My Roots...A Love Story
Reflecting on the power of community this morning, I felt compelled to write a little bit of my history within Whole Wheat Radio...the roots of our communal connection. I began my initial online presence as a union member who was/is active in the grassroots unionism that has been growing with the web. That is another story for another time, but it was that activism that allowed my introduction to Anne Feeney and her music. It was the lead she posted in her newsletter that led me to Whole Wheat Radio. Anne wrote in her September 2006 Fellow Travelers' Advisory: "The next time you're sitting in front of your computer for a while, tune in Whole Wheat Radio from Talkeetna, Alaska ... they have a really wonderful mix of independent music that I think you'll really enjoy."
Anne was right! I did enjoy the place...so much so that I'm still hanging around the place regardless of how many times Jim tries to run me off! :-)
This is a big old hug and thanks to Anne...you rock! I wrote the following on Anne's artist page at WWR, and it continues to hold it's sincerity: "I first met Anne on the old union reform site of Members for Democracy. Her participation and level of concern for people led me down the path of her music and more importantly...her stories! I have always admired her level of activism when it comes to social justice for the common people! By following Anne down that path, I discovered a new love, a light in the window for wayward travelers. Anne brought me to the cabin door of Whole Wheat Radio! So there just isn't enough I can say about this little girl with a huge heart! Thank you Anne for your willingness to stand up for us...and for bringing me home!"
Keep fighting the good fight my friend, and we'll try to help you keep the paths lit along the journey! The pertinent question is...
"Have you been to jail for justice?"
That was September of '06 and my initial checking of the WWR waters so to speak. Of course I couldn't wiki walk back then, but I did begin crawling around on the media wiki, copying code from others, and playing in my sandbox. The more I learned, the more trust and belief I had in this unique person to person, all volunteer, listener/artist community whose goal was creating a neighborhood of support for the greater independent music community. It's worth was derived from the personal commitment of the volunteers, and the humanness that radiated throughout the community. These shared goals are what has created the value of the physical/virtual village of WWR.
My next large step at WWR was a direct involvement with artist Jen Sygit. She has that rare quality that is unfortunately missing in so much of this see-saw physical / virtual experience of ours. She seems to have bridged that gap between the heart and the mind. Her roots run deep! Simply said, "Leaving Marshall Street" blew me away! Jen's music was the first to move me to action, which resulted in my editing her artist page...the first wiki editing of an artist page for me...and also my first web contact with any artist. That was back in December of '06, so Jen will always be my first...and my most memorable! Thank you Jen for being so gentle with me, and we look forward to the latest release! ;-)
"Dig a little deeper boys...back to the roots! Just a little furthur boys...till the truth is absolute!"
So my roots are forever woven with those of these two awesome people who happen to be independent artists. I want to thank Anne and Jen for sharing so much of their life with the world. This thanks goes out to all the great independent artists I've discovered through WWR. For those of us who are fans, the positive side of this sharing has allowed us the opportunity of getting to know them through their wonderful music. Now we bump into each other in all the latest social gathering places...WWR, Facebook, Google, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, etc....and I'm thinking it's never easy living under a public magnifying glass. For that sacrifice and commitment, I sincerely thank you all. The independent music revolution rocks!
Roots run deep and they tend to draw from the riches of the community...it's goals, character, ethics, and transparency...the richness of which creates it's value as a supportive community. We are real flesh and blood folks who donate their time and effort in this support of independent music. I know it is an overused cliché, but there really is such a thing as a labor of love. Rule #1: Nobody gets rich or famous around here. Remember it, believe it, believe in it ... and you'll be just fine. Hey, my community fed me for a whole week after my surgery...just doesn't get much better than that my friends!
Want to give us a listen? You can use Whole Wheat Radio's popout players in three flavors of quality...Low, Med, and High. Or if you prefer, you can use your own player with our Low, Med, and High streams.
Anne was right! I did enjoy the place...so much so that I'm still hanging around the place regardless of how many times Jim tries to run me off! :-)
This is a big old hug and thanks to Anne...you rock! I wrote the following on Anne's artist page at WWR, and it continues to hold it's sincerity: "I first met Anne on the old union reform site of Members for Democracy. Her participation and level of concern for people led me down the path of her music and more importantly...her stories! I have always admired her level of activism when it comes to social justice for the common people! By following Anne down that path, I discovered a new love, a light in the window for wayward travelers. Anne brought me to the cabin door of Whole Wheat Radio! So there just isn't enough I can say about this little girl with a huge heart! Thank you Anne for your willingness to stand up for us...and for bringing me home!"
Keep fighting the good fight my friend, and we'll try to help you keep the paths lit along the journey! The pertinent question is...
"Have you been to jail for justice?"
That was September of '06 and my initial checking of the WWR waters so to speak. Of course I couldn't wiki walk back then, but I did begin crawling around on the media wiki, copying code from others, and playing in my sandbox. The more I learned, the more trust and belief I had in this unique person to person, all volunteer, listener/artist community whose goal was creating a neighborhood of support for the greater independent music community. It's worth was derived from the personal commitment of the volunteers, and the humanness that radiated throughout the community. These shared goals are what has created the value of the physical/virtual village of WWR.
My next large step at WWR was a direct involvement with artist Jen Sygit. She has that rare quality that is unfortunately missing in so much of this see-saw physical / virtual experience of ours. She seems to have bridged that gap between the heart and the mind. Her roots run deep! Simply said, "Leaving Marshall Street" blew me away! Jen's music was the first to move me to action, which resulted in my editing her artist page...the first wiki editing of an artist page for me...and also my first web contact with any artist. That was back in December of '06, so Jen will always be my first...and my most memorable! Thank you Jen for being so gentle with me, and we look forward to the latest release! ;-)
"Dig a little deeper boys...back to the roots! Just a little furthur boys...till the truth is absolute!"
So my roots are forever woven with those of these two awesome people who happen to be independent artists. I want to thank Anne and Jen for sharing so much of their life with the world. This thanks goes out to all the great independent artists I've discovered through WWR. For those of us who are fans, the positive side of this sharing has allowed us the opportunity of getting to know them through their wonderful music. Now we bump into each other in all the latest social gathering places...WWR, Facebook, Google, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, etc....and I'm thinking it's never easy living under a public magnifying glass. For that sacrifice and commitment, I sincerely thank you all. The independent music revolution rocks!
Roots run deep and they tend to draw from the riches of the community...it's goals, character, ethics, and transparency...the richness of which creates it's value as a supportive community. We are real flesh and blood folks who donate their time and effort in this support of independent music. I know it is an overused cliché, but there really is such a thing as a labor of love. Rule #1: Nobody gets rich or famous around here. Remember it, believe it, believe in it ... and you'll be just fine. Hey, my community fed me for a whole week after my surgery...just doesn't get much better than that my friends!
Want to give us a listen? You can use Whole Wheat Radio's popout players in three flavors of quality...Low, Med, and High. Or if you prefer, you can use your own player with our Low, Med, and High streams.
posted by atuuschaaw at 7:24 AM
3Comments:
Randy Fullerton is my hero, a sincere, humble man of great depth and intelligence. Thanks for sharing your life with the rest of us, Randy. And thanks for promoting Whole Wheat Radio.
Your roots now feed many. Thanks,Randy.
WooHoo! Two of my favorite web neighbors...who are way too kind to an old fart like me! :-) One thing I seem to sense about our emergence into this next wave, this shift in thought, or whatever the popular term is "today"...it seems to demand we be "real" people who understand we have responsibilities to all human beings living upon this little planetary jewel we call "home". We are all related you know! ;-)
I have no way of knowing how much of this "new paradigm" I will see...but I am sure proud to have found so many good people to help make this transition, this path, much easier for one who still carries vivid memories of the tailings of the last shift. I am now experiencing things that were unimaginable to a son of a Tennessee farmer...hell, I'm still in awe of the speed of life. While I absolutely love the available knowledge just a click or two away...I also believe that if we do not use our combined knowledge to benefit humanity...we have wasted an opportunity.
Thank you both for being among my most valued friends on this journey...not sure who said it first, but I have heard it said many times, "The longest journey that a man must take is the 18 inches between his head to his heart." Happy Trails! ;-)
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