John's Newsletter - August, 2009

DUKES FANS:

‘In life we shouldn’t collect possessions; we should collect experiences.”
Vicki Endo

The above quote came about out of a conversation with my wife about friends of hers who take
adventurous and unusual vacations. They just came back from a trip to the Amazon where they lived for two weeks with river people on their floating tents. Their kid were with them, and they forbid their kids from bringing their I-Pods and much of their electronic gear. The kids moaned and complained at first, but they went along with the plan and had an amazing time. They got ot see jaguars in the wild; piranhas; strange flowers and trees. They took pictures, yes, and they purchased some things, but they experienced where they were-they were there in the full sense of the word. And that, I fear, is something that is increasingly rare in our society, especially for our children.
 

I take trips with my 7th and 8th graders. We go to Old City historical sites, New York City to study immigration and ethnic struggle, New Mexico to learn about the pueblo cultures, and more. The school forbids students to bring their cell phones, and while we allow I-Pods for the bus ride portions of the trip, we do not allow anything electronic except for cameras when we are at museums, sites, or doing activities. This is hard for many students-they can’t stand being apart from their electronic things. To me, though, those things in these situations are a barrier: a Wall.- They prevent the students from encountering and dealing with the reality of their experience. It is as if everything needs to mediated through a device; it just can't be lived as it is. It is as if life has to have a sound track provided, as opposed to the sounds that make a place unique. And you have to have something you already know to distract you from too much "newness." And I have very mixed feelings about shopping and eating on these trips. Yes, I believe in the importance of a souvenir; I have some myself. And yes, I think it is important to have something that suggests the history or feel of a place. But many of the kids purchase anything they can get their hands on-things they could just as easily get at home. And they buy trinkets and things that have little if anything to do with the experience they have actually had on the trip. It is as if they need to buy something to say they were somewhere-“I haven’t experienced it if I haven’t spent money there; on something I probably don’t need.” I can't validate the experience unless I buy something; that makes it "real."
 

I had a student whose parents took him to London. He talked about, “being at some old tower with a lot of steps,” and “seeing some big clock”, and, "some big building with old-fashioned architecture, and a lot of seats and rooms", and a few things like that. Generalities about the Tower of London, Big Ben and the Parliament Building. But he was able to talk very specifically about the clothes he bought, and what the hotel looked like, and the music he was able to buy that hadn’t made it to the states, and how well his I-Phone worked even in another country. Those things he knew very specifically. It was as if England was simply a mall with a few boring spots attached to it. And, oh yeah-it took a long time to get there.

So I love the thought expressed in Vicki Endo's quote: experience matters, not what we purchase or own. And to truly have an experience you have to leave behind some of the things with which you are familiar and encounter a place as fully as you can. You need to be open to the new; the different. From the time I was a kid and able to leave my little West Philadelphia neighborhood, I have always treasured new places and new experiences. I don't necessarily have a lot of things associated with them, but I have memories; stories that recall feelings and sights and sounds and smells. Memories of encounters with people and being lost and trying new foods. And I love sharing these memories with folks, as I often do here. It reminds me of where I have been and what I have done in a way that many souvenirs can't. No, I haven’t been to the Amazon; I’ve never been to Europe. But even in the little travel I have done I have been able to really encounter newness-new ways of looking at things, new foods, new thoughts, new people, new sounds, and new ideas. It has helped make me who I am. And I am afraid hat we are raising generations who won’t know those feelings. Who won’t even be aware that those feelings are there to be known. That is a loss to me. And it saddens me. And in this increasingly interlinked world, high speed world, it frightens me too.

UPCOMING APPEARANCES

Saturday, September 19-The Mermaid Inn-7673 Winston Rd (across from TLA Video at Germantown Ave and Mermaid Lane) 215-247=9797- $10 Admission-Sets start at 9:30
At this point, the Dukes are off until September. We will be rehearsing some new material and working with some recording equipment to see about making a live recording for our next CD. I will also be going on vacation in August and working with a side project which I will formally announce in a few months (no-I am not leaving the Dukes ) So our next gig is our annual “Welcome Fall” gig at the Mermaid Inn, long a staple of the music scene in Philly, and one of our favorite places to play. We’ll have some new material, and as always, the Mermaid is a place where great musicians come to sit in. So mark your calendars-you do not want to miss this one.

Friday, July 24 AC Steel and the Galvanizer's at Caroline's--925 Providence Road; Secane, PA. www.carolinesrestaurant.com 610-284-7000

The Dukes are on hiatus, but some of us will be playing in the interim. AC Steel, former rhythm guitarist with the Dukes, has a band, The Galvanizers, and I and Rich Curtis and CC will be joining them at Caroline's Restaurant on Friday, July 24th. The Galvanizers are a party band, and they play a mix of rock,blues,soul and fun stuff to get people dancing. The food is good, there is space to dance, and we have fun. Sets start at 9 PM.

The Dukes have other gigs, and will be scheduling more. So please go to our website and check out our schedule and get phone numbers and directions to the gigs. Thank you so much for all of your support. If you have any feedback you wish to share, send a note either here or via the website. I would love to hear from you. So, come on out. Dance, make happy and party with the Dukes. We’d love to see you. Make 2009 a year of dancing to the magic of the Dukes Thank you.

John Colgan-Davis