OUR HISTORY
Our involvement with Pete Seeger and some of the things we did as a result. Music was one part of it.
Pete Seeger tribute photo collage by Richard Iceland
The link below brings you to one part of the Hudson River Sloop Singer History
Broad Old River 2_The Hudson River Sloop Singers
Broad Old River 2_The Hudson River Sloop Singers
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This postcard from Pete Seeger came three months before he passed and three months after his wife Toshi passed. He had just heard a song we wrote for an event called Run For Your Life about the re-licensing of the local nuclear power plant.
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Vinnie met Pete Seeger at the winter maintenance shed of the sloop Woody Guthrie in the early 80s. Mel met Pete through the Sojourner Truth cement boat project in the late 70s. She coordinated finishing the boat and caught Pete’s enthusiasm for sloop clubs. Mel and Vinnie each crewed for weeks with Pete as captain on the sloop Woody Guthrie playing music up and down the river. Mel went on to become second mate on the Hudson River Sloop Clearwater in the mid 80s.
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For fifteen years they entertained on the Beacon shore for the Great Newburgh to Beacon Hudson River Swim for River Pool at Beacon, another Seeger inspired project. The first year of the Swim they plugged in and played in the bed of Pete’s electric truck. In gratitude for these experiences, they raise money for sloop maintenance through the Broad Old River 2 CD. In 2015 they produced a tribute to Pete in Lake Worth, FL featuring speakers and musicians from the Hudson River and Florida.
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Photo by Marlene Woodason
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We made all but one of these videos about the music fundraisers that helped build community around the sloop Clearwater
Photo by Mary Poppiins
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Both are trained anthropologists, share Seeger’s love of history and for over 40 years created an archive. When they moved from NY to become full time Floridians the Hudson River Maritime Museum in Kingston was chosen to be the repository for their Hudson River Environmental Sloops Collection. It will be available to the public digitally and by appointment. |
Our years with site crew for The Great Hudson River Revival
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Mel & Vinnie Music Folk Trailer
Black Door Films for Songs of Phil Ochs show
Black Door Films for Songs of Phil Ochs show