Meet Jamie Courville: Recording The Voices Seldomly Heard

“Stories have to be told or they die, and when they die, we can't remember who we are or why we're here.”  from The Secret Life of Bees

In a world dominated by images and the written word,  storytelling is becoming a lost art.  Yet nothing is more powerful than the human voice and the deeply personal stories that we all carry inside us.  Give that voice and those stories a chance to be heard and they have the capability to touch others in a way that images and text cannot.

Jamie Courville, a Gowanus transplant from Texas, has taken the time to listen.  Recently, she began working on a series of audio portraits that are deeply moving and inspirational.  "I record the voices and faces of people seldom heard and strive to get them to places where they will be heard," Courville told me when we met for a cup of coffee.  "The voice goes straight to the heart and reaches people in a universal way."

Courville has recorded some remarkable individuals.  There is the story of  Heidi, who was adopted from Iran and grew up in Virginia.  There is Barry, who makes ukuleles out of cigar boxes, and  Randy, a former crack cocaine dealer, who got caught, went to prison, and turned his life around after he served his sentence.  And of course, there is the story of  Brandon, who contracted HIV and just speaks about the difficulties of taking medication. (Sadly, Brandon passed away earlier this month.)
Deeply honest and intimate, these portraits are a window into their lives.  One admires the courage of the individuals who speak so frankly about themselves.  Perhaps it is Courville who draws them out, who puts them at ease, who won't judge them.

Having worked in the film business for the past 12 years, Courville intends to use oral histories to help inform and advocate.  "Some people respond to statistics and some people respond to protests but most people respond to stories", she explained. "Audio portraits in the first person are an effective way to inform, educate, inspire and let people know they are not alone.  It has the ability to make individuals real people instead of statistics. It can be used to advocate."
Courville  believes that the medium could be a powerful way for non-profit organizations, neighborhood groups, as well as small businesses to promote themselves.
If you would like to get in contact with Jamie Courville and to listen to more audio portraits, please go  to her website here.

I would like to thank Jamie for taking the time to meet with me and for sharing some of her audio portraits.

Read More

Meet Carroll Gardener Molly Peryer: Helping Foss 'Stand Tall'

Foss, center, with his mother Molly and his grandfather

Dear Readers,
Please let me introduce you to Molly Peryer, who has been living in Carroll Gardens for the last 8 years. Molly holds a Master of Social Work and helped establish a free, monthly Postpartum Depression Support group in the neighborhood in 2006. Besides offering emotional support, validation and hope to moms experiencing PPD, Molly and her husband Larry raise their own little family, which includes their two beautiful boys, seven-year old Henry and four-and-a-half year old Foss.

Like most mothers, Molly is involved in her kids' education and wants only the best for both Henry and Foss. Currently, Henry is in first grade at PS 58 and Molly would send Foss there "in a heartbeat" if he didn't have extensive special needs.
You see, Foss was born as a healthy baby, but just four days after his birth, he became listless and stopped nursing. Molly immediately took him to an emergency room, but just hours later, he was on life support in the neonatal intensive care unit. He eventually improved, but he apparently had suffered several bilateral strokes that damaged multiple areas of his brain. Molly told me when we met recently : "We don't know what caused them and we probably never will. As a result, he has cerebral palsy, epilepsy, global developmental delays and cortical vision impairment."

Life in New York City with a special-needs child is not always easy. As Molly explains: "Things tend to not be very handicap accessible, the police and other drivers are often intolerant when we must double-park to get Foss in and out of the car, and the unanticipated (and often unrecognized) financial strain of caring for a child with disabilities is especially burdensome when added to an already high cost of living."

Though Foss has endured several hospital stays in his young life, on a day-to day basis, he is stable, and like other children, he has been attending school. He is about to finish his second and last year at the Helen Keller Preschool on Willoughby Street. His mother says: "Foss has made some incredible strides and has shown us that he can do more." She adds: "As parents, it is our responsibility to provide our children with a learning environment where they can reach their fullest potential,"

For the past few months, Molly and her husband have been visiting local elementary schools that offer a focused, structured program that may be appropriate for Foss. The one that both feel is a perfect match is called Standing Tall. Unfortunately, the program is extremely expensive, and they cannot offer Foss this opportunity without our help. To that end, they have begun an online fundraiser.

Here is more from Molly and Larry:

Hello dear friends, family, colleagues and acquaintances.   We have created this fundraiser to raise money to send Foss to an amazing school in Manhattan called Standing Tall (ST).We believe that ST provides an ideal learning environment for Foss that is heads and shoulders above any of the other schools for children with multiple disabilities in the NYC area.   At ST, Foss would be accompanied to school every day by Vicki, his beloved and trusted teacher's assistant and babysitter.   The highly trained, dedicated staff at ST work intimately with families to develop an individualized plan to ensure that each student is challenged, understood, safe, and engaged in the learning process.   We need to pay the first year's tuition and seek reimbursement (through a legal process) from the Dept. of Ed.   Our fundraiser includes the tuition amount and the anticipated legal fees.    Once we secure that reimbursement, we would use it for the following year's tuition, get reimbursed again, and so on.    As such, our appeal to you happens only once.   Please help our family to become a part of the ST community. If you're interested in learning more about the school, please visit http://www.standingtall.org/services.html 

Thank you!!! Molly, Larry, Henry and Foss

It would mean so much to Molly and Larry to be able to give their son the best chance available. Perhaps, as a community, we can support this family and help a small boy, who has been through so much, stand tall? Please click here.
If you prefer, you can also help in other small ways. For the past 5 or 6 years, Larry has been putting together a cookbook of recipes the Peryer family has made over the course of the year that they give to friends and family at Christmas time. The cookbook, as well as a cd that brother Henry and Larry made (of Henry's piano songs) are available here.
In addition, there will be a fundraiser at 16 Handles on Court Street on Tuesday, May 29 from 3:00 until 5:00. 16% of the proceeds from sales during that period will go to FST.

Let's show this lovely little boy and his family what Carroll Gardens is all about.

Read More

Meet Carroll Gardener Roy Femenella, Horn Player

Some of us take a lifetime to figure out what to do with our lives. For others, like Roy Femenella, a young horn player who will be attending Juilliard this coming September, the path was more clearly defined. "I always knew that music was something I was into," he told me during a recent interview.

After listening to him practice daily for years, his neighbors have come to expect hearing the sound of his instrument. "They have been wonderful." Roy tells me. "It's the greatest thing ever. They actually complain when I don't play. I was sick one time and did not play the horn for a little bit, so one of our neighbors called our house and wanted to know what had happened to me".
No wonder the news that the young Carroll Gardener had been admitted to the prestigious performing arts conservatory generated more than a bit of collective pride amongst his neighbors.

Femenella began playing the piano when he was about 6 years old. Around the same time, he also started composing music. "I did not realize that this is not something everyone did," he says with a smile. His parents, however, knew that this was unusual for such a young child. They took Roy to Juilliard, where they spoke to Joe Drew, the manager of the school's pre- college orchestra at the time. Drew, himself a composer and trumpet player, offered to teach Roy about music theory and composition. "It was such a great introduction to music. It was an experience that I think not many people get to have. I am really grateful for that." Roy continued taking private lessons with Drew for about three years.

Then, while in 5th grade at St. Ann's School in Brooklyn Heights, Roy decided to take up the trumpet, but there was a conflict with his schedule. "They gave me the next closest thing, the French Horn," Roy remembers . "I love the horn so much better. I fell in love with the instrument immediately. It is so rewarding. Playing the horn is really a team sport. Playing in an orchestra with 100 other people on stage... it's just so cool to share that experience." He thinks for a moment: "I wonder what would have happened if I had stayed with the trumpet."

Leaving the piano and composing behind, Roy soon transitioned solely to the French Horn. Along the way, he was admitted to Juilliard's pre-college program. During his seven years there, he studied under Javier Gándara, a French horn player for the Metropolitan Opera. During four summers, he studied with Carolyn Wahl at the Kinhaven Music School in Vermont.

Roy has played in the horn section of Juilliard Pre-College Orchestra, the Brooklyn Symphony Orchestra, the Brooklyn Repertory Opera, where he has performed as Principal Horn,  as well as many other New York City area orchestras.
Of course, he attended regular classes at St. Ann's as well.

When he begins at Juilliard in September, Roy will be studying with Julie Landsman, who, after twenty five years, just retired as principal horn player for the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra. "She is among one of the best teachers anywhere, which is pretty exciting for me. She has students all over the country, who are playing in major orchestras. She is also an amazing musician. It's very exciting."

Despite his talent, it is clear that Roy has worked very hard to get where he is. But Roy says: "I enjoy the day to day of practicing. It's not something extra to what I do It's just what I do. You can best describe it as a loving energy. When there is no love in my sound, then something is going wrong. Even if it is not perfect or I miss a few notes, what's more important is that love."
He says that he has always been fortunate to have supportive parents and teachers who allowed him to prioritize.

Before he gets to live at Lincoln Center to attend Juilliard this fall, Roy will be spending eight weeks at the Aspen Music Festival during the summer. His neighbors are bound to miss the sound of his practicing, but hopefully, he will return to the neighborhood throughout his studies to share his music with us.
Wishing you all the best, Roy!

Read More

The People In My Neighborhood: Louie "Balls"

Louie was standing in front of Joe's Superette at 349 Smith Street. The lunchtime rush was over and he was taking a break from making those delicious sandwiches for which Joe's Deli is famous.
"The kids sometimes call me Louie Balls" he told me.
I smiled.
Of course they would. Anyone who has ever eaten the delectable Prosciutto balls, or the rice and cheese balls which are the deli's specialties, would give Louie that nickname.

If you haven't had one yet, make sure to stop by. Louie will set you up with a few balls. And tell him Katia sent you!

More people in my neighborhood:

The People In My Neighborhood: Tony, The Carroll Gardens Bird Man

The People In My Neighborhood: The Stylish Lady


For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

Read More

The People In My Neighborhood: Tony, The Carroll Gardens Bird Man

Carroll Gardens resident Tony has always owned birds. Lots of them. I remember years ago, on warm days, he would bring some of his feathery friends outside and delight his neighbors. My kids always referred to him as "the bird" man. When I told his wife Joanne, she just smiled. "Everyone call him that" she said.

These days, Tony only owns one little yellow bird. He retired a few months ago and spends quite a bit of time with his little companion. I saw the pair together a few days ago, enjoying a nice afternoon in the sun.



For Home Page, click Pardon Me For Asking

Read More

The People In My Neighborhood: The Stylish Lady

Proving that one can be stylish at any age,
the elderly lady always manages to look put together:
Long high-healed boots,
black leather gloves and
wonderful broadly rimmed hat.

I have seen her often on Court Street.
Have you?

Read More