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Join Date: Jul 2004
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A beautiful video shot in and around the home that Pete Seeger built himself above the Hudson River in 1949 - a fitting memorial:
Nice interview from the last year's of Pete's life:
Quote:
Pete Seeger an American Folk Icon
As my car approached the long dirt road which leads to the Seeger home in Beacon, New York, I focused on the smell of breaded tilapia, rice pilaf, mixed vegetables, bread, zucchini and banana bread that was packed next to me in the shopping bag and hoped that Pete and his wife Toshi would find my choices for lunch palatable.
Remembering my visit two years before, I was anticipating a day of great conversation and hospitality and expecting a generous and captivating interview with Pete. I looked forward to hearing him weave memories about family, his social activism, the country?s struggles past and present, his personal challenges, his music and his hope for the future.
Pete loves to give detailed and thought provoking answers to questions. I understand why he has earned the reputation as America?s greatest folksinger/storyteller.
I parked the car and walked towards the rustic, rough-hewed home built by Pete in 1949.
The view of the Hudson River was breathtaking. The house is still heated by one wood burning stove in the master bedroom and a fireplace in the living room, with wood split by Pete three times a week.
Toshi and Pete greeted me warmly at the door. The two cats and daughter, Tinya?s dog welcomed me with purrs and kisses. We sat in the living room area and within a few minutes we began to chat.
Pete was turning 90 on May 3rd and there would be a celebration at Madison Square Garden featuring Bruce Springsteen, Dave Matthews, John Mellencamp, Emmylou Harris, Joan Baez, Richie Havens, Roger McGuinn and scores of others. The phone began to ring with inquiries from friends and family. It was 10am. At 10:45am, a call came in that the concert was sold out.
Pete announced that he would be picked up at three o?clock to be taken to a rehearsal with the third graders at the elementary schools in Beacon. He held my tape recorder close to his mouth and began, ?This is Pete Seeger. It is March 2009.? He told wonderful stories for hours and hours and even though at times his voice would weaken, he continued through lunch, tea and dessert. We went into a storage closet where he climbed a ladder and looked through books, CDs, letters and photos, handing them to me to look at. His enthusiasm never waned. He would speak, ruminate and begin to sing.
It was hard to imagine that this gentle, poetic, kind and generous man had weathered so many years of personal struggle as gracefully as he had. He is hopeful for the future and continues to believe that music can change the world. He is the Pied Piper, but instead of leading the children away from the village, Pete is leading them to the village to become community-minded because, at 90, it is the most important work of his life.
Pete expressed his delight hearing that this interview will reach families with young children. He is happy that they will be introduced to traditional songs and the process of folk singing, which encourages singers to adapt the songs to become relevant to the times. He noted how Woody Guthrie?s tune, ?This Land is Your Land,? written in 1944, is still relevant today, which is why he and Bruce Springsteen sang it together at the Obama Inaugural Celebration at the Lincoln Memorial on January 18th 2009.
The song has been inspiring artists to use its message for decades. It was brought back to life in the 1960s during the folk movement and then again when Bruce Springsteen sang it in support of Barack Obama, adding ?Yes We Can? to its lyrics. At Pete?s request, the song was restored to its original lyrics for the Inaugural performance.
He hopes families will be inspired to learn about how they can become more involved locally, believing that taking care of your own community is a way to create a better world for our children. It is this belief that gives him hope for the future.
At 90, Pete is still very active in his community of Beacon, New York. On this afternoon he will participate in a rehearsal for a local production called ?The Calico Ball,? with 200 third graders from the local elementary schools.
Pete talked about his experiences, singing to family audiences and encouraging their participation in sing-a-longs. His eyes lit up as he spoke and it was clear to me that his passion for this continues.
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