTER Bruce Shickmanter retired in 2012 from his work as a physician in Berkshire County. After retirement he decided to pursue a long-term interest in watercolor painting. In his paintings Bruce tries to use pleasing shapes along with light and color to convey a sense of magic, mystery and movement. He uses the texture and matte finish of gouache to create a contrast with the transparent and ephemeral qualities of watercolors. The scenes he paints are often places he has come across while hiking or biking or are inspired by a photo that stimulates his creativity. Bruce’s paintings have been shown at St. Francis Gallery in Lee, MA, The Artful Mind Gallery in Lenox, MA, Chocolate Springs Café in Lenox, MA and in multiple group shows in various locations with the Guild of Berkshire Artists. Bruce Shickmanter 413 -446-3721, ontrails13@gmail.com.
THE ARTFUL MIND MAY 2019 • 51
Faldoni CHAPTER 9 RICHARD BRITELL We have now come to the penultimate chapter of Faldoni, and as you may remember, he has been condemned to death, and has given up his attempt to read and write. He also has abandoned his desire to do one last large painting, and now is simply struggling to fend off hopeless despair. And so, like the problem of writing his letter, the painting not only did not get painted, he was unable to even begin on the preliminary drawing. It was as if you attached a boulder by ropes to a little dog, and tried to get him to pull the boulder up a long hill. The little dog my try to move the boulder, but the boulder will not move, it will not even quiver. The task is simply too great by far. The larger problem was the feeling that he had to accomplish some great task before Easter, but the very notion made it impossible to do anything. Meanwhile, even if he had been able to come up with a grand plan, all of his time seemed to be consumed by the strange Jailer, who kept on using up all of his precious hours. Faldoni was a polite person, and would never have asked the Jailer to leave him is peace so he could work. He was not that kind of a person. I hope you are not becoming too annoyed with this Jailer. I think it was wrong of him to waste Faldoni’s precious time pretending to teach him to read and write, but perhaps he had his reasons. Now that the prisoner wanted to paint, the Jailer began to insist that he learn how to add and subtract instead. Once that was done, they would go on to multiplication and division. The Jailer said to Faldoni, “Most likely in the next world you will not need to be able to read and write, but it seems to me that being unable to add and subtract would he a hindrance even if one ends up in Hell itself.” Faldoni did not reply to this observation. I suppose that if you are interested in historic and famous jailers the greatest one who comes to mind is the nameless jailer who administers the poison to Socrates. He only appears for a short moment in the story in order to give Socrates his cup of hemlock to drink. His friends suggest a libation to the Gods, but the jailer says it is not possible because only enough 52 • MAY 2019 THE ARTFUL MIND
has been prepared to accomplish the task. Then the jailer bursts into tears as he leaves. Socrates says of him, “How charming the man is: since I have been in prison he has always been coming to see me, and at times he would talk to me, and was as good as could be to me, and now see how generously he sorrows for me.” Now that is truly a great jailer, and worthy to be remembered for all time, even though he has no name. But Faldoni’s Jailer was yet even more important to Faldoni that his historic predecessor was to Socrates. The Jailer’s mind was at work on the solution to his prisoner’s problems, and all of the wasted time spent teaching reading and writing to Faldoni had a purpose although he did not have the slightest idea what the purpose was. Like all important events in history, it was happening as if of itself, and of its own volition. The project of teaching his prisoner to read and write was the thing that was agitating the Jailer’s mind. He had started the instruction as a jest, intending to entertain himself at Faldoni’s expense, but the result of this project was that the Jailer began to think seriously about the question of what words and phrases can mean, when one begins to entertain the idea that definitions are endlessly variable. He could see a connection between the word game he had made up in his teaching and the interpretations of the Cantaloupe man’s pronouncements. He observed that whatever the man said could be subjected to an infinite number of explanations. Since the words had no actual meaning, any meaning was possible. In the end, the explanations arrived at almost always were just an expression of some listener’s hopes, fears, or desires. So the Jailer came up with this hypothesis: instead of listening to the sayings of the Cantaloupe man and trying to discover an explanation, why not make up an explanation, and apply the explanation to something the old man was saying. It was the reverse of the usual procedure. Invent a meaning, and then look for a sign in his words, to signify and justify it. One can see automatically how sensible and efficient this procedure would be, and I am sure it has been in use in the past even if its use was never noticed. How does the superstitious person find out what is going to happen in the future? He looks for signs occurring in the world that are sending him a message. What devices are used to predict the future? The flight of birds, the pattern of clouds, or the shapes and forms of the parts of sacrificed animals are some of the methods of long standing. One can predict the future, if one is so minded, by taking note of dreams and accepting the content of dreams in a literal way. If no literal meaning is obvious to the dreamer one can always superimpose an interpretation. One of the simplest ways to predict the future is to have a favorite book, especially a big fat one full of obscure phrases like the Bible, something by Proust, or then again Joyce’s Ulysses. One simply opens the book at random and with the eyes closed you place your finger on a line. Then you open your eyes, read the line and decipher the content with a mind to predicting the future. Before you do this however, you have to keep in mind the necessity of employing certain adjustments and calibrations. The interpretation may be positive and hopeful or, on the contrary, it may predict doom
and destruction in the near future. But do not be distressed if your prediction is terribly negative until you adjust it using these considerations. Place your interpretation on a scale from minus 10, to plus 10. Minus ten will be a prediction of terrible drawn out suffering followed by death in the midst of being abandoned by your friends, after being falsely accused and convicted of insidious and unsavory crimes you did not commit. Plus ten will signify something on the order of an unexpected inheritance. That nagging pain in your back has completely disappeared. Three different filmmakers want to buy the rights to the unfinished play you wrote thirty years ago when you were in high school. Somebody found a mimeographed copy in an old yearbook purchased in a used bookstore and, unbeknownst to you, it has become the talk of Hollywood. Now that you have your interpretation you have to adjust it with these calibrations. If the sky is overcast add plus two. If you are worried about unpaid bills add plus three. If you are over sixty years old add plus four. On the other hand, if the sun is shining, there is no wind, and it is over sixty-five degrees in April then subtract five. If the check engine light in your car is not on then subtract seven. These and similar adjustments that you can figure out for yourself are necessary to counterbalance the tendency to find a good prognosis if you are on a good mood, and a bad prognosis if you are distressed and uneasy in your mind. You may think that I am trying to undermine the idea of telling the future by the study of signs, but that is not true. I am only attempting to insert a little rationality into the process. Just because our prognostications are likely to be more optimistic on a cloudless day, than at the beginning of a thunderstorm, does not mean that they are only a reflection of a fleeting mood. Signs will accurately predict the future, if only we are sufficiently objective in their utilization. But to return to our narrative, our Jailer could not utilize the business of pointing to a line in a book as a method because he could not read. But, more importantly, he decided to manufacture his predictions instead of looking for them. With this in mind he went to pay a visit to the old Cantaloupe man. He had some questions to ask him, and in the answers he hoped to find the salvation of the painter Faldoni. The Jailer said to the Cantaloupe man. “Have you heard about our gardener friend Faldoni, and that the day after Easter he will no longer be a member or our community?” The old man replied, “When hunting rabbits, take your bits, bate them with rats, hold fast to the mast of the redolent past, for the facts that will last can be found in the bowl of an empty glass.” “Yes, I see exactly what you mean brother, but tell me, do you think there is any hope for preserving the life of our painter friend, he really is very innocent you know.” The old monk replied, “When the sun descends to the mountains, look for a cleft in the fountain. When the moon in its infinite glory, turns red it will be the end of the story.” RICHARD BRITELL: FROM THE BLOG NO CURE FOR THE MEDIEVAL MIND
EDWARD ACKER PHOTOGRAPHER
Time Flies D Get Pictures EdwardAckerPhotographer.com 413-446-8348