Another sparsely attended FIU event...

It was a Thursday night, balmy, not unlike most other South Florida evenings, no hurricane, no rain, not even a cloud. So I can't understand why hardly anyone showed up to the Hearst lecture on Tom Dowd at Florida International University. I admit, I didn't know who the guy was either -but if the school is spending money to make it happen, it ought to be worth my time to check it out. As a side note, I'd like to point out that as students we often complain that the school doesn't do anything for us - but the events I've attended on campus have ALL been nearly empty (except for the students that were required because of a class to attend).

So for those of you that missed out, below is a link, if you'd like to read about Tom Dowd and purchase the documentary.

Tom Dowd and the Language of Music - Home

What you missed was an in-depth look at the life of Tom Dowd, who produced music for a whole slew of famous people, including Eric Clapton, Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles, Coletrain, the Drifters, Allman Brothers, etc. (check out the website above if you want a longer list!) Dowd was with Atlantic Records, in NYC, during the 1950's. For those of you who have not taken New York in the 50's with Professor Dan Wakefield, ( dan wakefield.com: Welcome to Wakespace ) the 50's was a time when music, namely jazz, carried people across racial boundaries and towards the civil rights movement. Music played a large factor in helping to integrate the nation, and Dowd was there, behind the scenes producing this music.

As Professor Allan Richards put it, "This is not just about music; it's about changing the fabric of society."

In itself it's quite an achievement to have worked with so many well known artists, especially over such a long span of time and through the digitalization of music. Yet, there is more to the story than just working with famous people, Dowd was a scientist, who participated (unbeknownst to him at the time) on the Manhattan project ( National Atomic Museum The Manhattan Project ). Here is the element of intrigue, a man who helped to bring America together also helped to arm it.

As a journalist in training, it's easy to see what makes Dowd a great candidate for a feature (or a documentary - which is like a feature, but on film). However, no one else seemed to think so, and Moormann couldn't get any financial backing to make the film.

According to Professor Allan Richards, this was a "lesson in not taking no as the final word."

Mark Moormann, the Director of "Tom Dowd and the Language of Music," spent seven years creating the film. True perseverance. Moormann knew there was a story to tell and he was determined to be true to his vision, even if that meant another few years of shooting.

"The bottom line," Moormann said, "you have got to stick to your guns."

Not only did Moormann invest a great deal of time on the project, but he and the crew spent their own money on equipment and were not compensated financially for the finished product.

In the end, their reward, perhaps the biggest one, came from Tom Dowd himself. On his deathbed Dowd watched the documentary and called Moormann to thank him for creating this lasting legacy. Two days later he died.


To sum up:

• "Try to observe reality and catch people as they are." -Moormann
• In an interview, "be prepared, you may only get 10 minutes." -Moormann
• "When you interview famous people, don't be a fan. Show your respect, but it doesn't make them feel at ease when you go on and on about how great they are." -Moormann
• "Blend into your surroundings, let the action happen and document it." -Moormann(Afterwards Moormann did say he jumped inside a voodoo circle once and it ended up being a good thing that he got into the action, so take this tip or leave it.)
• "Someone has to really trust you, unless you just want to get standard stuff out of them." -Allan Richards
• "It's all about how you tell your story that makes it interesting, keep structure in mind." -Moormann