"Shh. Listen to the sounds that surround you. Notice the pitches, the volume, the timbre, the many lines of counterpoint. As light taught Monet to paint, the earth may be teaching you music." Singer, composer, and activist Pete Seeger, (5/9/1919 - 1/27/2014), from his book "How Can I Keep from Singing" (1981).
Seeger's career spanned decades, from his part in The Weavers ("Good Night Irene") to his seminal role in the folk music revival of the '50s and '60s. He wrote or co-wrote some of the most cherished songs of the period, including "Kisses Sweeter Than Wine," "Where Have All The Flowers Gone?", "Gotta Travel On," and "If I Had A Hammer," as well as his popular adaptations of other songs like "Turn, Turn, Turn," "Guantnamera," "The Lion Sleeps Tonight," and the civil right anthem "We Shall Overcome." He supported environmental and anti-war causes his entire life, from a leftist perspective, stemming from his union activities from the 1930s and involvement in the Communist Party until 1949.
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