The Bluegrass Family Man

By Jon Hochschartner

John Doan, a 49 year old elementary school music teacher, loves music. So much, I fear he can't hear me.

I knock on his door again and again. No answer. Finally, I let myself into the foyer. And there it is. I can hear Doan's soulful plucking strumming, coming from another room.

I call out, and finally he hears. He puts down his guitar and greets me warmly. He’s a big guy, with a full head of graying hair. He’s rocking wool socks, blue jeans, and a “Hobo Fest 2009” shirt. He admonishes his dogs for failing their guard duties and we sit down.

As I said, Doan loves playing music. But he doesn't know why.

"I think I had to," he says.

His parents encouraged him. His mother was a singer and a pianist. He followed in her footsteps, taking piano lessons. But he seems to trace his real musical beginning to when he first picked up the banjo at 13.

"I played that for a while," Doan says. "Then kind of moved what I knew on the banjo to the guitar. Because it wasn’t very socially acceptable to play the banjo. It wasn’t a good take-it-to-your-parties-(instrument)...They were happy when I started to play guitar because they didn’t ever have to tell me to play again.”

At the time, his musical inspiration ranged from the more mainstream, performers like James Taylor, to the more obscure, technical finger-pickers such as Leo Kottke.

“In high school I think I just wrote love songs and silly songs,” he says, dismissively. “When you’re that age you just write about whatever you’re feeling. I think that’s what got me hooked on playing an instrument, was that I came up with my own stuff almost right away.”

In college he played in a number of bands, ranging in style from blues to bluegrass. After graduating, he lived the life of a “vagrant musician,” performing as much as he could whilst working odd jobs.

“I did everything: carpenter, wood-chopper, painter,” he says, smiling. “Music has always been one of those things where if the right opportunity is there, you want to do it as much as possible.”

His band played parties, contests and festivals. The crowds ranged in size from small gatherings to those that number in the thousand.

But as the years passed, he faced something of a crossroads. The choice wasn’t as stark as that presented to Robert Johnson, the legendary bluesman, but it was a choice all the same. Would he pursue his musical ambitions or settle down and start a family?

For Doan though the choice was simple.

“I just found somebody I wanted to be with the rest of my life,” Doan says.

He was married in 1986.

One of his former band-mates, a banjo player named Mark Vann, would travel west, to Colorado, to play with a band called Leftover Salmon.

“They’re kind of a bluegrass jam-band,” Doan says. “It was a really progressive band, and they started to get really popular.”

At the time, he was running a landscaping and construction business, and he admits that, at times, he yearned for the road not taken. But then he’d remember where his priorities lay.

“I realized that I don’t think it’s the kind of life that I’d like to have a family with,” Doan says. “You know, just because you’re constantly touring. You get home, you’re exhausted, and then you’re back on the road. I kind of opted for the family.”

Eventually he’d find a job at North Country School, an elementary-aged boarding, where he’d become a music teacher. Which presented an entirely different struggle.

“I’m still trying to figure out how to do it,” he says, laughing. “Sometimes it’s easy. You know, the reward of it is when you see somebody, the spark has taken hold in them. They’re playing all the time and just loving it.”

Despite the long hours devoted to his school duties, he still manages to find time to play with his newest band, Big Slyde. It’s a four member-band, of which his daughter, Hannah, is a member. With that in mind, one might say that Doan’s choice to start a family wasn’t such a bad move.

“We’re playing such cool music and it’s just kind of effortless and it’s growing,” Doan says. “This is a band that I could see actually slowly and gradually just kind of working out into the area.”

He insists he has no “dreams of grandeur.” He’d like to expand only as far as Plattsburgh, Burlington and Saratoga. No further than that, because for Doan, it’s really just about the joy of playing.

“You always have dreams of making a go of it,” He says. “But music for me, it’s just something that I do.”

Don Papson

By Adam Patterson

Certain people throughout history have likened the past as an afterthought, telling those who would listen to live for the day and move forward, disregarding what once came before them for the sake of making a better future. Clichés like that may work for people with regrettable pasts, but for those who never knew what came before them, or even what could be with them, the past is a stronger motivator for a better future than all other things.

Don Papson, founder of the North Country Underground Railroad Historical Association knows this better than most. For five years, through great effort, Papson has unearthed historical people, places, and documents about abolitionists and freedom seekers in the North Country. He has uncovered houses with dirt on their floors that once clung to abolitionists boots. He has found letters written by black men written in the 19^th century, thanking a man named Gerrit Smith for the land he gave them so that they could vote. He literally coined the phrase the Champlain Line of the Underground Railroad. But Papson was slapped once by the giant that is history, and the story, one of his favorites, he recounted to me.

Papson told me the story of Gerrit Smith over the phone, and the undeniable historian came out; he never missed a fact or date, and he took maybe two breaths in twenty minutes of non-stop talking. As the story went, Gerrit Smith was an abolitionist who said he would give three thousand black men land so they could bypass a law saying they couldn’t vote if they didn’t have land. One such man, John Thomas from Bloomingdale, was the author of the letter of thanks written to Gerrit Smith. Papson ploughed on, and realized that John Thomas had relatives.

Living, breathing, relatives that survived him. Not only were they alive and unknowing of their past, they lived in the North Country. About three miles from where their great, great grandfather Thomas, was buried, lived Oscar Morehouse.

Oscar, of the town of Franklin, is an extremely private man. It was through his wife that I was able to excavate details about his realization of his abolitionist roots.

I called the number Papson gave me for their residence several times, both at night like he suggested, and a young voice answered both times. In the background I heard deep conversations, distant yelling, and the sounds of babies crying. But every time that young lady answered the phone, her manners were impeccable. She could not have been over the age of 12. Finally she was able to hand the phone to her mother.

Donna is quiet and polite, almost unnervingly so seeing as a journalist was prying about what was undoubtedly one of the most important moments of her husbands life, but she never refused a question.

According to Donna, her husband had no family ties outside of his household, only knowing of his brother in Lake Placid, and lived a quiet life, never questioning his existence or exploring his past.

After Papson showed his finding to Oscar, the town of Franklin had a reunion for the family.

“It was exiting. It was up in our park.”

She said quite succinctly that it definitely was an emotional moment for her husband to realize he had this family, but simply answered “naw” when I asked if her husband cried, jumped for joy, or showed any overly-outward emotions.

When Oscar was reunited with his family, composure was kept. He was left unchanged, and any indication that his life had forever changed, from what I could gather, was kept between him and his wife, and still is.

Donna revealed a man wedged between two worlds; the life he had, and the life knew his family once had. Between excitement and emotional drainage.

Donna herself was either naturally short on words, or very gently telling me she wouldn’t give away details about her husband when my questions were met with very short answers. The husband she is letting me know through these terse replies is a introverted man. Quiet and strong.

But the only quote that I know of that came from Oscars mouth was said to Papson:

“The level of my existence has changed.”

Papson was also right in what he told me before giving me their contact information:

“Donna is the spokeswoman. Her husband is a private man.”

Private, but now, acknowledging his past in the present, the level of his existence has changed.

Be The Best You

By Brittany Becker

“Be the best you, you can be,” are the wise words of Karen Hildebrand acting professor at SUNY Plattsburgh. Born and raised in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Karen Hildebrand always has a love for the arts whether it was directing a theatrical play or even playing a beautiful melody. As she lounged back in her swivel desk chair in her tiny office, she was ready for whatever comes her way. The big silver bracelet that matched her necklace reflected the sun that shined through her small window. Her blue shirt that brought out her pale blue eyes, and her smile that lit up with whole room. The tiny glasses through which she viewed the world were at the tip of her nose. Her hand motions that was big and bold whenever she expressed any type of emotion.

Karen, one of four, lost her mother when she was 21. Her mom was the one who influenced her to attend Westchester State College, but when she died Hildebrand dropped out and moved back to Pittsburgh to be with her younger brother and sister. “She didn’t think we had to work,” Karen said when talking about her mother. “My mom believed we had to do what we loved aslong as it was a good degree,” Karen said, “Theatre was not an acceptable job to her,” Hildebrand said. “She would be surprised with me.” After attending Westchester State College, Karen moved slowly in a different direction. University of Pittsburgh is where she achieved her BA in speech and theatre and got her first full time job as an arts administrator. “I liked it, it was fun!” Hildebrand exclaimed. “I would much rather work in parks then in an office building,” she said proudly.

This was only a start for Karen Hildebrand. She managed to get her foot in every door and leave an impression wherever she went. She lived in Brooklyn and studied fashion at Fashion Institute of Technology, began writing plays, got a job at Eves Brooks as a costume designer then started teaching Remedial writing, English. Little did she know she was going to find someone with common interests whom she would spend the rest of her life with. While experiencing the hustle and bustle of the city life, she met Rick, her husband. They have been happily married for 22 years, but “We have known each other for 28 years.” Karen said. Karen enjoyed living in the city, but she did admit, “We got out of New York in time.” She said, “It is more rational for younger people to live in such small quarters than for an older couple.”

The couple got the chance to work at Plattsburgh State as a music teacher and an acting teacher, and they grabbed that right away. Hildebrand is one of 3 acting adjuncts at the college and has the opportunity to teach children and teen theatre workshops. “I love them and I enjoy doing them,” she said happily.

In her free time she loves bargain hunting. “One time it almost got me thrown off Orchard Street.” Hildebrand said. She just tried to get the price of an item down to a really low price and was not capable of doing so. “I got this from my mom.” She said. “I have always had a love for trivia, and play it every week down town.” She laughed and said. She loves to read and sew, but both of which she has not done in a while. “Currently I am trying to get more theatre back in my life and I am working with readers theatre once a month.” She said. “It is nice to hear what the plays sound like, and that is the purpose of the readers theatre.”

She enjoys working with different types of people, but she does miss meeting people, and hiring bands and theatre groups. “I love seeing people present themselves in the best way they can,” Karen said when talking about working with Plattsburgh State students.

Rory Wallace, 22, is Karen Hildebrand’s teaching assistant for spring 2010. He is originally from Trinidad and Tobago and is studying music as a major at Plattsburgh. When asked what it is like working with Karen Hildebrand, he responded with “It is exciting and fun, she is very good at what she does and is very encouraging.” Rory took her acting class in fall 2009 and he explained that “she asked me to TA for her and I accepted. She helped me by increasing my confidence in being the best me!” Rory said. He recommends her to students who want to take an acting class and likes her energy and voice the most. Rory ended our interview with this statement: “Being in the arts people must learn to express themselves physically, it may seem scary to be outside of your comfort zone but it is very liberating once you can achieve that and Karen is a perfect example.”

Rachael Livingston, 19, was a previous student of Karen Hildebrand. She took her acting class in fall 2009 as well. Rachael is from Albany and is a communications major. Rachael seemed very excited when asked about Hildebrand. “She always wanted to get us up and moving, and wanted us to show our emotions.” Rachael said. “Acting is a good way to break out of your shell, and I recommend people to take it whether it is required or not.” She pointed out that it is most important to be silly, be yourself, let loose.

Rachael reflected on her favorite time in Hildebrand’s acting class and said, “Every Thursday she would do this exercise where she would turn off the lights and we all would lie on the floor and she would just talk in a low tone and make all of our muscles in our body relax.” She loved this. “It was good for the end of the week and her voice was so soothing,” she said. “None of us wanted to get up after that activity.” She laughed.

Sarai Vasquez, 19, a sophomore at SUNY Plattsburgh first met Karen Hildebrand in her acting class and she admitted, “I was terrified. I’m mostly an introvert, until I get to know you, but that wasn’t going to happen in her class. I had to get over my shyness and nervousness of being around new people. And after taking that class I can say that I can now go up to people I don’t know and introduce myself without having a heart attack, or shying away in a corner.” Sarai is very thankful of Karen Hildebrand. “She is very personal with the people she works with, and in doing so she is a professor I can go back to everyday and won’t feel embarrassed or even forgotten if I ever went to see her.”

Sarai explained. “My fondest memory of Karen was when I was able to T.A. her class, and also when I worked as a tech crewmember in one of her productions, the musical comedy murders.” She enjoyed that because she did not feel like she had less power than Hildebrand. “But it was more of a situation that everyone is equal,” Sarai said. “Karen has to be the most personal professor on campus that I have ever met. I felt really comfortable to speak to her about things that didn’t involve class.” Sarai along with other students are very thankful to have had Hildebrand as a part of their life since acting class.

Karen Hildebrand has experience a lot in her life and she is not stopping now. She is currently working on a radio show, the WRUV on Sundays, working at Plattsburgh as a teacher, being a happy wife, and bringing old things back into her life as well. She said cheerfully, “I wonder what I’ll be doing next year. I guess you’ll just have to wait and see!”

Elliot Ferrusi

By Brian Cremo

Walking into Elliot Ferrusi’s room in Plattsburgh, NY, you really get the feeling of a warm welcome. With a friendly hand shake and a frozen smile on his face, he makes you feel more than comfortable although he’s physically intimidating. The first time you talk to the guy he acts like you’ve been good friends for a while as he speaks in a, somewhat, raspy tone. He’s not too flashy, wearing a gray t-shirt and jeans, and he seems excited to get talking about the subject. At the same time, he’s not excited to talk about himself. No, there doesn’t seem to be a cocky bone in this kid’s body, which is hard to believe after all that he’s accomplished. He’s not that tall, maybe 5-foot-9, but his shoulders are as wide as anyone’s and if you had to compare his body shape to anything, it would probably be a rock. The room is well managed, clean, and better smelling than most teenage rooms. A Notorious B.I.G. poster sits next to another of Tupac. He’s sitting at his computer, You Tubing videos just like any other kid, but this would be deceiving because he has something in his culture that separates him from the rest.

Ferrusi, 19, often experiences something that few people ever go through their entire lives. When he was 12 years old his grandfather, Richard Tracy, introduced him to the world of bobsledding. In talking to the two, you can tell there’s and extremely close bond between them. Ferrusi admits his grandfather is not only family, but is his unofficial coach. His real coach is a man named Brian Shimmer, who was a silver medalist in 2002 Salt Lake games. Tracy himself started off in the 1980 Olympic trials, but suffered a “horrific” crash, which broke his leg and ended that dream. After that he qualified for a handful of national teams and competed in world competitions, but now he’s in full throttle support of his grandson. “I was surprised when I first mentioned it to him. He had a like a 7.40 push – phenomenal,” said Tracy in just as friendly as a voice as Elliot. He talked as proud as any one individual could be of another.

Ferrusi became hooked to the sport and soon impressed those around him with his ability to push the sled, at a young age. Tracy described the way people used to talk about Ferrusi when he was younger. “(They would say), ‘Holy smokes this kid’s a machine,’” said Tracy. “It’s because he was never closely challenged. I think he impressed them for a young kid. From the get go we honed his skills—He took off with it.”

“My grandfather came up to me and asked me if I wanted to try it out,” Ferrusi said. “At first I was really nervous. I didn’t want to do it at all and I tried it for the first time and I’ve loved it ever since.” Although admitting the first time he tried it he was constantly praying to God to not let him die, he continued to put forth the hours of hard work, starting at the junior level (ages 12-18) where the competitors only complete half of the track. “It’s like you’re adrenaline’s pumping, you’re nervous and it’s something that you’re either going to love it, or you’re going to hate,” said Ferusi. “There’s no in between.” During juniors he grabbed a slew of awards including a gold medal in the Empire State games, knocking out the older 16 year old reigning champs. It seems like you could tell he was going to be good from an early age right?

When he was done with high school, he decided to venture to his grandfather’s alma mater; Texas A&M. He would have to give up bobsledding in this decision; however, after one semester he knew he had to come back. The hunger for bobsledding was the main reason for his choice. He would come back and set his goals even higher – to train for the 2014 Winter Olympics, which will be held in Russia

Brian Berghorn, 20, came up through the junior system with Ferusi and met him in 2003. “I think they’re the only two, actively involved, who came up in the junior program, which is unique,” said Tracy. They’re now training for the US team and Berghorn is one of Ferrusi’s drivers. “(Elliot’s) an excellent push athlete and a great athlete all around and he’s definitely driven,” Berghorn said. “He pretty much raised the bar (since we were younger)…He’s the man.” The only other driver Ferrusi trains with is a thirty-year-old named Ethan who is on the USA squad. He’s playing with the big boys. No, he's not playing varsity baseball or football for a school (although he does play rugby). This kids competing for the right to be on a national level.

“I do a workout program that’s similar to a football workout and I go to the track every weekend (in Lake Placid),” said Ferrusi. His workout consists of heavy lifting and a mass amount of agility and speed training. He goes to the track every weekend at Mt. Vanhoevenburgh in Lake Placid. It’s a grueling workout and you can tell, just by looking at him, that it has results. On winter breaks he shows his dedication by going to the track about five times per week. He describes the setting as a “multi-million” dollar track, holding ice up to 60 degrees and being fully equipped with a refrigeration system in it. “It’s really sick,” says Ferrusi.

The other place he practices is a push track where the Olympic torch is. He describes it in detail as a “roller coaster setup”. It’s pretty much a sled, with wheels, on a track. He also goes to the Olympic Training center in lake placid, which he describes as a “giant Olympic gym”. They put waits on the sled so the sled feels lighter when in actual competition. Ferrusi seems vastly mature for his age as he expresses the importance of learning the proper technique through this training as well as learning from the “older guys” who act as his mentors.

When he goes through practice runs, he has one driver on a two man sled, one of two types of races Ferrusi participates in. In two-man bobsledding you have one guy who pushes the sled at the beginning of the run and another one drives. The other is four-man. As he goes on to discuss how he trains he admits that Brian and he are the youngest people who train, by five years. It’s hard not to comprehend the fact that he’s ahead of his time. Most athletes in this sport tend to be in their upper twenties and mid-thirties.

The way he describes the feeling of bobsledding makes you feel like the sport is a subculture all of its own.

“One-hundred percent of your job is to push the sled,” said Ferrusi. “You’re the main force driving that sled. The driver pushes as well, but he’s more running with the sled,” For a big guy you realize he’s not all about strength when he talks about the finesse that goes into his work. “There’s so much technique involved (in pushing). There are big guys and a lot of them don’t know the technique.” If you haven’t gotten the picture by now, here’s another example of the strength and ability he possesses at the age of 19. He only pushed 2/10ths of a second slower than another pusher, from West Point, who plays for the Detroit Lions. He admits the reason for his success is mostly because of the technique learned from his grandfather.

With excitement in his eyes and added enthusiasm in his voice, he goes on to discuss what it’s like as he begins a normal run down the track.

“The push is everything,” said Ferrusi. “If you don’t have a good push, you’re not going to go as fast. If you’re not going as fast, your driver won’t be able to pick up the same lines on the turns and it can throw them off, so consistency is big.”

He further describes the feeling as the taste and feel of the cold air surrounds him and he’s gaining tremendous speed.

“When we’re going down my adrenaline’s pumping and we hit about four or five G’s. Take the G’s and multiply it by your body weight and that’s how much weight is pushing down on you when you hit those turns, so for me it’s almost 1000 pounds.”

He says he feels relaxed as he descends, but tense at the same. “After you come down the track so many times you know where you are by just feel,” he said. “Right when you hit those turns, your head gets sucked to the bottom of the bobsled. It’s pretty intense.”

As he goes on to describe the voyage downhill I can’t help but notice the bravery that goes into the sport, especially as the pusher. The reason for this is because, after he hops in, the ride is up to the driver. Trusting someone else driving you at speeds of 85 miles per hour in a sled is something that few would sign up for. “(The pushers need to be) Strong and fast,” said Ferrusi. “I don’t need to know the technicalities of the track. I just chill to the end, but I have to hold my weight center. I have to stay totally stiff (or else it could throw off the sled).” At Whistler, where the most recent 2010 Olympics were held, bobsleds can reach speeds up to 96 miles-per-hour, the fastest circuit around.

There are other times when the run doesn’t go as planned and Ferrusi was unlucky enough to experience a live crash himself. Covering his ears as he reminisces the sound of the crash with a comedic imitation he proceeds to say, “The worst thing is when you crash; it’s a loud noise. It’s metal and fiberglass scraping against artificial ice and the sled gets really messed up. The worst thing is you can receive ice burns. If you fall off the sled the friction between the ice and your skin it’s like sunburn, so it hurts…it sucks.”

Ferrusi spent much of the past year doing extreme weight training and admitted he hadn’t pushed the sled in almost a year. “This year I came up to Lake Placid and I hadn’t pushed the sled in a year and I gave (my driver) his best push times.” said Ferrusi. “I feel like it’s more like riding a bike. You never forget how the technique is.” He elaborates on the importance of technique and how the only reason those who are “bigger” than him don’t have as fast of push times is because they don’t have the technique.

Since Ferrusi was 12 he’s grown immensely in the sport and now, consistently, hits speeds up to 85 miles per hour on the historic Lake Placid track. “Over the years he continuously got better and honed his skill real well. “He’s come a long way and stayed focused,” said his grandfather.

He may have a good shot at competing in the Olympics, but he’s looking forward to still “being a kid” in college, although he spends every day working out. The way he describes going on runs you can tell he knows that track like the back of his hand. It’s not often you hear about a kid who went from Texas to bobsledding, but it seems like Ferrusi has made a decision that’s really made him happy. Only time will tell if his hard work pays off, but regardless it seems as though he has no regrets as to where he is in life now. He’s laidback and doesn’t seem to have a care in the world. He admits no one’s perfect, but to be good in bobsledding he says, “You have to be fast and consistent. The world of bobsledding is all about perfection unfortunately. That’s why it’s so hard, because no one’s perfect.”