WORKING ON A BIOGRAPHY ABOUT MY FAMILY - TWO BOYS THAT DESERVE MOM AND POP'S RESPECT

It was about two years ago that I suggested our boys, Andrew and Robert, should give some serious thought, to setting up a little archives, or scrapbook collection, to keep news clippings safe. It's not really an ego thing, but maybe it is, for me more than the lads. They've got a large collection of photographs, from the local newspapers, mounted on cork boards mounted throughout the store. It's surprising what coverage they've had over the past five years. The fact they organize and perform in a number of fundraisers each year, they inevitably are asked to pose for promotional photographs, and they usually line-up their students to stand-in, as it is their work that is usually being showcased at these same fundraising concert venues. I didn't want these photographs lost or ripped off the board unceremoniously, because it provides a wonderful record of their music shop, and guitar class highlights over the past half decade. So it took two years to warm up to it, but finally we have taken steps to record all the neat stuff that has happened, as a result of having a main street Gravenhurst shop, to make life and business so darn enthralling. It's a work in progress, and an archives you can read, with regular updates and photographs.

I started writing work on a preamble biography two weeks ago. When I sat down to write the company history, I thought it would take a couple of days at the most. But I found that there was so much more to include than just the in-store realities. There was a lot of stuff leading up to the store's opening that couldn't be left out. Both Andrew and Robert arrived at the store-opening-stage, after spending most of their young lives, part of the family antique business. They've been hauled from historic site to antique auction, art galleries, to research assignments on Canoe Lake. They've been vendor assistants at many, many outdoor antique and collectible sales, throughout the region. They spent their young lives, by my side, at Woodchester Villa, and Museum, (Bracebridge), and were my capable assistants in our family's 12 years associated with the Crozier Foundation and its sponsorship of the Bracebridge Sports Hall of Fame. They were volunteering for the foundation for children when they were pretty much children themselves. They began collecting vintage vinyl, in large part, from the collection given to them by Suzanne, who bestowed her cherished 45's on them some years back, all obtained during her family's years owning and operating the Windermere Marina and snackbar, "The Skipper." She was given the cast-off records by the owner of the jukebox, and she kept them for future posterity. Her boys!

I found things about their young lives, I couldn't ignore, because they played an integral role in developing their interests. As the 45 rpm records gave them a start in vintage vinyl collecting, Andrew's keen interest in his grandfather's carpentry work was always an ongoing fascination, whenever we visited Norm Stripp's house or cottage in Windermere. Norm was a master craftsman when it came to restoring Muskoka's vintage wooden boats, and he always had at least one in the workshop for Andrew to study. In the cottage boathouse there was a vintage Hunter, from the Orillia boat works, and a racing boat called the "SS" built by Norman and his father Sam Stripp. Andrew has also kept track, for many years, of the well known Ditchburn, the "Shirl E Von," that Norman had as a marina boat back in the 1960's and early 70's, used for ferrying people from the mainland to island cottages. Whenever that magnificent boat is being shown at the Antique Boat Show, here in Gravenhurst, Andrew is one of the first patrons through the gate. He's enormously proud of his grandfather Norm's accomplishment in the old boat industry, here in Muskoka, and although he hasn't tackled many boat restoration projects, what he learned from his grandfather, and watched in process, has merged into his work today repairing vintage instruments. It just had to be part of the biography.

Robert has long held a fascination with art, particularly vintage Canadiana and has a fondness for abstract works. When I began working on Tom Thomson research, back in the mid-1990's, he not only became interested in this artist's work but the Group of Seven artists, Thomson had inspired before his death. One of the books I was using, entitled "Silence and the Storm," written by art historian David Silcox, and artist Harold Town, inspired an offshoot interest in the abstract work of Mr. Town……who was a frequent visitor of Gravenhurst, at the home of fellow artist Frank Johnson. Town's sailboat, the "Cara Mia" sat on Johnson's property for years, and Andrew, in his many walks by, pondered if it would ever be put up for sale. This is explained in the book, "Hot Breakfast for Sparrows," written by his former girlfriend Iris Nowell. As I became more interested in Harold Town, after working on the Thomson research, Robert kind of got sucked into the vortex here at Birch Hollow. He began to appreciate the work of Harold Town, and low and behold, at the local Thrift Shop, we found a puzzle Town had created and published for a price we could afford. An original Town painting would set us back a lot of money these days but his puzzle, done as a wee bit of a lark, was a teaser for a young man with an eye for good and interesting art. He would adore a Jackson Pollock original if only he had the several million dollars it would take to purchase one. Robert has amassed a small but neat collection of original art pieces, and it's all played a role in his musical interest as well. His absolute pride and joy would be to own, one day, an original art work painted by legendary musician, Frank Zappa. He has a Zappa record collection, so what a neat topping it would be, to have one of his paintings. Once again, it's a long shot, unless at some out of the way yard sale, one happens to pop up for sale. Robert has a more artistic eye when it comes to his music nostalgia interests, and he pays enormous respect to the graphic artists, and designers generally of record covers on that vintage vinyl. I think he'd like to frame them. In his opinion, they are works of art…..and you can listen to what's inside.

I couldn't write a contemporary biography of the boys' work in the music industry, thus far, without delving into their early days, and the influences they have had, being exposed to many unique and diverse adventures in learning. I wanted them to have this historical overview, now published on their blog site (identified below), as a future reference. There are no embellishments. No reason to do that. They've lived it all, and are here to talk about it…..if you ask them. In ten years time, when their lives and love interests have taken those anticipated turns, I want them to be able to reflect back on the way their business together began, and the promises that were made to old mom and pop, who helped them get their big start. Our request was, that should they ever part, in business, or move away from their present hometown, they must never turn their back on a brother in need. They were raised in an old fashioned close family, and our values have always been the same……and we hope it shows now, later, and in the distant future. This brotherly respect, which wasn't in great evidence as they were growing up, is what we are so proud of today. When we see them on stage performing together, Suzanne and I are regularly brought to tears……because it was what we hoped for when we began our family, as two scared newlyweds unsure of our capabilities as future parents. I want to believe, as I'm sure Suzanne would agree, that both boys, when frustrated, challenged, depressed, or just nostalgic, will read back through the biography I've composed, and find out more about themselves, and their sources of inspiration, to pass on to their own kids seeking the meaning of life. If those kids, reading this lengthy 2011 tome, of "War and Peace" verbiage, find it all interesting, and inspiring, and think of their respective dads as having accomplished something, then this old ghost will feel the vibe of true success…..that doesn't have a thing to do with money, acquired property, celebrity or social standing. It will have to do with two good lads, who worked hard, and sacrificed constantly, and believed in the strength and resilience of their hometown. They never stood at the side of an issue, especially when it came to helping their town during difficult times, or friends and neighbors who had fallen on hard times. Even after only five years of business, they have never lost their sense of commitment, and have sponsored many fundraisers, especially for the Salvation Army Food Bank.

Some might look at this biography as an exercise in grandstanding and shameful self promotion. They might think old man Currie's only purpose for writing this, was to boost his own fortunes, by being able to report his boys are the best boys in the whole darn world……..and that you should hire him to write your own "full-of-grandeur" family history. But if you know us, as a family, as business people, in the writing or teaching professions, you will appreciate, the last of our interests is in ego-stroking. We don't have the time. There's too much work to be done. Yet, as an historian, and as dad (the stay-at-home Mr. Mom), my mission is to make sure the roots of their business are protected and conserved. That they both have a reference to consult when they, for whatever reason, have lost their way, or have experienced a failure or business collapse. Having reims of editorial copy at their backs, may not save their business. I want it to save them, because what they have accomplished so far in life and business, is a very real credit to their respective characters, and their work ethic. I want it to remind them of the good old days, when they felt a little like underdogs, because of a struggling family economy, and the reality their shoes, their pants, their shirts, while clean, were a little threadbare. These boys weathered many economic storms to get to this place in their careers. While they may not remember the soles of their shoes flapping in a strange cadence, or having to buy their shirts second hand, because it was all we could afford, they never once complained about their perceived misfortunes. It all balanced out in later years, when the family budget improved. They have long proven to us, their willingness to take the good with the bad, and if they complain, and it's usually about politics, they should be taken seriously, because they know what they're talking about. The care a lot about their hometown and are deeply concerned about its future, because it's where they want to raise a family, and continue to run a business.

Yup, we're proud of Andrew and Robert, just as we should be. Drop into the Muskoka Road shop for a little chat. They'd love to see you. http://curriesmusic.blogspot.com/