In Loving Memory of the Lifetime of Inspiration of Ruth Chandler Clearfield, Sept. 4, 1930-Oct. 26, 2015

Exactly one year ago today, I wrote these words:

“The first of many standing ovations at the first BVSO concert of the season, Oct. 26, 2014, was most appropriately offered in appreciation for the announcement that Ruth Chandler Clearfield had been bestowed with Honorary Lifetime Membership, the BVSO’s highest honor. As Executive Director Mary Koeninger read a brief passage of the lovely full-page biography, listing just some of Ruth’s accomplishments and gifts for the BVSO since 1978, the capacity crowd that filled Rudder Theatre listened intently. The applause was loud, and long, for a woman whose listed litany of accomplishments still didn’t fully describe who she is and precisely what she has meant to keeping the BVSO alive and thriving in the Brazos Valley.”

Awaking this morning to seeing a Facebook instant message from a dear friend, who I’d asked to let me know when the final transition came, naturally I shed a few tears of sorrow, because the curtain had fallen on an era of a life devoted to volunteering, to making Bryan-College Station, the Brazos Valley as it’s often called, a better place to live. The week was beginning on an ending.

We’d been in touch regularly by e-mail throughout the last year of her illness, her preferred means of communication, as her days of strength and optimum times were unpredictable, and I liked having lasting memories of our chats committed to e-mail anyway. Looking back, I smiled about the word “exactly.” “Exactly one year ago today...” then I saw her words of this past July:

“On a happy note, since our both sons and I received our degrees from Ohio University we have established the Abraham, Ruth, Norman and Howard Clearfield Endowed Scholarship. We are going to Athens the week of August 10th...and we are looking forward to this very much. It's exactly one year since Abe and I have done any traveling... so this, too, is something I am looking forward to...”

Exactly one year...again. Ruth lived to make that trip, and she had opportunities to be with more of the people who cherish her life. Good works live on far beyond our time here, as do our memories of special people and what they mean to us, still. Ruth’s work is all around us in the Brazos Valley. Not all that many people are truly aware of what she did because she went to extreme lengths to obscure accolades for herself, because she was all about shining spotlights on others. That gave her great joy. You can spot her smiling in this favorite photo from an OPAS fundraiser.

Photo: Dec. 5, 1992 - Pre-event fundraiser for MSC OPAS White Nights Gala

Ruth touched countless lives in the communities where she lived, before the Brazos Valley as well as ours--arts, politics, civic activities, gourmet cooking, Weight Watchers, Texas A&M, Congregation Beth Shalom, and her neighborhood.

Health for All was a special passion as she was determined to provide medical care for those whose jobs didn’t provide it for their employees. She was an ambassador for anything good going on here, and going through two decades plus of files, I see her name at the head or on the committee of innumerable fund raisers, many of which I was one among countless who served, because she personally invited us to participate. Our loss is so substantive, yet the gifts of lessons, love, and life she shared stay with us permanently, and thus we are so fortunate.

Recently I’d told her about the Chicago with Earth Wind & Fire concert I’d just enjoyed and asked her what her favorite concert was of the past 10 years. Her answer? “I would have to say, without a doubt, that it was a PBS presentation of Itzhak Perlman playing Klezmer music, alone, and with other musicians. This is the kind of music I grew up with as a child - very nostalgic!” Here’s a link to aYouTube video I’m sure she’d enjoy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RiBxUsYqWMM

Ruth was a great advocate for PBS, undoubtedly. She and Abe contributed to KAMU-FM and KAMU-TV and reminded us often that the only reason they can stay on air is because we are here, and it was our duty to support them.

I first met Abe over 35 years ago, first as Dr. Clearfield, in the Department of Chemistry. I was entering graduate studies in the department and it was at the home of Bruno and Marge Zwolinski, my graduate professor, who were grand about hosting parties for the PChem division at a moment’s notice. In the Zwolinski home, I had a chance to see a collective of some of the most brilliant minds in chemistry in the world They had forgotten more in their lifetimes than I might ever hope to know.

Yet, in his gentle and unassuming way, Abe was so easy to talk to. He could speak with minds matching his at the highest level all the way down to new grad student, and make everyone feel comfortable. He proudly said, “I want you to meet my wife, Ruth. She is wonderful and she’s very involved in the community; she’s always looking for new volunteers.” Ruth and I had a great chat, and she equally praised Abe in return for all of his work in science. It was absolutely natural for them to speak of the other’s attributes with love, and it was so precious.

Later, Dean Clearfield was one of my immediate bosses in the College of Science, where he served as Associate Dean for many years. He ultimately returned to groundbreaking work in the field of zeolite chemistry, and again, Ruth was by his side every time he received one of many of his international honorary doctorates for his incredible contributions to the field.

Conversely, wherever Ruth was in volunteering, Abe was nearby, smiling, eyes shining with pride, beaming with love for his bride. Among favorite memories was spotting them sitting together at OPAS and BVSO concerts. Without thinking, they’d reach out for the other’s hand to hold as they enjoyed the music. For the almost 30 years I’ve known them, it has always been such a joy to be around them.

As much as they cherished each other, they were equally devoted to their sons, Norman and Howard, and their families. Ruth adored her sons and she loved being a grandparent. She loved people, life, and everything she did, without complaining, one of her greatest attributes.

I imagine that collectively our community is reflecting on Ruth’s life, remembering our personal interactions with her, the happiest of days, her brightest of impacts that she made, and we are now beaming, because we remember her with joy and love. We are all so very lucky that she was here. Exactly. The photo above is from the standing ovation Ruth received from the Brazos Valley Symphony Orchestra...exactly one year ago today. The kind of welcome I imagine she received entering Heaven this morning, just as she deserved. Exactly.

http://www.examiner.com/article/ruth-clearfield-named-lifetime-member-of-brazos-valley-symphony-orchestra

Exciting new ‘Eastside Heartbeats’ musical celebrates L.A. Chicano rock sounds

Just two weeks remain for classic rock fans that remember and love the music of the 1960s, to join in launching an exciting new rock musical, “Eastside Heartbeats.” If you appreciate the finest classic rock music of the 1960s, if you loved “Land of 1,000 Dances” by Cannibal and the Headhunters and can sing the chorus, and if you remember the roots of East LA’s phenomenal music scene, then there’s a groundbreaking project that you can take part in: “Eastside Heartbeats, A New Rock ‘n’ Roll Musical.”

The story of Cannibal and the Headhunters and how they came to help establish a new kind of music stemming from California proved inspirational to writers David Reyes and co-author Tom Waldman, who released the book “Land of a Thousand Dances: Chicano Rock and Roll from Southern California.”

On June 2, 2015, author David Reyes shared with examiner.com that enthusiasm for this special music genre lives on. Interest in Chicano Rock is such that it has launched the development of a musical in fact, which found inspiration from the 2009 book.

Inspired by the story, Tom Waldman recently wrote a musical around a fictional story centering on "one young man's dreams and the vibrant East LA music scene of the 1960s." The musical therefore takes audiences “from the barrio to the Hollywood Bowl,” where the legendary band Cannibal and the Headhunters were indeed the opening act for The Beatles. Though Waldman’s book is true, the musical is fiction, but it seems a more than natural extension or next step of a day and time in which those born in East Los Angeles had to overcome economic, social, and even California surf rock music barriers to make their marks on the genre known today as Chicano rock and roll.

This incredible sound belonged to those of Mexican-American and Latino heritage, to be sure, and it was embraced by a nation that blended cultures to come together and celebrate a sound that was as uplifting as it was unique, and still is today. Check out the Indiegogo site for “Eastside Heartbeats” to learn more about how you can participate in being a part of this great project.

For as little as $10, you can be part of this exciting project telling the story of the musical and cultural heritage of Latino and Mexican-American musicians, who grew up in East Los Angeles (East LA), California. Sharing their musical gifts and talents helped define East LA as a music scene and coast within the coast, standing proudly together with surfer rock from SoCal studios.

If you’re a seasoned classic rock fan, you remember, back in 1965, when The Beatles played the Hollywood Bowl and their opening act was the dynamic band, Cannibal and the Headhunters. Okay, confess: right now the “na, na, na, na, na—na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na—na, na, na, nanhhh,”—the captivating hook from their biggest hit, “Land of A Thousand Dances”–is running through your head. Right? And you can still hear that sound on Sirius XM "60s on 6" almost daily, as well as classic rock radio stations and internet radio around the country. Those rich, powerful sounds stemming from East Los Angeles hold the memories for many who grew up to become part of the music industry, creating new music still today.

Acclaim and preliminary interest for "Eastside Heartbeats" led Waldman and Reyes to reach out to classic rock hitmakers, songwriters James Holvay (founding member of horn band, The MOB), whose songs put The Buckinghams consistently on Billboard’s charts for years), Rudy Salas (founding member of Latino group Tierra, who put Gamble & Huff’s “Together” on Billboard’s Hot 100) to become involved.

Songwriter James Holvay, best known for penning “Kind of a Drag” for The Buckinghams on Chicago’s USA Records, shared exclusively for examiner.com readers what drew him to join with Rudy Salas (founding member of Tierra) and composer David Reyes, author Tom Waldman, and co-producer Nancy Bianconi, in making sure that people remember the roots of music that was created and shared by the East LA musicians whose Mexican-American and Latino community remains defined, permanently, as relevant.

Holvay said, “I’ve walked through the neighborhood of East L.A. so many times, and am very uplifted to see what’s happening today. Like most urban areas in the cities, it’s being redeveloped with young Latinos opening small shops and restaurants.” Jim noted, “It’s really good to see the revitalization, but we also have to preserve the history of the music that helped put East L.A. on the record charts as well.”

During the 1960s heyday of rock and roll, Holvay was busy performing with his band, The MOB, helping to shape a horn rock sound that would quickly become popular in performing venues, moreso than recordings at the time. Holvay used his spare time, collaborating with fellow “MOBster” and good friend, Gary Beisbier, in writing more chart-topping hits for The Buckinghams, including “Don’t You Care,” “Hey Baby, They’re Playing Our Songs,” and “Susan.” all three songs of which share coauthoring credit with producer James William Guercio on the Columbia label.

Of the popularity of Cannibal and the Headhunters, Holvay said, “At the time, their music had just come from the projects to initially tremendous national attention, but through the years the band was never quite given their due for what they did to inspire their community as well as for making their mark in the music business.” The East L.A. radio stations played their music, but they couldn’t catch a break to make it onto radio stations in the Eastern United States.

Like so many other bands of the day, the hours were long, the struggles at times seemed insurmountable, and Cannibal and the Headhunters “had considered throwing in the towel and just going on their way,” Holvay said. What saved them was “After Paul McCartney heard “Land of 1,000 Dances” on the radio, he directed Beatles’ manager Brian Epstein to find out who these guys were and then wanted them to open their U.S. tour.”

Added Jim, “That’s some heavy validation considering it’s coming from the biggest band in the world at that time, and they kept going.” Holvay has written 15 of the 23 songs in the play, including some he wrote with the play’s author, Tom Waldman. Holvay is clearly enthusiastic about his active role in helping create a new musical, especially in a vehicle that insures that the musicians of East L.A. will be celebrated and receive their due, at long last.

The project's full funding goal is set at $30,000; now when you look and see that only $2215 has been raised by 23 people in four weeks’ time, that’s not the only money that’s expected to come in. Experienced fundraising and development professional Maria Elena Yepes has been hard at work making a great case for investment among individuals, corporations, and foundations devoted to promoting relevant historical work in music and the arts.

The show will go on, and is expected to open in November 2015, for an initial six-week run at Casa 0101, a Boyle Heights arts center in East L.A. Next step is to head even further east, to Off-Broadway and who knows, maybe one day a film version will follow. Click on the accompanying video to learn more.

What’s most relevant and dynamic about this project is that the same fans who bought Cannibal and the Headhunters records can participate, the same fans who regard and revere James Holvay and Rudy Salas and David Reyes as musicians and songwriters can be a part. Frankly, if you bought Top 10 music singles at your local record store in the 1960s, you can jump in for $10, $25, $50, and even more, and some nice perks await those who act in the next two weeks. Indiegogo is different from Kickstarter in that you can make your gift today and have it make an immediate impact. It’s a donation, not a pledge, you’re making.

For $50, you’ll receive a limited edition poster signed by all the cast and crew. Just $75 will get you the poster plus a digital download of all the songs. And even for $10, you’ll get a real thank-you e-mail and the sincere gratitude of people you haven’t met (yet) for believing that what they think is important is relevant to you. Think about when the last time someone wrote you a truly proper thank-you letter. It’s worth the $10 just to get one, even if by e-mail, the preferred communication today.

You know you’re singing it. So just admit it. The song worm is in your head: “Na, na, na, na, na—na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na, na—na, na, na, nanhhh,” “Jump in for just $10,” says Holvay. And be a part of history-making inspiration, today.

Update: Author's clarification added 6.3.2015

The author regrets that the original story, published June 1, was potentially and, most assuredly unintentionally, misleading in ascribing or implying that Robert Zapata and his group, Cannibal and the Headhunters, endorsed the musical "Eastside Heartbeats." As a good faith public apology, the author adds the following: Per written communication from Mr. Zapata, received this day at 5:31 p.m., please be advised that: "On the contrary, Mr. Zapata, the owner of the trademark 'Cannibal and the Headhunters, and his group are not involved with the musical and do not endorse it."