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2008-02-23 - 2:33 p.m.

...An interview with Pete Seeger...

Back in November / December I wrote an entry about American Historian and Activist Howard Zinn. In it, I bemoaned the lack of such brilliant and inspiring activists who are so needed in our current time.

After watching a documentary on Zinn, I was compelled to listen to my Pete Seeger albums, and I went into the kitchen and baked bread to the sounds of the banjo and "Turn Turn Turn." Pete Seeger is another of my heroes - in fact, a more powerful one, because of how he uses music and participation to motivate. My favorite CD is his concert in Carnegie Hall in the 60s. I have this image of flower children replacing people in lace and pearls in the red and golden seats of Carnegie, joining in a chorus of "We Shall Overcome!" Pete Seeger is an icon of folk music, of civil rights, of peace. He performed with musical greats such as the Weavers and Woody Guthrie, and inspired many future generations of musicians, including Bob Dylan and Bruce Springsteen. And to top it all off, he's a gentleman. Anyone who has spent any time at all as part of the folk community in the New York Hudson River Valley has developed a profound respect for this soft-spoken, humble man.

Today, Bob Edwards (another one of my radio heroes) broadcast an interview with the 89-year-old Pete Seeger (which can be found here ), as a prologue to the NPR American Masters program that will be dedicated to him and shown on TV next week. It's a wonderful wonderful interview - it highlights how influential Mr. Seeger has been in the world of music. It describes how important he was to the civil rights movement. It showcases the power of his music and his unfailing optimism and faith in humanity: "participation is what will save the human race."

I suppose you'd enjoy it the most if you are a fan of folk music. But even if you don't, there is room for respect for what this man was able to accomplish in his lifetime, through the power of music. Give it a listen.

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