January 30, 2014

White Dog grew up listening to this music and as each of the White Dogs joined the Army they, too, became familiar with the songs. Most nights of the week as sun sets and we wait for Steve's arrival home, I sing to the dogs. It began as a breathing exercise after my catastrophic crash so long ago to build up my lung power but has evolved into a shared ritual.

We have a long list of songs we share, and types of music. Each of the White Dogs has his or her "own" song. But all love the work of Pete Seeger, who died earlier this week.

His was the music that I grew up on, the first songs I learned to play on guitar, the words that directed my forming political and social beliefs,  the sentiments of hope and change that shaped who I became. His is the music that, sadly, has a message that is today still as vibrant and critical a call to action as it was originally.

An artist's first challenge, whether we are talking painting, sculpture, dance or music, is to engage and challenge the audience. To make them think. Seeger spent a lifetime asking his listener's to believe in the higher road, to have hope that things WILL be better, and to be confident enough to participate in making change.

In tribute, we would like to share a few of our favorite Pete Seeger songs, hoping you will sing along in honor of a great man. The last, is a Bob Dylan song, Pete performed for Amnesty International several years ago...and it summarizes our hope that the music of this great folksinger will remain Forever on our lips...