Subject: News from the Bog….
From: "John Mitchell Fanning" <[email-masked]>
To: "Mitch Fanning" <[email-masked]>
Date: Thu, 15 Jun 2017 01:38:55 -0400

Hello All, Dear Former Students and Parents, 

It's been awhile since we last had violin or fiddle lessons, and quite some time since we last talked or corresponded, but I hope this finds you and yours well and enjoying these early days of summer.    

I'm writing to check in and to ask a favor of you.

It's a crazy time politically.   I'm trying my best to stay informed and engaged with the political process, while also maintaining some kind of balance in order to stay focused  on the important work at hand.   

Music is an important medium for developing our humanity and creating community.   Music helps us transcend our human condition while also making us more deeply human.  

Knowing you as I do gives me great hope in these stressful times.   I know that you're all out there, that you're making music in your own way, bringing more humanity to the places where you live and work.  I know you are creating community.

Please drop me a line and let me know how you be and what you're doing.   I'd enjoy hearing from you, students and parents alike, about what's new in life - milestones achieved and new goals?

As I stated earlier, I'm also writing to ask your help.

Most of you know about my work directing the Bog Band, the group of young and talented musicians who are mad for trad Irish music.    A new generation of the Bogs are now preparing to record a "Next Generation" album, and I hope you might be willing to support this effort by buying a CD ahead of time or making a financial pledge in support of the project.  

Equally important, I hope  you'll share the following link to our Kickstarter campaign with others who you think would be willing to support this initiative! 

Please take a moment to view a brief video presentation about Bog Band "The Next Generation" project:
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2077923993/bog-band-the-next-generation

It's awkward for me to make this request of you after so much time has passed with so little communication, but I'm encouraged that the passage of time has not lessened my own regard for you and I can only hope that most of you can say the same of me.    

Whatever the case, I'm grateful for the time that we had together, for the good work in which we engaged, for the music that we made and what we all learned in the process.

Hearing from you would be music to my hears.   Write if you can, and if not, please know of my regard for you and my gratitude that our paths have crossed and intertwined for a good and substantial part of my life.

Thanks for your time and consideration!

Sincerely,

Mitch Fanning