story & photos
by Jessica Warzeniak

“Five years ago the music at Harkness was silenced,” said John Waller, president, SoundMusic, in a press conference on May 13 at the Harkness Mansion, Waterford. “I stand here to say, the magic is back!”

John, co-founder and former general director of CT Lyric Opera, describes the formation of SoundMusic, “I planned to step away from music. Then, I met Martin Piecuch. I thought, now here is the man who can bring the magic back!” John describes Martin as a “ball of energy” which is exactly the push needed to bring the music back to Harkness Memorial State Park.

Martin Piecuch, music director and conductor, SoundMusic, announces, “The saying goes, ‘It takes a village to raise a child.’ Well, it takes a very large community to support an orchestra.” Our community is just the one to do it.

The New Haven Symphony, in residence as the SoundMusic Orchestra, will perform three concerts this summer at Harkness. With great enthusiasm, Martin explained the themes for each. July 18’s concert is “Made in America” featuring music by Aaron Coplan, John Corifliano, Antonin Dvorak, and “The Stars & Stripes Forever” by John Phillip Sousa. “This is the most thrilling of sounds,” said Martin.

The second concert, scheduled for July 25, is in honor of 100th anniversary of Benny Goodman’s birth, called “Swinging Under the Stars.”  “I want to remove all the labels of music and just have it be music,” said Martin. “There’s no good music or bad. It can’t be about classical or pops. Are we saying anything that’s not pops is unpopular? That’s frightening.”

The last concert, “Mostly Mozart” scheduled for August 1, features “Mozartiana Suite #4, opus 61” by Pyotr I. Tchaikovsky, written in honor of Mozart, and “Concerto for Bassoon” and “Symphony #41 (Jupiter)” by Mozart. “My job is to make all this music accessible to you, to connect to you,” said Martin. “This is not a spectator sport, it’s a participation sport.”

During the press conference, Frank Bombastic Jr., a senior at Lyme-Old Lyme High School, announced his senior project, “Bombfest.” Frank said, “My dream is to develop and produce a fun-filled festival celebrating art and music brought together on stage produced through high school talent, to bring our music back celebrated at the outdoor amphitheater at Harkness Memorial State Park.” Frank’s goal is to raise funds for SoundMusic and the Make-a-Wish Foundation. The concert, featuring nationally known and local musicians, is scheduled for June 13.

To bring the music back to Harkness, SoundMusic needed permission from Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to use the park. “The first year I was here was the year the concerts stopped. Now I’m on my way out this year, and they are starting up again,” said Gina McCarthy, Commissioner, DEP. “I am looking forward to an evening under the stars, sitting on the lawn, and being enchanted once again.”

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John Holder, Stonington, traveled to China and shares his snap shots with us. During his trip, he visited the Great Wall of China, the Oriental Pearl, Shanghai, tea houses and the Forbidden City. John walked the magnificant Great Wall of China.

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by Roger Zotti

The connection between poetry, truth and life, in “Travel in My Borrowed Lives” (Arcade Publishing), is one aspect Donald Everett Axinn hopes readers take from his latest volume.  “Societies have always needed artists to draw attention to the truth,” Donald said. “Sometimes it’s unsettling and sometimes populations don’t want to recognize it. But the poet tells stories, paints pictures, and creates sound and music with words [as a way] of looking at truth”

In “Travels” Donald brings together a diverse selection of his best work since 1978. More specifically, in his “Author’s Note” he tells us, “The poems presented in this volume are the winners in an arduous contest as to which ones would make the cut. I apologize to the ‘losers…’” Also, Donald authored two novels. One of them, “Spin,” was made into a motion picture in 2003.

Like many other poets, Donald writes for himself.  He explores and examines, “I attempt to find a peace with things I don’t understand.” Poets don’t accept “everything that is out there. Art – poetry – fails if it doesn’t make a point, expose something… or create something. I want to shine a spotlight on reality. Sometimes it’s positive, sometimes it’s tragic, sometimes it’s objectionable.”

As for approaching and reading poetry, Donald said, “First of all, have a drink.” He paused and added, “Reading or listening to poetry is an opportunity to look at something you haven’t looked at the same way before. What I want people to do with poetry is give it a chance, because I think you’ll find fulfillment and pleasure.” Then Donald asked me to turn to “Countries We Choose to Visit.” And he read it and it came to life. That’s what happens, you see, when a poet reads aloud from his own work. The poem begins: “Let’s consider the country/ called Guilt,/ That land where we need to embrace masochisms/ So we can punish ourselves/ We try to believe that we can discard our/ dirty deeds/ And pull a blanket of redemption over us.”  One of my favorites is “Pilot After Flying Through A Storm.” Donald, a longtime pilot, writes: “I want you to study this man carefully, / Landed after a tumultuous battle. / …I want you to ask him how he learned / to catch bolts of lightning and spears of ice, / turn them into victory then laughter.”

By the way, and I found this refreshing and interesting, Donald writes his poems on an old Sears typewriter. “Beverly, my secretary/assistant, takes what I write and puts it on her computer,” he said. “When I write I want to see the blank page…. I just hope typewriter ribbons will always be available.”

One true test of a work of art is whether it makes readers want more and Donald Everett Axinn’s eloquent “Travel in My Borrowed Lives” passes that test. In exploring so many wide-ranging subjects, Donald’s poetry – so truthful and universal  – enables readers to explore themselves and others.

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Mitchell College graduates 159 students in it’s 65th Commencment Exercises on Saturday, May 16. Resident reporter Christopher Annino, Mystic, joined his class in the ceremony and moved his tassel to the left.

Thumbs up to you Chris! Congratulations!

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