Fred Rogers passes ... not off topic at all.

[Eric Williamson <erwill@suitandtieguy.com>]

On Thursday, February 27, 2003, at 06:28  PM, Rick Walker/Loop.pooL 
wrote:
> I cried today when I read the news.    The world has lost a gentle,
> compassionate light.

i tried to cry. i was at work. ever tried making coffee drinks for 
people while you bawl your head off?

his calm demeanour and musicality were an influence upon me from a very 
young age. i still wear sweaters and ties and sportcoats with my blue 
plimsoll sneakers. i'm wearing a pair right now in fact. i'm sure the 
gentle calm that he brought my 7-year old self helped me become 
attracted to and eventually make loopy ambient music. that's where our 
true influences are. the people who touch our lives for good or for 
bad. their emotions manifest themselves and contribute to our personal 
muse.

i remember being enchanted by the flutey minimoog solos and rhodes 
piano flourishes used in the cue music of the program. i didn't really 
understand what i was hearing at the time because i didn't play music 
until years after i stopped watching his programme. but recently i've 
had fred rogers flashbacks when playing a rhodes at the music store, or 
playing a minimoog triangle wave solo when i was in albuquerque last 
year. i felt this calm wash over me ... and when i lifted my hands off 
the keys i could hear fred's comforting voice talking about being nice 
in the sandbox or how exciting it is to get mail.

i also like the way his spirituality guided his programme without ever 
really being obvious on the surface. all musicians should take note of 
that: it's not necessary to be preachy to make spiritual music. even if 
you don't make spiritual music there is a lesson to be learned there.

when my friend nathan called today to chat i broke the sad news to him. 
he said "that's super shitty. he was the nicest guy in the world."

i don't think there's any more i can add than that, really.

---
Eric Williamson
www.suitandtieguy.com