This has been an incredible week. The story of the letter I received from the late Pete Seeger has traveled far and wide. I have been hearing from old friends and making new ones from all across the country. I love how the story is traveling between family members, musicians, music teachers and music lovers from all walks of life.
During this week I met and became friends with a photographer online who
took a picture of Pete Seeger writing letters. I received an article from a reporter sharing
Pete Yarrow's account of his last day with Pete Seeger, which featured a family/community singalong. It is also now featured in my local paper, the
Sacramento Bee.
I've had offers from strangers and friends to help publish the pamphlet of
jam tips that I wrote to Pete about and will be working on that in the coming weeks, as well as tips for how to organize music jams. Today, my story was shared on
NPR's All Things Considered so it will now reach an even wider audience. The NPR story ends with Pete Seeger singing "So Long, It's Been Good to Know You", which left me in tears.
People are celebrating Pete Seeger as a songwriter, musician
and activist, and all of that is well-deserved. But to me his greatest gift was
as a songleader, in getting people to sing along and experience the joy of
singing and participating and making music together. It is one of the most
fundamental joys a human being can experience. Today there are song circles and
music jams that happen all over the world, but I believe there are even more
people who, because of fear and self-doubt, hold back the music that’s inside
them. I want to help let it out. That was what I wrote to Pete about and that
is what he asked me to do in his letter. I
will carry out his wishes – doing so will be one of the most
joyous tasks I’ve ever undertaken.
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