News from David K. Dunaway

Choice Magazine Reviews Singing Out

2011-12-15T13:34:00.000-07:00

In the December 2010 issue of CHOICE magazine, the American Library Association's publication covering the latest in academic publishing, there is a favorable review of "Singing Out: The Ballad of Pete Seeger." An excerpt from their review:

"Each chapter tells its story through quotations from Dunaway's interviews with a wide variety of people and commentaries from the authors. The scheme works well because of the fascinating opinions and insights that many famous artists and distinguished scholars from different times and places bring to each topic." p. 509-510

Denmark

2011-07-25T13:33:00.000-06:00

I'm in Denmark now. Great trip. Updates soon to come!

Knight Digital Media Center Fellowship --

2011-05-20T15:45:00.003-06:00

Over the past week, I've been involved in an intensive project with an amazing team of designers and journalists at the Knight Digital Media Center at UC Berkely. We spent multiple 14 hour days developing a multimedia project about an establishment in Oakland, CA that offers "Holistic Veterinary Care." You can see the product of our work in this embedded YouTube clip.

It was a great experience, and I met some wonderful people--some of my fellow KDMC fellows work at places like the New York Times, Al Jazeera, and Time Magazine. Although we worked long hours, I'm coming away from this project energized and in possession of a new set of skills.

Spring Sounds...

2011-03-18T09:46:00.002-06:00

It's almost Spring; the birdies are remembering their voices and back home in New Mexico, little green tongues are rising from the black soil. I'm back teaching in San Francisco, Queen City of the Pacific. The first weeks were balmy, then foggy and now the weather will try to make up its mind. It's great fun doing the occasional radio show on KALW or KPFA--or any other Bay Area station that could use a veteran folkie D.J.

Classes in Radio/Documentary Studies at San Francisco State are filled with wonderful, seeking folks. It makes me proud. One asked for a sticky, dripping sound. Omitting the obvious (and unprofessional), I suggested honey, heated in a microwave and dropped on a metal sheet from 2 feet above. As it cools, it drips.

Back at you soon.

New Release!!! Pete Seeger Discography

2010-12-03T11:22:00.003-07:00

Our Pete Seeger discography is forthcoming from Scarecrow Press in December! Below, you'll find our publisher's description of the book:

Pete Seeger is one of the most recorded artists in American history, and his recording catalog tells us not just the story of his career but the story of our culture and its political and social history. A Pete Seeger Discography: Seventy Years of Recordings is a comprehensive listing of the 45s, 78s, LPs, and CDs recorded by Seeger in his various incarnations: with the Almanac Singers, with the Weavers, as a solo artist, and with other musicians and contributors. David King Dunaway provides information, with easy to use cross-references, on rare recordings and archival collections.

The discography offers details on Seeger's recording history, including the album title, song(s), other artists on the recording, the publisher and number, and the year or exact recording date if known, as well as the original release date and the re-releases of each recording. Structured to make locating details easy for readers, the recordings are organized chronologically and categorized by albums, singles, private pressings, and foreign releases. Readers can easily cross-reference through album and song title indexes and a contributing artist index. An appendix listing the unreleased archival holdings of the Smithsonian Folkways collection under Moe Asch completes the volume, and a photospread with more than 30 of Seeger's album covers convey a pictorial recording history of this well-loved artist.

The authors gratefully acknowledge Furthermore: a program of the J.M. Kaplan Fund, for their funding assistance in preparing this discography.

BEA Best of Festival - Faculty Audio Winner: David Dunaway

2010-11-29T13:09:00.002-07:00

David Dunaway Receives Vox Populi Award!

2010-11-15T12:17:00.005-07:00

Dr. Dunaway was the first recipient of the Oral History Associations’ Vox Populi (“Voice of the People”) Award, given by renowned author/investigative historian Stetson Kennedy at the 44th Annual Meeting of the Oral History Association in Atlanta.

ABOUT THE VOX POPULI AWARD
The intent of the Stetson Kennedy Vox Populi Award is to stimulate, and give recognition to, collections of oral histories taken from individuals who have devoted much of their lives to activism designed to bring about change for a more democratic, just, peaceful, and harmonious world. In choosing Dr. Dunaway the Committee recognized not only his body of work over the years, but the singularity of documenting social protest in folksong through “How Can I Keep From Singing and Singing Out: An Oral History of America’s Folk Music Revivals”. Mr. Kennedy -- who made the presentation -- is the only living subject of a Woody Guthrie song.

You can find further information about the OHA Vox Populi Award and about the conference at the Oral History Association website.

Dr. Dunaway's acceptance speech for the award is printed below:

My thanks to the local organizers, to the award committee (which I’ll be helping in future years), to Stetson Kennedy, and to my editor at Oxford, Nancy Toff. But we all owe our thanks to the brave men and women who sparked, and survived, the civil rights movement here in Georgia, where so much of it began, and where there were so many leaders.

I was too young to go South in that time; I joined friends of SNCC, at the northern edge of the movement. But, it’s an honor to be surrounded by so many real activists.

Now, talking about the civil rights movement, the FBI played a still-uncharted role in this movement. We really need to know more about this! Some of you know that I sued the FBI under the FOIA, for its records on musicians in the 40s and 50s—one form of historical activism. Before I deposited two thousand pages at the Library of Congress’ American Folklife Center, I asked the FBI if these files still existed. No, came the answer, but they did have a file on one David Dunaway—folksinger. Well, for me, that’s definitely a promotion and a new opportunity.

So, in the spirit of Stetson’s friend Woody Guthrie, I’ll close with a snatch of song (to the tune of “Acres of Clams”). Woody wrote when an FBI man asked if he’d fight for his country:

I answered the FBI: Yea,
I will point a gun for my country,
but I won’t guarantee you which way.

Thank you.

Instant Downloads of "Pete Seeger: How Can I Keep From Singing?" on TradeBit.com

2010-09-01T12:55:00.003-06:00

You can access instant downloads of my Radio Documentary series about Pete Seeger and his fellow musicians at tradebit.com.

Check it out!

A New Review of "Singing Out" in the Journal of Music

2010-09-01T12:07:00.003-06:00

In the current (August/September 2010) issue of The Journal of Music, Peter Rosser reviews my recent book, coauthored with Molly Beer, Singing Out: An Oral History of America's Folk Music Revivals. An excerpt from the review reads, "...Dunaway, in an important and excellent new book, co-authored with Molly Beer, has uncovered the true life of folk music in North America as it progressed through the world-altering twentieth century."

Read the full review at The Journal of Music online.

Busy Summer

2010-08-17T13:26:00.001-06:00

I'm finally back from my many journeys this summer. I was part of a conference and television program in Prague and I had the chance to lecture in South Africa while visiting my son. During my time away I've also been keeping my hometown projects moving along.

I just submitted a proposal to the National Endowment for the Humanities for the America's Cultural and Historical Organizations Planning Grant. The grant was nearly accepted last year, but got caught up in some legal wording. The new proposal has even more interactive and advanced resources for interpreting Route 66, though, and I'm very excited to see where this takes my work.

I also have a book on Route 66 coming out with University of Texas Press in the spring. It will be an anthology of literature and oral histories that reveal the many facets of Route 66.

This fall I'll continue my work here at the University of New Mexico, teaching my course on autobiography, and next spring I'll return to San Francisco State to resume my post as Distinguished Professor of Broadcasting. A lot of good projects and good work to be done this year, and I'm looking forward to it.

Summer Travels

2010-06-21T13:44:00.001-06:00

I am off this summer for conferences, lectures, research, and leisure in South Africa, Mozambique, Prague and Copenhagen. Before I left SFSU in the spring I recorded this youtube clip elaborating on the work I do there. Please enjoy.

Singing Out just out from Oxford University Press

2010-05-07T12:53:00.005-06:00

SINGING OUT
An Oral History of America’s Folk Music Revivals
David King Dunaway and Molly Beer
Release date: March 17, 2010
Publication date: May 6, 2010
$27.95 | 288 pages | hardcover (01)
ISBN13: 9780195378344 | ISBN10: 0195378344
Editor: Nancy Toff | Publicist: Carolyn Petri | Marketer: Samara Stob

Intimate, anecdotal, and spell-binding, Singing Out offers a fascinating oral history of the North American folk music revivals and folk music.

Culled from more than 150 interviews recorded from 1976 to 2006, this captivating story spans seven decades and cuts across a wide swath of generations and perspectives, shedding light on the musical, political, and social aspects of this movement.

The narrators highlight many of the major folk revival figures, including Pete Seeger, Bernice Reagon, Phil Ochs, Mary Travers, Don McLean, Judy Collins, Arlo Guthrie, Ry Cooder, and Holly Near. Together they tell the stories of such musical groups as the Composers' Collective, the Almanac Singers, People's Songs, the Weavers, the New Lost City Ramblers, and the Freedom Singers. Folklorists, musicians, musicologists, writers, activists, and aficionados reveal not only what happened during the folk revivals, but what it meant to those personally and passionately involved.

For everyone who ever picked up a guitar, fiddle, or banjo, this will be a book to give and cherish.

Extensive notes, bibliography, and discography, plus a photo section.

Read reviews and summaries or buy the book here.

Surviving the Elements

2010-01-28T13:18:00.002-07:00

Like Hannibal crossing the Alps, I recently battled my way through three separate snow storms across the mountains while traveling from Albuquerque, NM to San Francisco, CA. This treacherous journey across mountain roads was inspired (or rather, required) by my semester long appointment at San Francisco State University as a distinguished visiting professor of Radio Studies. Perhaps this is just another prime example of the hard work professors willingly endure in order to inspire the minds of their collegiate pupils. I am looking forward to another Spring semester here at San Francisco State teaching Radio Documentary workshops.

A Three-Minute Interview

2009-08-13T10:51:00.002-06:00

While I was out in San Francisco this past Spring, I was interviewed by the San Francisco Examiner for their "3-Minute Interview) series. You can read it here: S.F. State professor digs on Pete Seeger.

Greetings from the other side!

2009-07-27T12:39:00.002-06:00

The other side of the pond, as they say. I'm spending some time in Europe before the fall semester starts up. At the moment I'm on a little (rainy) island off the coast of Scotland. In a few more days I'll be headed off to Copenhagen to meet up with some friends, old and new!

Happy Birthday, Aldous!

2009-07-26T12:03:00.001-06:00

Today is the 115th birthday of Aldous Huxley, writer -- novelist, essayist, poet, screenwriter, and one of the great thinkers of our time.

If you are interested in learning more, I've written two books on Huxley: Huxley in Hollywood and Aldous Huxley Recollected: An Oral History

Both books are available in limited quantities from my website, davidkdunaway.com.

Back to the bosque

2009-06-12T09:09:00.004-06:00

We're back in New Mexico now, getting settled back in. It seems strange; though I've lived in this house for so many years I find myself having to remember where things are.

Getting all of our computers up and running properly has been a minor nightmare, but I think we've finally got it fixed.(I hope!) Nonetheless, I'm enjoying the lovely view from my back yard, looking out over the bosque and the acquecias.

Of course, three days after we got back to Albuquerque I jetted back to California for the annual meeting of the Route 66 ARC. It was a great and informative time.

And now my collaborator, Molly Beer, and I are working intensely on final edits of our new book, Singing Out.

Bay To Breakers

2009-05-20T12:16:00.003-06:00

(photo by Brant Ward / The Chronicle)
Today I ran Bay To Breakers, where you cross the entire city of San Francisco, and its hills, in one wild, costumed, race. I ran past people wearing butterfly wings (her companion was carrying a net, but I noticed that she eluded him); Green bras, pink bras, no bras; a flying pig (“flying pig beats swine flu”); people dressed as cars; six women wearing silver and red wigs of an identical size and height, so that they looked like clones; people dressed as salmon spawning on the street; people dressed as cars bumping into one another.

And of course there was politics. Women protesting the invasion of wineries in rural Northern California who called themselves “Grapes of Wrath,” who dressed exclusively in balloons. Gorilla in a hot pink suit, or rather a person in a hot pink gorilla suit. Even Betty Boop, in lingerie. All in all, a strenuous route, and on a hot day, but an awful lot of fun.

Finished in 1 hour, 40 minutes.

Some Press

2009-05-13T12:13:00.002-06:00

Here's a link to an SFSU News article about my BEA win. And another one that is a bit older, but on the same subject.

I'm out buzzing around the coast today. I'm in Point Reyes, CA and I'll be heading to Bolinas a little later in the day.

Pete's 90th from Madison Square Gardens

2009-05-08T12:18:00.004-06:00

Photo: MSG Photos/George Kalinsky

For those of you who, like me, didn't get to attend the sold-out concert at Madison Square Gardens, here are some great shots by George Kalinsky and Chad Batka.

A three-minute interview with me in the SF Examiner

2009-05-08T12:15:00.002-06:00

I was interviewed by the SF Examiner on the occasion of Pete Seeger's 90th birthday. You can read all about it at sfexaminer.com

Free Lecture "Writing vs. Broadcasting: Pete Seeger"

2009-05-01T14:00:00.000-06:00

I'm doing a free lecture in San Francisco on May 9th from 3 to 5 pm. It's going to be in room 609 of SF State's downtown campus at 835 Market St.

Here is the information from the flier:

Have you, as a writer, student or producer, ever wondered whether to pursue a project in print vs. broadcast form? For two dozen years David King Dunaway has lived at the crossroads of writing and broadcasting, producing award-winning radio and TV documentaries. Currently Distinguished Visiting Professor at San Francisco State, Dunaway will present a look into the life of folk musician Pete Seeger, to consider the differences between presenting a life in print and in broadcast form.

Using his recent biography of Seeger and his parallel national radio series, Dunaway discusses the hard, practical choices producers face in deciding between formats, including the grammars of different media, and the advantages and disadvantages of working in each.

Known in the Bay Area as a radio DJ and producer, Dunaway is the author of a half-dozen volumes of history and biography.

In a free public lecture on Saturday, May 9th from 3-5pm-- in room 609 of SF State’s downtown campus at 835 Market St.-- Dunaway will reflect on the dilemmas of moving between print and broadcast. Part master class, part lecture, the public is invited to listen (and sing along!) to some of Pete Seeger’s most famous songs, and to learn of the repression Seeger (and other musicians) suffered at the hands of the FBI, and CIA . The event is sponsored by the Broadcast and Electronic Communication Arts Department in the College of Creative Arts of San Francisco State University.
For more information, reporters can email dunaway@unm.edu or call (505) 977-4968

In The News.

2009-05-01T11:58:00.003-06:00

I got a mention in the sidebar of USA Today today in Bob Minzesheimer's article "Pete Seeger's 90th birthday will be a selfless celebration"

And now, I'm off to be interviewed by the SF Examiner!

Hallo, Danmark! Mig plan er oven på P1

2009-05-01T11:47:00.003-06:00

Thomas Ravn-Pedersen's Danish version of a portion of my radio series on Pete Seeger was broadcast on Danish Radio P1 last night. It will be rebroadcast on Saturday at 10:03 and Sunday on 00:55 hrs.

For more information (and to stream the program) go to http://www.dr.dk/P1/Dokumentartimen/Udsendelser/2009/04/10235251.htm

Pete Seeger in Australia (and David on TV)

2009-04-27T13:33:00.004-06:00

David is on his way back from Albany, where he made a special appearance on the world premiere of the DVD of Pete Seeger: Live in Australia, 1963. Here David offered insight from his 30+ years of research Pete. The program was broadcast live in Albany, but was also taped for broadcast in other markets. Although it is not being released for rebroadcast, viewers in the Albany area will be able to see it again next weekend (Pete's Birthday weekend.)

Many stations around the country will be broadcasting Pete Seeger Live in Australia 1963 beginning in June 2009. If you'd like to see it broadcast, please check with the programming department at your local public television station.

ARKANSAS-Conway AR
CONNECTICUT PUBLIC TV (CPTV)-Hartford CT
IDAHO -Boise ID
IOWA-Johnston IA
KBYU-Provo UT
KCOS-El Paso TX
KCPT-Kansas City MO
KEDT-Corpus Christi TX
KLVX-Las Vegas NV
KNME-Albuquerque NM
KOZK-Springfield MO
KQED-San Francisco CA
KRMA-Denver CO
KTEH-San Jose CA
KUED-Salt Lake City UT
KVCR-San Bernardino CA
KVIE-Sacramento CA
MARYLAND PTV-Owings Mills MD
MISSISSIPPI-Jackson MS
MONTANA-Bozeman MT
NORTH CAROLINA (UNC TV)-Research Triangle Park NC
NORTH DAKOTA-Fargo ND
NEW HAMPSHIRE (HNPTV)-Durham NH
NEW JERSEY NETWORK (NJN) -Trenton NJ
OKLAHOMA -Oklahoma City OK
SOUTH DAKOTA -Vermillion SD
VERMONT PUBLIC TELEVISION-Colchester VT
WBGU-Bowling Green OH
WBRA-Roanoke VA
WCNY-Syracuse NY
WFSU-Tallahassee FL
WGBH-Boston MA
WGCU-Fort Myers FL
WGVU-Grand Rapids MI
WHRO-Norfolk VA
WILL-Urbana IL
WIPR-San Juan PR
WKNO-Memphis TN
WKYU-Bowling Green KY
WMHT-Troy NY
WMVS-Milwaukee WI
WNED-Buffalo NY
WNPT-Nashville TN
WPBT-North Miami FL
WQED-Pittsburgh PA
WSKG-Binghamton NY
WTVS-Wixom MI
WUFT-Gainesville FL
WVIA-Pittston PA
WVIZ-Cleveland OH
WXXI-Rochester NY

Pete Seeger Series on Danish Radio

2009-04-27T12:43:00.002-06:00

A portion of David's radio series, “Pete Seeger: How Can I Keep From Singing?” has been translated into Danish and will be appearing on Danish Radio P1 on April 30th. (If you're in Denmark on Thursday, Check your schedule for times.)

He’ll be working on producing a longer version while he's in Denmark this summer.

Television appearance

2009-04-24T13:01:00.007-06:00

Following the BEA Festival, I'll be flying to Albany, New York, to appear on an American Public Television showing of the 1963 Pete Seeger concert at Melbourne's Town Hall, "Pete Seeger: Live in Australia 1963," for which I wrote the liner notes.

The program is being broadcast from the studio's of WMHT-TV (channel 17 in Albany) from 7 to 8pm.

The DVD will be released to the general public later this month.

BEA Festival 2009

2009-04-24T12:50:00.005-06:00

I'm in Las Vegas today at the Broadcast Educators Association (BEA) Festival 2009. I'm here to receive the BEA Best of Festival King Foundation Award along with the Best Documentary Award for my series, Pete Seeger: How Can I Keep From Singing?

This is quite an honor for me! Though it is my third BEA award, it is still a thrill.

Radio Series available from PRX.org

2009-04-17T11:43:00.002-06:00

Vermont Public Radio has just picked up the series - right there in Pete Seeger Country!

My three-part radio series, Pete Seeger: How Can I Keep From Singing?, which ran nationwide last summer and fall on over 230 PRI stations, is being re-released and is now available to subscribers at www.PRX.org. You can listen to samples there, or at our series site, Peteseeger.org.

Public Radio Exchange (AKA PRX) is an online marketplace for distribution, review, and licensing of public radio programming. This is a great resource for community stations who may not be affiliated with the large public radio networks, but still want quality third-party content. Even if you aren't a radio station, you can subscribe and listen to content online.

CD sets of the series are also being offered to Libraries and Sound Archives.

If you have any questions regarding the series, whether you are a PD, a librarian, sound archivist, or any other interested party, please contact us at wrtgsw@unm.edu.

Book News

2009-04-17T10:33:00.001-06:00

My newest book, Singing Out: An Oral History of America's Folk Music Revivals is off to my editors at Oxford. I'm writing this in collaboration with Molly Beer.

The book is a multi-voiced telling of the story of folk music from the early collectors through to today's online music communities. This book demonstrates the diversity behind the complex evolution of folk music in North America through contextualized oral history interview segments. These interviews tell a narrative in mosaic, layering anecdotes and often-contradictory opinions, to tell not only what happened during the folk revivals, but what it meant to those who were personally and passionately involved. Here the interviews themselves—the voices of musicians, musicologists, writers, activists, and aficionados—open an accessible, primary source introduction to folk music and its history.

90th Birthday Celebration for Pete!

2009-03-20T12:03:00.002-06:00

I'll be doing a radio program in Berkeley celebrating Pete's Birthday on May 3rd. I'm really sorry to miss this one.~DKD
_________________________________________
NEW YORK, March 18, 2009 —The Clearwater Concert: Creating the Next Generation of Environmental Leaders, a star-studded, one night only concert event celebrating Pete Seeger’s 90th Birthday, will be held on Sunday, May 3, at 7PM, at Madison Square Garden. This once-in-a-lifetime concert event will benefit and raise awareness for Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, founded by Pete Seeger, which strives to preserve and protect the Hudson River. Seeger, a legendary folk singer, political activist and avid environmentalist, has long inspired social change through his extraordinary life and music. The Clearwater Concert: Creating the Next Generation of Environmental Leaders will feature over 40 artists representing a wide variety of musical genres and generations, including Joan Baez, Ben Harper, Ani DiFranco, Dave Matthews, Michael Franti, Emmylou Harris, Juanes, John Mellencamp, Tao Rodriguez–Seeger, Bruce Springsteen, Taj Mahal, Eddie Vedder, and Keller Williams. The evening, hosted by Clearwater, will focus on ensemble renditions of musical treasures inspired by Pete Seeger.

American Express pre-sale tickets will be available starting Monday, March 23 at 9AM. Public on-sale will begin Monday, March 30 at 9AM. Tickets are available via Ticketmaster.com and range from $19.19-$250, with a majority priced at $90 to honor Pete’s birthday. Special Clearwater Legacy Tickets will also be available. For more information, please visit www.Seeger90.com.

“Pete Seeger’s historic contributions to the environmental movement and the fight for social justice have inspired millions of people. Approaching 90, his great deeds shine on and continue to remind us that nothing is beyond our reach. Clearwater thanks the many gracious musicians gathering to celebrate Pete’s life and help create a living legacy in his honor: the next generation of environmental leaders,” said Jeff Rumpf, Executive Director for Clearwater.

Confirmed artist lineup (subject to change):

Abigail Washburn and the Sparrow Quartet
Ani DiFranco
Arlo Guthrie
Bela Fleck
Ben Bridwell (Band of Horses)
Ben Harper
Bernice Johnson Reagon
Billy Bragg
Billy Nershi (String Cheese Incident)
Bruce Cockburn
Bruce Springsteen
Dar Williams
Dave Matthews
Eddie Vedder
Emmylou Harris
Guy Davis
Jay Ungar & Molly Mason
Joan Baez
John Mellencamp
Juanes
Kate & Anna McGarrigle
Keller Williams
Kris Kristofferson
Ladysmith Black Mambazo
Larry Long
Michael Franti
Mike & Ruthy Merenda
Native American Indian Cultural Alliance
NYC Labor Chorus
Patterson Hood (Drive-By Truckers)
Preservation Hall Jazz Band with Del McCoury
Ramblin’ Jack Elliott
Richie Havens
Scarlet Moore
Silvio Rodriguez
Steve Earle
Taj Mahal
Tao Rodriguez-Seeger
Tom Chapin
Tom Morello (Rage Against the Machine)
Tom Paxton
Tommy Sands
Tony Trischka
Toshi Reagon
Warren Haynes

ABOUT CLEARWATER

Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc. is an environmental organization with the mission to preserve and protect the Hudson River through inspiration, education and action. Legendary folk musician and activist Pete Seeger founded the organization in 1966 when he decided to “build a boat to save the river” with the belief that a majestic replica of the sloops that sailed the Hudson in the 18th and 19th centuries would bring people to the river, where they could experience its beauty and be moved to preserve it. Thus inspired, the 106-feet-long tall ship Clearwater was launched three years later.

Since 1969 almost half a million people have experienced the Hudson River first-hand — its living organisms, water chemistry and ecological principals — aboard the sloop Clearwater. Named to the National Register of Historic Places in 2004 for its role in the environmental movement, the Clearwater was among the first vessels in the U.S. to conduct science-based environmental education aboard a sailing ship, effectively creating a template by which such programs are conducted around the world today. Clearwater’s environmental education programs now serve more than 15,000 students and their teachers annually, and the organization’s members have helped push for passage of the landmark Clean Water Act and fight for removal of toxic PCBs from the Hudson.

To help raise awareness for its mission, Clearwater presents the Great Hudson River Revival each June at Croton Point Park, located in Westchester County, an hour north of New York City. This two-day music festival will take place June 20-21, 2009. Tickets go on sale on March 17, 2009. Year after year, Clearwater’s unique approach to public outreach has made the Clearwater a symbol of grassroots action through hands-on learning, music and celebration. www.clearwater.org/festival.

Please visit the www.clearwater.org for more information on Clearwater and its programs.
(Source: Sing Out News Service)

Seeger receives 2009 Freemuse Award

2009-03-06T12:07:00.006-07:00

The American singer, songwriter, activist, environmentalist, and peace advocate Pete Seeger is The Freemuse Award Winner 2009. He is awarded on Music Freedom Day, 3 March 2009, for his commitment to musicians' freedom of expression in an illustrious career which spans over sixty years.

“Pete Seeger's voice has been one which has constantly been on the side of the oppressed and which has refused to remain silent in even the darkest hours. He remains an inspiration to those musicians who seek to use their work for the greater benefit of mankind,’ wrote the nominating committee.

Although Pete Seeger does not believe in awards, he accepted the Freemuse Award. In a statement Pete Seeger quotes an old Arab proverb:

‘When the king puts a poet on his payroll, he cuts off the tongue of the poet!’

Pete Seeger adds: “But throughout history, songwriters have found ways to get around this problem by putting together songs that people like to sing and teach to their friends.”

Blacklisted in 1955
Pete Seeger faced censorship for decades in his music career for promoting peace, justice, and equality in his music. In 1955 Seeger was blacklisted from work when he was subpoenaed to testify before the US House of Un-American Activities Committee, and he refused to testify citing his guarantee to freedom of expression.

Boycotted by commercial venues and media, Pete Seeger continued performing for young people at universities and rallies and created a boom of folk music. His songs played an essential role in the civil rights movement. It was his variation of an old spiritual, which Seeger called ‘We Shall Overcome’, that has become an anthem of the crusade for equality in America.

TV performance cut by censors
The Vietnam War deeply and personally offended Pete Seeger, who used his network television return on the Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour to air a scathing attack on Lyndon Johnson's war policies, "Waist Deep in the Big Muddy." The song was cut by network censors, but Seeger made a second appearance on the programme and sang the song without interruption. When folk-rock band The Byrds recorded his legendary song ‘Turn! Turn! Turn!’, Pete Seeger’s music reached millions of young people all over the world.

Seeger has never stopped. He recently joined his grandson Tao Rodriquez-Seeger and old friend Bruce Springsteen at the American president Obama’s inauguration, performing for hundred of thousands.

In 2006, Bruce Springsteen recorded `We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions´, reinterpreting 13 songs from Seeger's songbook.

Grandson Tao attends award ceremony
The Award Ceremony will take place at Stockholm’s Concert Hall, marking the Music Freedom Day on 3 March.

Pete Seeger does not like to travel far these days, so he has requested grandson Tao Rodriquez-Seeger, an established artist on his own, to travel to Stockholm and receive the Freemuse Award on his behalf.

World-renowned Swedish glass designer Göran Wärff has created the Freemuse Award statuette. The Award is sponsored by BAIK — the Björn Afzelius International Culture Foundation, which was initiated in memory of Swedish rock singer Björn Afzelius who died 1999. Afzelius was a political activist and a strong spokesman for suppressed people.

To inspire
“At Freemuse we deal daily with the horrors of music censorship. We document how artists are being harassed, jailed and even killed. Pete Seeger continues to inspire artists and human rights activists all over the world,” says Marie Korpe, Freemuse's executive director.

Last year, the exiled Ivorian reggae artist Tiken Jah Fakoly received the Freemuse Award. Tiken Jah Fakoly has been forced into exile being a strong critic of political corruption in his home country.

SOURCE: Freemuse.org
IMAGE: www.freemuse.org

Back in the Land of Enchantment

2009-03-06T10:59:00.003-07:00

I'm flying back to New Mexico for a few days. It will be nice to get back. I hear they've had some warmer weather (in the upper 70's!).

Of course, the dreaded Spring Winds have also sprung up.

Singing Out: An Oral History of America's Folk Music Revivals

2009-03-06T10:37:00.003-07:00

It's been an extremely busy few months here as I teach a course here isn San Francisco and put final editing touches on the book Molly Beer and I have been working on, Singing Out: An Oral History of America's Folk Music Revivals.

And I'm happy to say that it's finally gotten out the door to our editors at Oxford University Press.

The book is a multi-voiced telling of the story of folk music from the early collectors through to today's online music communities and demonstrates the diversity of opinion behind the complex evolution of folk music in North America through contextualized oral history interview segments. There are many great interviews that show a mosaic, layering anecdotes and often-contradictory opinions, to tell not only what happened during the folk revivals, but what it meant to those who were personally and passionately involved. Here the interviews themselves -— the voices of musicians, musicologists, writers, activists, and aficionados —- open an accessible, primary source introduction to folk music and its history.

More updates as we get them from Oxford.

Piedmont Blues Guitarist And Vocalist John Cephas, 1930 - 2009

2009-03-06T10:17:00.006-07:00

“Wonderfully rich vocals and jaunty acoustic guitar. Plenty of spirit and soul, humor and sorrow.”--The Washington Post

"Blues music is truth.”--John Cephas

Master blues guitarist and vocalist John Cephas died of natural causes on Wednesday, March 4, 2009. He was 78. Well known as one half of the award-winning Piedmont blues duo Cephas & Wiggins, John’s remarkable and delicate finger picking and rich, baritone vocals placed him firmly at the forefront of acoustic blues artists. John received a National Heritage Fellowship Award (often called the “Living Treasure Award”) in 1989. This is the highest honor the U.S. Government offers a traditional artist. Two weeks ago, John was honored as one of eight black trailblazers as designated by the Library of Virginia's African American History Month.

John Cephas, along with his harmonica playing partner Phil Wiggins, performed thousands of concerts and festivals all over the world. Often under the auspices of the U.S. State Department, the two spent much of the 1980s abroad, playing Europe, Africa, Central and South America, China, Australia and New Zealand. In 1988, they were among the first Americans to perform at the Russian Folk Festival in Moscow. In 1997 Cephas & Wiggins performed for President Bill Clinton. In addition, John appeared on stage portraying a blind bluesman in the Kennedy Center production of Blind Man Blues. He also appeared in a production of Zora Neal Hurston’s play, Polk County, in Washington, D.C.

Among his many endeavors, John served on the Executive Committee of the National Council for the Traditional Arts, and has testified before Congressional committees. He is also a founder of the Washington, D.C. Blues Society. “More than anything else,” said John, “I would like to see a revival of country blues by more young people…more people going to concerts, learning to play the music. That’s why I stay in the field of traditional music. I don’t want it to die.”

John Cephas was born in Washington, D.C. in 1930 into a deeply religious family and raised in Bowling Green, Virginia. His first taste of music was gospel, but blues soon became his calling. After learning to play the alternating thumb and fingerpicking guitar style that defines Piedmont blues, John began emulating the records he heard by Blind Boy Fuller, Blind Blake, Rev. Gary Davis and other early blues artists. Aside from playing blues, John worked early on as a professional gospel singer, carpenter and Atlantic fisherman. By the 1960s, he was starting to make a living from his music.

John first met his future partner Phil Wiggins in 1976 at the Smithsonian National Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C. and the two quickly formed a duo. By the early 1980s, the international blues community recognized this marvelous acoustic twosome as the leading exponents of traditional Tidewater blues. While overseas in 1981, they recorded two albums, Living Country Blues and Sweet Bitter Blues, for the German L&R label. Cephas & Wiggins recorded their first domestic album, Dog Days Of August (Flying Fish Records), in 1987 in John’s living room, and it quickly won a Blues Music Award for Best Traditional Blues Album of the Year.

In 1996, Cephas & Wiggins made their Alligator Records debut with Cool Down. They followed up with Homemade, Somebody Told The Truth and Shoulder To Shoulder. Their most recent CD, 2009’s Richmond Blues, was released on the Smithsonian Folkways label.

SOURCE:Alligator Records
PHOTO: Tom Radcliffe

More big news

2009-02-27T11:01:00.002-07:00

We just got the word today that the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) wants to license my radio series Pete Seeger: How Can I Keep From Singing? to run on the CBC-2 program, Inside the Music.

This is a huge deal. As I understand it, CBC-2 was, until last September, a "serious" music channel. Recently it underwent a format change and is focusing on Canadian Artists, with the occasional foray into Americans such as Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan, and now, apparently, Pete Seeger. Unlike our U.S. public radio stations, each of which chooses its programming, CBC-2 is broadcast nationwide.

When I get broadcast dates, I'll post them here and on peteseeger.org.

Radio Series Now Available from PRX

2009-02-23T10:40:00.007-07:00

My three-part radio series, Pete Seeger: How Can I Keep From Singing?, which ran nationwide last summer and fall on Public Radio International, is being re-released and is now available to subscribers at www.PRX.org. You can listen to samples there, or at our series site, Peteseeger.org.

For those unfamiliar, Public Radio Exchange (AKA PRX) is an online marketplace for distribution, review, and licensing of public radio programming. This is a great resource for community stations who may not be affiliated with the large public radio networks, but still want quality third-party content. Even if you aren't a radio station, you can subscribe and listen to content online.

CD sets of the series are also being offered to Libraries and Sound Archives.

If you have any questions regarding the series, whether you are a PD, a librarian, sound archivist, or any other interested party, please contact us at wrtgsw@unm.edu.

Route 66: Russia style

2009-02-23T10:07:00.000-07:00

My big interest, aside from Pete Seeger and folk music, is The Mother Road, Route 66. Although the road was decommissioned in 1985, it remains a part of the our American consciousness.

But is it strictly an American thing? Not by a long shot. Route 66 is, it seems, a world-wide phenomenon as witnessed by this video I found on Ron's "Route 66 News" Blog.

This is Moscow musician Dmitry Novokolsky picking on Bobby Troup’s “Route 66.”

San Diego School Board Formally Apologizes to Pete Seeger

2009-02-20T11:15:00.000-07:00

The San Diego School Board approved a resolution Tuesday night declaring that the board "deeply regrets its predecessors' actions" and offered an apology to Pete Seeger for making him sign a pre-performance loyalty pledge in 1960. Here is a link to a piece by CBC-Radio in Canada cbc.ca/radioshows/AS_IT_HAPPENS/20090216 The program will play in Windows Media Player. Select Program 2. The piece starts at 12:42.

Here is a link from NBC San Diego regarding the apology.

Work progresses on my new book

2009-02-16T16:57:00.000-07:00

Along with my teaching at SFSU this semester, I've been very busy working with Molly Beer, putting the final touches on my latest book, Singing Out: An Oral History of America's Folk Music Revivals. We're so close to wrapping it up.

Congratulations Pete!

2009-02-16T15:30:00.001-07:00

As I mentioned a few weeks ago, Pete Seeger was nominated for his most recent album, At 89. We're happy to say that, though the competition was stiff (albums by Pete's sister, Peggy, Tom Paxton, as well as Kathy Mattea's outstanding Coal being among the other nominations) Pete received the Grammy for Best Traditional Folk Album.

This is his second Grammy in this category, having won in 1997 for his album Pete. Seeger was also honored with a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award in 1993.

Congratulations Pete!

Big news!

2009-02-04T13:46:00.000-07:00

Greetings from San Francisco!

I was just informed that my radio series, Pete Seeger: How Can I Keep From Singing? has won in two categories for this year's Broadcast Education Association Festival of Media Arts Awards!

We were awarded Best Documentary and Best Audio.

I'm beside myself with excitement as this is a very great honor from my peers in broadcast academia.

OK, back to work editing.

Happy Birthday, Huddie!

2009-01-30T16:42:00.000-07:00

January marks the 120th anniversary of Huddie William Ledbetter, the American folk and blues musician better known to the world as Lead Belly, King of the 12 string guitar.

No one knows for sure his date of birth, or even the year. Some say it was as early as 1885, though his gravestone sets the year as 1889.

Lead Belly, an ex-convict who was "discovered" by Alan Lomax went on to influence many musicians, including Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger.

For a quick rundown on Lead Belly's life, check out this Wikipedia article

Pete Seeger: How Can I Keep From Singing?

2009-01-30T11:21:00.000-07:00

For those of you who haven't heard my 3-part radio series, Pete Seeger: How Can I Keep From Singing?, we're gearing up for a second run this May 3rd in honor of Pete's 90th birthday.

Stay tuned for updates on when and where the program will be running in your area.

If you can't wait that long, you can always purchase the 3-CD set at my website, davidkdunaway.com

If you're a Program Director who is interested in running this series, you can contact Rick Raab-Faber at wrtgsw@unm.edu for details on where the series is available. If you'd like to listen to samples or just read a little more, check out the series website, peteseeger.org.

Pete sings with Bruce Springsteen at the Obama Inauguration

2009-01-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

[UPDATE: Original YouTube video from German television was pulled for terms violation. Here is the HBO version]

Watch more Dailymotion videos on AOL Video

My associate Rick noted that "it's a great day in America when Barack Obama, Pete Seeger, and Bruce Springsteen appear before the world from our nation's capital." (Rick's a huge Springsteen fan.)

Thanks to AOL.com and HBO for keeping this video up.

Guantanamera

2009-01-23T10:24:00.000-07:00

Here's some old footage of Pete singing Guantanamera. I'm not sure of the exact origin of this video posted on You Tube.

I have an old archival recording I made when I was about 14 years old at Camp Abellard in New York. Pete came and sang to us campers and I had a chance to record it on reel-to-reel tape. After the performance, he signed some autographs and chatted with the kids. I had a chance to introduce him to one of the campers there, Cesar, a young man from Cuba who wanted to play a song for Pete. That song was Guantanamera, a Cuban folk song from a poem by Jose Marti, and it was the first time Pete heard it. In the recording, Pete asks the Cesar to write the lyrics out for him, and he asked me to send him a copy of the recording.

A Nobel Prize for Pete Seeger?

2009-01-23T10:06:00.000-07:00

A January 19th article -- by Peter Dreier in the Huffington Post, no less -- notes the growing call for Pete Seeger to be given the Nobel Peace Prize.

There's also a website -- nobelprize4pete.org -- where you can sign a petition to honor this man for his uncompromising and unyielding dedication to to goals of peace and justice. The important thing to note here is that the prize is only given to living individuals. Pete's 90th birthday is coming up in early May, so time really is of the essence.

Dispatches from the front

2009-01-16T15:42:00.001-07:00

I'm on the road today, in California's great Central Valley. We had to put on the A/C because it was getting so warm.

We've spent several delightful days along Route 66, but now we're heading up to San Francisco State, where I'll be teaching a broadcasting course for a few months.

In other news, my manuscript of "A Route 66 Anthology" is off at a publisher. This book is a collection of stories by well-known authors that are set along the great mother-road.

Grammy Nomination for Pete

2009-01-05T11:24:00.000-07:00

Pete Seeger's been nominated for a Best Traditional Folk Grammy for his "At 89" CD released earlier this year. Among others, he's up against Appleseed labelmate (and sister) Peggy Seeger for her album "Bring Me Home."

Others nominated in this category are Kathy Mattea,Tom Paxton, and Rosalie Sorrels.

Oh, yeah!

2008-12-26T10:31:00.000-07:00

A mere 24 days, 23 hours, 28 minutes, and 13 seconds from now, we'll bid a gleeful adieu to the Bush regime's reign of error.

Gone for the Holidays

2008-12-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

I'm traveling with Nina and Alexei for the holidays. I'd like to wish you all the best and brightest of the season, for whichever tradition you may follow.

We've been quite busy preparing for the award's season, both book, and radio. On top of that, I've been assembling materials for the class I'll be teaching at San Francisco State this next Spring semester.There's a lot of material to gather, but I've been doing this long enough that I've got a system down.

Happy (Belated) Birthday to Moe Asch - December 2nd

2008-12-08T12:33:00.000-07:00

I can't believe we forgot this one! December 2nd marked the 103rd birthday of Folkways Records founder, Moe Asch.

Moses "Moe" Asch and the label he founded, Folkways (now Smithsonian Folkways), was instrumental in bringing folk music to the American public. Asch worked with such famous folk and blues singers as Pete Seeger, Woody Guthrie, Leadbelly, and Ella Jenkins.

He was the son of Yiddish language novelist and dramatist Sholem Asch and the younger brother of novelist Nathan Asch. After his death, the Folkways recordings were acquired by the Smithsonian Institution and are now part of the heritage of all Americans; many of the titles are reissued.

Cold weather here in the valley

2008-12-08T10:06:00.000-07:00

Winter seems to be here. It's been cold and, today, even a little wet. Down here in our little office, we are baking more old reel-to-reel tapes in the food dehydrator to prepare them for transfer to digital format. There is an added benefit in that the heat from the dehydrator is also warming the room. A nice thing on a cold day like this.

Last week I was at CalTech, presenting a lecture on McCarthy era suppression of the folksinging community. (I was amazed at how small the actual CalTech property was for such a prestigious school!)

Someone recently recommended the movie "Trumbo" to me. I haven't had a chance to see it, but I understand it is a documentary about blacklisted screenwriter, Dalton Trumbo. It comes highly recommended. If you are interested in the blacklisting era and its effect on people's lives, check it out.

The view out our window

2008-11-28T10:32:00.000-07:00

My associate, Rick, snapped this photo of a woodpecker searching for food in the apple tree outside our office window. There's quite an abundance of wildlife down here in the North Valley.

Click on the photo to see the full-sized image or any of the other photos Rick has posted at Flickr.

I'll be hosting Folk Routes on November 29th

2008-11-23T16:10:00.000-07:00

Just a quick note to let you know I'll be hosting KUNM-FM's Folk Routes on Saturday, November 29th. The show is on from 10 to Noon.

As you know, I'm a "bit" of a Pete Seeger aficionado. I’ll be playing Pete’s new CD, “At 89,” so if you haven’t heard it yet, now’s your chance.

If you live outside of KUNM's listening area, you can apparently listen to us in the web by clicking right here.

Remembering Aldous Leonard Huxley (26 July 1894 – 22 November 1963)

2008-11-22T10:49:00.000-07:00

Today, Saturday November 22nd, is the 45th anniversary of the death of author, poet, screenwriter, and visionary, Aldous Huxley.

Huxley is someone I’m interested in, having written two books; Aldous Huxley Recollected, and Huxley in Hollywood. Both are available at my website, davidkdunaway.com. If you want to know more about this fascinating man who had such an influence on the American culture of the mid-20th century, be sure to read these books.

As a side note, this date is also the 45th anniversary of the deaths of President John F. Kennedy and novelist, academic, medievalist, literary critic, and essayist, C.S. Lewis. Coincidence? Probably.

How Can I Keep From Singing: Now available in Mp3!

2008-11-17T14:13:00.000-07:00

"Pete Seeger: How Can I Keep From Singing?," my 3-part radio series heard on PRI stations from coast-to-coast this summer is now available in Mp3 format at CDBaby. Click the image below and it will take you to the ordering site.

You can also go here to listen to sample tracks of the program.

If you're a "traditionalist" who still clings to the old-fashioned (I kid!) Compact Disc, the three CD set (and/or any of my other books and audio documentaries) are available from davidkdunaway.com

Reel-to-Reel Jerky

2008-11-14T17:03:00.000-07:00

Today we baked a reel-to-reel tape in a food dehydrator.

Yes. You read that right.

We're preparing some 45+ year-old reel-to-reel tapes for digitization. These are programs I've produced or recorded over the years and are in rough shape. Baking the old tape in a food dehydrator (like you would use to make jerky or dry fruits and vegetables in)for 2 to 3 hours revitalizes the tape and makes it usable.

It's not recommended that you do it more than once, and you need to transfer the tape within 24 hours.

Ah, technology. It's so... weird.

Back in New Mexico

2008-11-14T16:29:00.000-07:00

I'm back from the Mother Road! Route 66 through Missouri was great, but the view out my window of the Bosque in autumn is one that can't be beat. The winds are sweeping gold from the Cottonwoods and the Rio Grande is finally going down in height, so we know fall is here. Nights in the river valley are downright frosty, with temperatures dropping below freezing, and the wonderful aroma of pinon smoke is in the air.

The Sandhill Cranes are migrating through our area and just the other day one was roosting in the bare branches of a dead cottonwood. They are such beautiful birds, offering their odd though distinctive silhouette when flying.

Still out on the Mother Road

2008-11-10T11:44:00.000-07:00

Greetings from the Ozarks. Yes, I'm still in Missouri today, traveling along that great old Route 66 and talking to people. I'll be making a stop in St. Clair at the historical museum there.

Later in the day, I'll be up at the Route 66 State Park located at the former site of the town of Times Beach. The fascinating story of Times Beach dates back to the post-Vietnam era, when the local dirt roads were sprayed with oil to keep the dust down. It was later found that the oil was actually contaminated with Dioxin, the main ingredient of the defoliant known as Agent Orange. According to the website Legends of America,

"in 1985, [Times Beach's] entire population of more than 2,000 residents had been evacuated, with the exception of one elderly couple who refused to leave, and the town was disincorporated by executive order of the Missouri Governor. The entire site was quarantined as residents moved on to other areas. But for the residents who moved, the scare was not over, as they continue to worry about the contamination effects on their long term health. Furthermore, with the wide press coverage at the time, the former Times Beach residents were shunned by their new neighbors, who feared the contamination."

Today, the cleaned-up site of this former resort community is home to Route 66 State Park. There are excellent opportunities to picnic, exercise, birdwatch or study nature. The park area abounds with more than 40 types of birds and a diverse set of trees, plants and animals. Picnic sites are scattered beneath the shade trees. Level walking, bicycling and equestrian trails throughout the park are perfect for beginning bicycle riders and health-conscious visitors.

I should be back home this evening providing the weather holds out. It's supposed to get a bit stormy later in the day so hopefully that won't affect flights.

Tony Hillerman ~ May 27, 1925 to October 26, 2008

2008-11-07T16:30:00.001-07:00

Tony Hillerman’s gift to the nation was to write with sensitivity and appreciation of Indian cultures who have too often been stereotyped. His evocation of life among the Navajo, Hopi, and pueblo tribes of New Mexico, Arizona and Utah will live in our memory

Tony was a friend and a colleague, who taught fiction and journalism at the University of New Mexico for decades. He earned his Masters degree there and inspired many young journalists who today occupy prominent positions around our state and region.

Hillerman, more than perhaps any other writer, taught us how to appreciate the relationship between Indians, landscape and culture for our region.

He was the kind of guy who could always be counted on to give a quick read or quick edit to shape up prose that was flat or even boring.

“I always feel my reader is a very busy person," Tony once said, "and I’m like their driver where they’re sitting in the back of the car. If my story starts to slow down, they stare out the window. I want to keep them along for the ride.”

Off at FACA

2008-11-07T15:48:00.000-07:00

I've been in St. Louis, Missouri the past few days meeting with other members of the Route 66 Preservation Federal Advisory Council.

This afternoon, I'm off to Lebanon, Missouri for a little research trip.

The weather's been nice, but I hear there's some nasty weather heading my way.

One of the great speeches of our time

2008-11-07T15:42:00.000-07:00

Never too early...

2008-11-07T15:04:00.000-07:00

Hi all,

Rick here, from David's office. I just wanted to remind you that David's book and radio series on the life of the great Pete Seeger would make great gifts for the upcoming holiday season.

They're available for $19.95 each (plus shipping)at his Author's Guild website.

We've gotten a really wonderful response from PRI listeners who've heard the radio program over the past 4 months. So many people who grew up listening to Pete Seeger's music. This is a three part audio series that mixes Pete's music with interviews of folks who new him.

Of the book, How Can I Keep From Singing? The Ballad of Pete Seeger, the late Studs Turkel said, "This biography is a beauty. It captures not only the life of the bard but the world of which he sings."

For the real fan, you could also pick up Pete's newest CD, At 89, from our friends over at Appleseed Recordings

Cheers,
Rick

Pete Seeger in "Pitchfork" ezine

2008-11-07T13:48:00.001-07:00

In response to finding out about the online music magazine "Pitchfork,"Pete Seeger was quoted on New York Magazine's website as saying "An Internet magazine! So you don't have to cut down trees. I'll be damned."

Pete was interviewed by Joshua Klein for a November 3rd article. Check it out at Interview: Pete Seeger.

For those of you who are unaware, I've written the definitive biography of the great Pete Seeger, "How Can I Keep From Singing?". This year also marked the release of the Public Radio International series, "Pete Seeger:How Can I Keep From Singing?" you can check them out and pick up a copy or two at davidkdunaway.com.