Tiny Desk Concert 2019~One Sided War (On the 'Anna M')

The Delaware Bay was once a place where Mysticetaceans found refuge on their migratory path up and down the Atlantic Coast. It was a place where they would feed, mate, and calve.

Then Europeans settled the Jersey Cape. First, they began to hunt the whales. Later, the pollution from their upstream industry and overfishing left the bay a much less fertile place than it once was.

Whales stopped coming.

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This song is from the point of view of a whale.

It's an imagining of how/why this many years later, whales are still wary of going up into the bay.

It's a recognition of their CULTURE, and of their personhood.

It's a recognition of our dehumanization of them, AND other beings that are different from us.

It's a recognition, and an invitation to feel Compassion for those that we do not understand.

"But they can't comprehend our language,
So they think that makes them better than us.
What gives them the Right to Kill?
We Are Glorious..."

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This was filmed with the support of Seastone Media (Collin Pritchard) and his father, Chuck. Chuck graciously took us out onto the waters of which we sing on his boat, the Anna M.

It was so special to play this song on a part of history of this place.
I feel it's important to feel compassion for, and not vilify the humans who ended up here; who made a life at the behest of the waters. They didn't always leave a positive mark on the place, but sometimes they did. They tried. They were human, and they made mistakes...as are we, and as we do.

They sure built some beautiful vessels.

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Here's some history on the Anna M...

In 1949, Cape May Boat Works built and launched the 47’ Anna M. It was a first generation wooden off shore sport fishing boat. Harry Mogck, owner of Cape May Boatworks, built the cedar plank on steam bent white oak frame hull. The forward trunk cabin housed pipe berths and galley followed by pilot house, a shelter deck over the engine boxes, with a 21’ cockpit and powered by twin GM 671 naturals. Accommodations for weekend off shore sport fishing trips were spare.

• In 2003 the complete restoration of the hull - from the keel bolts up. Accommodations and system upgrades were added for near coastal cruising. In March 2009, the Anna M was re launched from Roseman’s Boatyard, Cape May NJ.