Reach Lesotho

Red and White on Rope

Posted on 13. Jul, 2010 by David in David

So Hello!

This is my first blog post since the program officially began and admittedly it has come fairly late into it: but not at a more opportune time! As you may already know from following other blogs from the Reach Lesotho Family; our first project was to make a creative response to Dr. Anne Marie Zajdlick’s personal journals from two of her trips to Lesotho. I knew that because of the caliber of students in the program there would be some spectacular projects – and there were – so this put me on a worry streak. I thought of trying my hand at physical art and poetry but to no amends, both were meek at the best of times. I was stuck for quite a while on what I was going to do before I decided to use what experience I had with writing songs. I wrote four songs beforeb I wrote “Red and White on Rope” which became my life for a couple of pretty long nights. When I presented the song to the group I received a much warmer response than I had expected and even the Educators welcomed the off key performance. I was extremely nervous to play the song for the group, which is strange because usually I am immune to any performance anxiety, but Brian and Claire – who had also written songs – were the perfect support. It fit just right. I decided soon after that I would professionaly record the song with my friend Dan Achen at Catherine North Recording, but the project was put on a hold on the first day of Pre-Production when Ian Smith – Dan’s understudy and songsmith – called to let me know Dan had died of a heart attack the night before on the ice with his pick-up hockey team. This hit pretty hard, and left me staring at a wall of doubt about many things, but Ian reassured me we’d move forward with the project regardless. Looking back at those couple of days I know it’s what Dan would’ve wanted anyway, he had a fire for music, and new ideas, I think we would have made him proud. The other night on the car ride home from the studio with Abid – who was tracking a voice over on Red and White on Rope – we had a chat about where we were and where both of us had been, but more importantly: where we were going. We talked about plans for fundraising events, and we talked about the song. Red and White on Rope is in the mixing process now, thanks to the amazing team and family I have around me that I am so lucky to have. I miss Dan every time I see a vintage guitar as he had a passion for them, and I miss him whenever I hear his old band on the radio, but I know if he is still living through anything it’s those he left behind, and I cannot wait to show you what he left in me. Hope, for Red and White on Rope.

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