Music and Make-A-Wish will be the stars of the show at a CD release party celebrating the “Holiday Wishes 2” benefit CD.

The event is set for 6 p.m. Dec. 5 at The Blarney Event Center, 601 Monroe St.

Many of the local musicians and media personalities featured on the two-disc, 44-track CD will perform. There will also be hors d’oeuvres and a cash bar.

Tickets are $5 for adults. Children 12 and younger are free.

“We hope people will join us to meet the musicians, mingle with the Make-A-Wish families and organizers, and just have a great Christmas party,” said Michael S. Miller, Toledo Free Press editor in chief and the CD’s executive producer. “Last year, we saw Chrys Peterson sing live with Hepcat Revival and Ramona Collins singing Christmas songs with Voodoo Libido. We’re expecting even more jam sessions and surprises this year.”

Music will start around 6:30 p.m., said Greg Tye of Hepcat Revival, who is organizing the performers. Among other performers will be Chrys Peterson with Hepcat Revival, Kerry Patrick Clark, Kyle White, Krystal Monique, The Wanna Bees, The Sanderlings, Skoobie Snaks, Russ Franzen, Steven J. Athanas, Voodoo Libido and more.

“It’s going to be a great selection of talent and we’re trying to mix it in as best we can to make the magic happen that night,” Tye said. “There will probably be some sort of jam component for those artists who might not be able to have their whole group there. They’re all very talented people.”

The two-CD set will be available for $15. CDs are also available at area Panera Bread locations, select Levis Commons stores and as digital downloads.

All parts of the project, from the recording to the mixing to the cover art, were done locally. Because the CD was sponsored by GM Powertrain Toledo, UAW Local 14, WNWO, 101.5 The River, A&D Glass & Mirror, Levis Commons and Panera Bread, proceeds go directly to Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana to benefit children in the 21-county Northwest Ohio region.

Last year’s inaugural “Holiday Wishes” CD sold out quickly, raising more than $25,000 for Make-A-Wish.

Make-A-Wish, which grants wishes for children with medically life-threatening conditions, does not receive federal, state or local government funding. Wishes are paid for by donations and donations in kind, including gifted airline miles. The average cost of a wish is $8,000.

“We want to grant the heartfelt wish of every child,” said Emily Denholm, marketing communications coordinator for Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana. “Every wish is different. We really try to focus on the uniqueness of every wish.”

Tye said he hopes area residents come out to support Make-A-Wish and hear some great local music.

“I hope people walk away with an appreciation for how talented the musicians and performers are here in town and how passionate they are about supporting a good cause,” Tye said. “People will be exposed to some of the premier acts in town. It’s an opportunity to hear someone they may never have heard before. It may be a real ear-opening experience.”

Tags: Chrys Peterson, Hepcat Revival, Holiday Wishes 2, Kerry Patrick Clark, Krystal-Monique, Kyle White, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Russ Franzen, Skoobie Snaks, Steven J. Athanas, The Sanderlings, The Wanna Bees, Voodoo Libido

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 29th, 2012 at 2:24 pm and is filed under Arts and Life, Music.
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Pat Dailey’s “River of Stars” is not a Christmas song, yet it lends its title to this year’s collection of local holiday music benefiting Make-A-Wish Foundation.

The “star” connection is obvious. Make-A-Wish uses a bright blue star as its logo. Toledo Free Press uses a star in its masthead (a tribute to the owner’s connections to Texas). With two CDs containing 44 tracks, the river of local music stars is well represented. And the star is a shining symbol for the wish kids and families that benefit from the organization’s great work.

The song’s connection to Christmas is not as obvious.

This is the second year for the “Holiday Wishes” project and the second year Dailey and his manager Tom Brady have generously contributed a track. Last year’s Dailey song, “Here Comes The Cold,” was a natural fit. Another of his few winter-themed tracks, “Here In The North,” is one I hope to include next year. When I heard “River of Stars,” from Dailey’s “Squeaky Clean” collection, it immediately struck me as a perfect choice to set the tone for this year’s collection.

It begins with a light, sparkling twinkle of sounds that segue into gentle guitar. The first words Dailey sings may not have been written to evoke Christmas, but they certainly serve as a grand place to begin this year’s musical journey through the holidays: “I remember a night, so long ago/under a river of stars,” Dailey sings, with all the confidence of a master storyteller. And while Dailey may have envisioned Put-in-Bay harbor when he wrote the lyrics, they could just as easily describe a special night in the Bethlehem sky.

The song seems to be about an earthly relationship, but it culminates in imagery that clearly paints a picture of faith: “And so I row, row, row my boat once more/Until I find you waiting on a distant shore/With outstretched arms and upturned hands/You lead me into the harbor and back to the sand.”

It is a spiritual image of hope and comfort that captures the feeling of Christmas without needing a single direct word.

Musical treasures

There are many surprises and musical treasures on this year’s CDs. Jon Hendricks contributes an original song, “The Gift,” that sounds as if it could be found on a Frank Sinatra holiday CD. Listening to the track for the first time with Dave Mariasy at Audio Matrix Recording Studio was transporting. Music is mostly listened to through tiny earbuds, computer speakers or car stereos. To listen to Hendricks and a single piano through Mariasy’s high-tech studio speakers was akin to hearing music for the first time. It was a revelation. Hendricks’ voice simultaneously weaves tensile strength with an aching fragility.

A new tradition

For Christmas 2011, Toledo Free Press produced “Holiday Wishes,” a CD of holiday songs performed by Northwest Ohio musicians. The CD was a 25-track compilation and raised more than $25,000 for Make-A-Wish. It was underwritten by Toledo Transmission and UAW Local 14, so every dollar raised, through sales at Panera Bread locations, went directly to Make-A-Wish.

Although Toledo Free Press had produced two previous CDs, one collecting historical recordings and one from a Toledo songwriting contest, neither approached the scale or complexity of “Holiday Wishes.”

The 2011 CD included contributions from such Northwest Ohio stalwarts as Dailey, Jamie Farr, Mannheim Steamroller, Sheri LaFontaine, Candice Coleman, the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Crystal Bowersox and Alyson Stoner. It also featured new recordings from Kerry Patrick Clark, Jeff Stewart, Kyle White, Ramona Collins, TAPESTRY, Chrys Peterson and Hepcat Revival, Voodoo Libido, Mighty Wyte and Jameil Aossey, among several others.

With tremendous media support from FOX Toledo, WPOS, 101.5 The River and many of our media friends, the CD sold out and even before 2012 started, we were thinking about a second volume.

Rather than start in late July, as we did in 2011, the 2012 compilation process started in January. Lexi Staples gave us a copy of a track her father, the late radio personality Dennis Staples, recorded of Dr. Seuss’ “How The Grinch Stole Christmas!” That required tracking down permission from Random House Publishing, Warner Bros. Studios and the estate of Dr. Seuss. With all those rights now granted, it is a great honor to include that track on this year’s CD.

Another late performer is remembered as the Johnny Knorr Orchestra, led by Johnny’s son, Jerry, plays “Auld Lang Syne” for the 2012 CD. Johnny died in August 2011.

LaFontaine has allowed us to include “Toledo, My Hometown” on this year’s collection. It is a contribution that raises the bar for all the participating artists. “Toledo My Hometown” is a seasonal staple on The River, and it is an honor to have it on this year’s CD. The tune has added poignancy as we wish LaFontaine well in her new city of Nashville, Tenn.

There are several artists returning from last year. Stewart and White perform a revelatory version of John Lennon’s “Happy Xmas (War is Over).” The great Chip Davis allowed us to use Mannheim Steamroller’s “Fum Fum Fum.” Coleman did double duty, singing “Santa Baby” with Chris Brown’s band and “Merry Christmas Baby” with Buck69. Peterson and our friends in Hepcat Revival cover Harry Connick Jr.’s “Pray On Christmas.” Voodoo Libido, Skoobie Snaks and The Wanna Bees all contribute rocking tracks. The Polka Floyd Show took “Run Like Hell” from Pink Floyd’s “The Wall” and “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” and created a mashup that has already attracted regional attention.

VH1 favorite Tatiana Owens wrote and recorded a stunning new song, “Winter Holidays,” that could be played alongside any modern classic.

Local media veterans Jerry Anderson, Fred LeFebvre, Mary Beth Zolik and Rick Woodell recorded dynamic readings on par with Farr’s interpretation of “A Visit From St. Nicholas” from last year. We wish Zolik a speedy recovery as she undergoes treatment for cancer.

This year’s CD will include a number of exciting new artists, from young country singers such as Connor Rose to emerging rockers like The Sanderlings.

Not that every wish comes true; a few notable Toledo entertainers did not bother to respond to requests, even with a “no.” The Danny Thomas estate declined permission for a track, and Sony Legacy would not provide gratis rights to a Teresa Brewer track we were hoping to include.

But even with those very few disappointments, we still had so many quality submissions we had to start saving them for 2013. Great tracks by Arctic Clam, Krystal Monique, Mitch Kahl, Tim Ellis, Andrew Z’s Morning Crew and a few others are waiting in the wings.

The MVPs

The best news for the project was the return of three people who are behind the scenes, but integral to the process; indeed, without them it would not have happened last year and would not happen this year. Christopher Stoll, engineer at Audioflare Productions at Zeta Recording Studios, donated studio time and his finely attuned ears to the project. He earned MVP status this year, recording tracks ranging from Irish folk to German choirs. Matt Feher engineered the CDs, ensuring the discs are produced to the highest standards. Larry Meyer navigates the legal and publishing issues to make sure every “T” is crossed and every “I” is dotted.

Special thank-yous this year go to GM Powertrain Toledo, UAW Local 14, WNWO, 101.5 The River, A&D Glass & Mirror, Levis Commons and Panera Bread. All proceeds will go directly to Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana to benefit children in the 21-county Northwest Ohio region.

Make-A-Wish development officer Ellie McManus is a dream to work with and is a constant inspiration and reminder of Make-A-Wish’s mission. Toledo Free Press Sales Manager BJ Rahn has also been an invaluable help.

I am personally grateful to have strengthened some friendships and made new ones. I may never have met McManus, Clark or E.J. Wells without this project, and my life would be a bit dimmer without their creativity.

Summertime project

The project has also inspired an offshoot. For summer 2013, Toledo Free Press will produce a CD of upbeat summer party songs for the American Red Cross of Northwest Ohio to use as a vehicle for summer safety information. If you are a local musician interested in getting your Beach Boys vibe on disc, contact me before we get too far into January.

Thank you again to every musician and person who donated their time and talent to this project. If you would like to see the recipients of your labor, join us at 6 p.m. Dec. 5 at The Blarney Event Center for our second annual “Holiday Wishes” benefit concert. There will be food, friends and a lot of smiling faces at the public event.

In the meantime, I am going to start working on convincing Ramona Collins to record “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve?” for the 2013 collection …

Michael S. Miller is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Email him at mmiller@

toledofreepress.com.

Tags: 101.5 The River, A&D Glass & Mirror, Alyson Stoner, Audio Matrix Recording Studio, Audioflare Productions, Candice Coleman, Chip Davis, Christopher Stoll, Chrys Peterson, Crystal Bowersox, Danny Thomas, Dave Mariasy, Dennis Staples, Dr. Seuss, E.J. Wells, Ellie McManus, FOX Toledo, Fred LeFebvre, Hepcat Revival, Jameil Aossey, Jamie Farr, Jeff Stewart, Jerry Anderson, John Lennon, Jon Hendricks, Kerry Patrick Clark, Kyle White, Levis Commons, Lexi Staples, Lighting The Fuse, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Mannheim Steamroller, Mary Beth Zolik, Michael S. Miller, Mighty Wyte, Panera Bread, Pat Dailey, Pink Floyd, Polka Floyd Show, Ramona Collins, Rick Woodell, Sheri LaFontaine, Skoobie Snaks, Tapestry, Teresa Brewer, The Grinch, the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, The Wanna Bees, Toledo Transmission, Tom Brady, UAW Local 14, Voodoo Libido, WPOS

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 21st, 2012 at 7:39 am and is filed under Featured, Lighting The Fuse, Opinion.
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The local Make-A-Wish Foundation has more than 90 pending wishes to fulfill, which means it’s time to step up and help this inspirational and invaluable organization. Christmas may be more than 130 days away, but it’s time to start listening to holiday songs that will help the kids depending on Make-A-Wish Foundation.

For Christmas 2011, Toledo Free Press produced “Holiday Wishes,” a CD of holiday songs performed by Northwest Ohio musicians. The CD was a 25-track compilation that raised more than $25,000 for Make-A-Wish Foundation. It was underwritten by Toledo Transmission and UAW Local 14, so every dollar raised, through sales at Panera Bread locations, went directly to Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Although Toledo Free Press had produced two previous CDs, one collecting historical recordings and one from a Toledo songwriting contest, neither approached the scale or complexity of “Holiday Wishes.”

The 2011 CD collected 25 tracks, with contributions from such Northwest Ohio stalwarts as Pat Dailey, Jamie Farr, Mannheim Steamroller, Sheri LaFontaine, Candice Coleman, the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Crystal Bowersox and Alyson Stoner. It also featured new recordings from Kerry Patrick Clark, Jeff Stewart, Kyle White, Ramona Collins, TAPESTRY, Chrys Peterson & Hepcat Revival, Voodoo Libido, Mighty Wyte and Jameil Aossey, among several others.

With tremendous media support from the late, lamented FOX Toledo, WPOS, 101.5 The River and many of our media friends, the CD sold out in its Panera Bread locations, and even before 2012 started, we were thinking about a second volume.

Rather than start in late July, as we did last year, the 2012 compilation process started in January. Lexi Staples gave us a copy of a track her father, the late radio personality Dennis Staples, recorded of “How The Grinch Stole Christmas!” That required tracking down permission from Random House Publishing, Warner Bros. Studios and the estate of Dr. Seuss. With all those rights now granted, it will be a great honor to include that track on this year’s CD.

Pat Dailey has also generously granted use of another track. “River of Stars” is a gorgeous, soaring song that, while not strictly about the holidays, touches on many elements of the season’s most universal themes of spirituality, connection and unbridled hope.

LaFontaine has allowed us to include “Toledo My Hometown” on this year’s collection. It is a contribution that raises the bar for all the participating artists. “Toledo My Hometown” is a seasonal staple on The River, and it is an honor to have it on this year’s Make-A-Wish holiday project.

There are several artists returning from last year, but we’re keeping the collaborations and song choices under wraps until the recordings are complete. I will say that if the plans come together as hoped, we will be able to offer a CD that will raise the bar for future efforts. Suffice it to say that Stewart, White, Coleman, Peterson and our friends in Voodoo Libido and Hepcat Revival are among those talking to us about this year’s CD, and there are some exciting things on the way.

We are also working on a couple of historical surprises; if we do this right, each year’s CD will serve as an archive of Toledo’s musical history, even as it captures year-by-year changes in bands and styles.

This year’s CD will include a number of exciting new artists, from young country singers to veteran rockers. I am honestly not sure how we’re going to contain all this music on a single disc; it’s a wealth of riches.

Not that every wish comes true; we were hoping to include a track from Weezer’s 2008 EP “Christmas With Weezer,” but although bassist and Northwest Ohio native Scott G. Shriner was receptive to the idea, we were turned down by the group’s management.

The best news for the project is the return of three people who are behind the scenes, but are integral to the process; indeed, without them it would not have happened last year and would not happen this year. Chris Stoll, engineer at Zeta Recording, donates studio time and his finely attuned ears to the project. Matt Fehr engineers the CD and ensures the disc is produced to the highest standards of quality. Larry Meyer navigates the legal and publishing issues to make sure every t is crossed and every i is dotted.

My friend Eric Slough is no longer with the local Make-A-Wish chapter, but development officer Ellie McManus is a dream to work with and is a constant inspiration and reminder of the Make-A-Wish Foundation’s mission.

To that end, there is always room for more support. If your company is interested in making this year’s CD bigger and better, contact me or McManus at elliem@makeawishohio.org. Our area Make-A-Wish kids try to retain the hope and inspiration of the holiday season every day of the year. It’s a blessing and privilege to be able to contribute to their dreams and at the same time spread the joy of the holiday season.

It may be the heat of August, but if you pass my car in Toledo and hear Christmas songs, you’ll know there are scores of people working on a project to benefit some of our region’s most remarkable kids.

Michael S. Miller is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Email him at mmiller@toledofreepress.com.

Tags: 101.5 The River, Alyson Stoner, at Dailey, Candice Coleman, Christopher Stoll, Chrys Peterson & Hepcat Revival, Crystal Bowersox, Danny Thomas, Dennis Staples, Dr. Seuss, Ellie McManus, FOX Toledo, Holiday Wishes, Holiday Wishes II, How The Grinch Stole Christmas!, Jameil Aossey, Jamie Farr, Jeff Stewart, Kerry Patrick Clark, Kyle White, Larry Meyer, Lighting The Fuse, Make-A-Wish Foundation, Mannheim Steamroller, Matt Fehr, Micheal S. Miller, Mighty Wyte, Panera Bread, Ramona Collins, Random House Publishing, Scott G. Shriner, Scott Shriner, Sheri LaFontaine, Tapestry, the Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Toledo Free Press, Toledo Transmission, Tony Thomas, UAW Local 14, Voodoo Libido, Warner Bros. Studios, Weezer, WPOS, Zeta Recording

This entry was posted on Friday, August 10th, 2012 at 12:00 am and is filed under Lighting The Fuse, Opinion.
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Kerry Patrick Clark has struggled with his professed musical identity in the past, but his latest album unapologetically embraces his Christian soul.

Just in time for Easter, “His Story — My Story” chronicles Jesus’ resurrection tale in the Bible, beginning with Palm Sunday and ending with Jesus rising from the dead. The second half of Clark’s album is a response to the story, comprised of songs that reflect on the impact Jesus’ sacrifice has on Clark’s life.

Clark’s professional musical career dates back to the 1980s. His music has been woven into a PBS special about reclaiming hope after Sept. 11, 2001, movie scores and various theme songs, including ESPN’s “Bob Mann Celebrity Sport Styles.” The new CD marks his sixth. Although raised Catholic and having truly connected with God at 29 years old, Clark didn’t call himself a Christian artist until 2000.

“The Bible and God have been used to start so many wars and bang people over the head so many times that some people have been so profoundly hurt by believers — by Christians,” Clark said.

But in Clark’s case, the Bible and God inspire songwriting. On stage at Maumee United Methodist Church on March 24, Clark sat before the pews packed with more than 400 people. Bending toward his guitar, he sang as if he were conversing with an intimate group. It was a conversation that often caused broad grins but sometimes drew a deep frown on his face.

That night, you’d have no qualms about classifying him as a contemporary Christian folk artist. But he takes care to refer to himself as a musician who believes, and even that description came after years of playing country songs about relationships, sorrow and joy.

Looking back to his first albums, he considers the work amateur at best. In the 1980s, he played music on boats that traveled up and down the Maumee River and sold 1,000 records in four months. He then joined the New Christy Minstrels and traveled around the country with them.

But something was missing; he began to ask more questions about how the world worked.

He had always wondered, ‘Why me?’ because he was an unlikely survivor of extreme premature birth. Born in 1963, he weighed only 5 pounds and had other health issues that led the doctor to tell his parents he wouldn’t live.  But he did.

Becoming close with God helped him find answers. After he quit the New Christy Minstrels, he spent about six months inactive and then auditioned for as many televised national talent shows as he could.

First step

Kerry Patrick Clark

The album he released in 1994, “A Simple Man,” marks the first step on his spiritual journey.

In 2000, when he finally decided to label himself as a Christian musician, his music dried up, he said. He told his friend Shawn Taylor that he thought God was hesitating to bless his songwriting.

Taylor asked Clark what made him think God wasn’t present in his folk music.

“He was struggling with what I perceived to be a black-and-white issue, like should I be or should I not be (a Christian artist),” Taylor said. “My discussion with him was, ‘Kerry, I don’t think God is that limiting.’

“The discussion we had was that Christians tend to box things into nice, neat boxes, where everything can be acceptable or not acceptable. I believe the quote he likes to quote me on is, I said, ‘Why would you want to limit God like that?’”

That conversation commenced a new dawn of creativity for Clark. He released “911…Songs to Heal a Nation” in 2001, “On the Road to Human Being” in 2010 and now “His Story — My Story.”

You can hear that creativity in this Easter album. But Taylor points out that this is no ordinary account of a story told millions of times. Clark tells the Biblical tale through a few different perspectives. The Palm Sunday song, for example, is shared through the eyes of a child who is too small to see over the crowd. He asks his father to hold him up to see Christ parading through town.

Another nuance of Clark’s collection is that he does not make obvious statements to ensure the listener knows he or she is hearing a Bible story. In “One Kiss,” he shares the passage about Judas betraying Jesus by telling it mostly through Judas’ voice. But he does not use the name Judas or Jesus anywhere in the song, nor talk of the cross or God. Instead, he makes allusions to the story by describing the “forces of good versus evil and the power of love against rage” and continues by singing about “one kiss to say how much I love you; one kiss to say goodbye.”

“The generation that I live in is tired of being told what it looks like; truth is truth no matter how its presented,” Taylor said. “Its not a matter of ‘It’s not true unless you quote Matthew 10 whatever;’ it’s truth because it’s true. I think Kerry has a greater audience because he doesn’t come across preachy.”

And Clark certainly doesn’t want to come across that way, either.

He said it’s not his job to save sinners — that’s God’s job. Clark’s responsibility is to sing songs and show his neighbors kindness and love and tell them where these qualities come from only if they ask, he said.

“Do you go out and talk about ‘You’re not right, you need to repent of your sins and you need to live the way I do?’ I disagree with that,” Clark said. “Jesus went into bars and he talked to sinners, he talked to prostitutes, so who am I to look at somebody and say, ‘You’re not thinking, doing, being what I’m thinking, doing, being so therefore you’re bad and you’re wrong, but if you come over to my camp I’ll love you.’ No, I’m going to love you anyway and if I don’t have the capacity to do that then, Lord, change my heart — work on me because I’m the problem here.”

One of the songs on Clark’s album addresses what it means to “Walk the walk,” or live like Jesus. Clark sings he wants to live how Jesus lived, love how Jesus loved and talk the way he talked. It can be as simple as sharing love, hope and kindness, he said.

The album sprung from the desire to make something more of Easter than an Easter egg hunt. He was later handed a book by Adam Hamilton called “24 Hours that Changed the World.” Although Clark admitted he’s not much of a reader, he said when he picked up that book he could feel God telling him to pay attention.

After much soul searching and talking with Taylor, “His Story — My Story” was created.

“It’s an ugly story; as an artist I’d like to change it and make it prettier like Christmas — we can do that with Christmas and get away with it,” Clark said. “But you can’t with Easter. It’s a pretty severe, ugly story and beautiful all at the same time.”

Tags: Kerry Patrick Clark

This entry was posted on Thursday, March 29th, 2012 at 5:23 pm and is filed under Featured, Music, Star.
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Whitehouse-based musician Kerry Patrick Clark will give Toledo-area residents a chance to hear him in an intimate setting at an upcoming Monclova Community Center series.

“I love it, I think it’s better than singing in front of hundreds or thousands of people,” said Clark, who has played for crowds of about 8,000. “People get a sense of knowing who I am, what my heart is.”

Kerry Patrick Clark

This is the seventh time Clark has put on a wintertime series at Monclova Community Center, aka the Monclova Coffeehouse. He and his wife Amy came up with the idea, largely to give him a place to play close to home after his son Robbie was born.

“One of the reasons I stopped touring so much was because my son was born. I wanted to be a great dad,” said Clark, a former member of the folk group The New Christy Minstrels.

Concertgoers may get to see Robbie and Amy join Clark onstage. They may also get to hear songs from Clark’s upcoming Easter-themed album, slated to feature 12 or 13 songs. Clark has been toying with the idea of an Easter album for some time.

“I’ve had these songs in my sort of musical knapsack for three or four years,” he said. The thus unnamed album marks Clark’s sixth CD release.

Clark’s last album was released in spring 2010, but not without some hiccups. Clark, who mixes his tracks on his own computer, accidentally deleted his album and lost his work. Instead of being completely heartbroken, Clark used the experience to better his album with his wife’s encouragement.

“My wife comes to me and says, ‘Can I give you perspective? Next time, why don’t you come from a heart perspective instead of a head perspective?’” Clark recalled. His album, “On the Road to Human Being,” reflects that decision. The album spent about 40 weeks at No. 1 on the Roots Music Report chart for folk radio Internet airplay.

Clark still mixes his own tracks and, for the most part, doesn’t see the five musicians who play with him. Although they live within about 15 miles of each other, all generally record their parts and send them to Clark.

“[Technology] makes anybody with a laptop and breakout box a recording studio,” Clark said.

Clark, who has been playing professionally since he was a senior in high school, said he loves working in Toledo — and he’s moved around enough to know.

“If I’m in LA, Nashville or New York, and I’ve lived in all those places, I’m just another white guy with a guitar,” Clark said.

He added, “Toledo is an amazing place to raise a family. It’s small enough and it’s big enough at the same time.”

Toledo-area residents can see Clark at

7 p.m. Jan. 28 and Feb. 25 at the Monclova Community Center, 8115 Monclova Road. A donation of $5 is suggested.

Tags: Easter, Kerry Patrick Clark, Monclova Community Center

This entry was posted on Tuesday, January 17th, 2012 at 9:41 am and is filed under Music, Star.
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I hit a wall at the Nov. 13 Make-A-Wish Foundation holiday party for local families. I was at the event, which took place at Springfield High School, to arrange a photo session for this week’s special issue, which celebrates the “Holiday Wishes” CD.

Among the games and decorated tables, apart from the Santa Claus photo area and the DJ, was a wall that stretched the entire length of the gym. On that wall hung a list of all the local kids to whom Make-A-Wish has granted wishes to throughout the years.

There were too many kids’ names to count, too many columns of wishes to comprehend, too many young lives lost before their time.

I worked very hard to make the “Holiday Wishes” CD a success, to gather the talents of local musicians to raise money for the cause. The result of hundreds of hours of scores of people’s effort is a 25-track collection that retails for $9.99, every penny of which goes to the NW Ohio chapter of Make-A-Wish Foundation.

If I had stood before that wall before I started the project, I would have worked 10 times as hard, and I would have delivered a 10-CD set to raise 10 times as much money.

In 2010, the national Make-A-Wish Foundation granted almost 14,000 wishes to kids in the United States. The organization grants a wish about every 40 minutes. Some of the more common wishes include visits to places such as a Disney theme park or the Super Bowl. Some kids want to be a firefighter for a day, or a police officer. Some wishes are heartbreakingly simple; there are calls for a puppy, a computer, a chance to go to prom. Many of the kids want to meet an actor, athlete or other celebrity.

Can you imagine receiving that call — a child with limited days left has one major wish, to meet you? How could you ever turn that down?

Stepping up

I witnessed the power of Make-A-Wish firsthand while working on the “Holiday Wishes” CD, which goes on sale Nov. 25 at all area Panera Bread stores. Nearly every person I contacted immediately answered the call for time or talent. Some people, like engineer Christopher Stoll of Zeta Recording Studio, producer Mighty Wyte and attorney Larry Meyer, donated many more hours than I ever imagined they would need to when I first contacted them. More than 100 musicians and artists donated performances for the CD, and that doesn’t count the full Toledo Symphony Orchestra, which recorded an all-time great version of “Sleigh Ride” during a mid-fall concert in Findlay.

Many of the musicians continue to display a generosity and kindness that is humbling beyond words. Some of them will perform Dec. 1 at a benefit concert at The Blarney Bullpen. A few will appear to sing a few songs at a Dec. 3 concert at a Panera Bread location to be announced soon. Kerry Patrick Clark, who wrote and recorded the original song “(Looks Like It’s Going To Be) A Great Day” for the CD, will sing the National Anthem at the Nov. 29 Toledo City Council meeting, before a proclamation honors the local musicians on the CD and the charity it benefits. Clark is a partner with the CD manufacturer that produced the CD. When he received a commission check for referring the “Holiday Wishes” project, he immediately signed it over to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

I have also been amazed by the kindness of star Alyson Stoner and her mother, LuAnne Hodges, who donated recording studio time, autographed merchandise and even made time to go into a photography studio for the seasonal photos in this issue.

“Thank you” seems to pale in the face of such generosity. And that holds true for the organizations that stepped up to make sure that my unwieldy idea would not cost Make-A-Wish any money: Panera Bread is the distributor, Toledo Transmission and UAW Local 14 covered the manufacturing costs and Toledo Free Press and FOX Toledo donated promotions and commercials to the cause.

Now, it’s your turn.

If you appreciate local music, like holiday music and understand the spiritual and philanthropic role Make-A-Wish plays in our community, I hope that putting $10 on the Panera Bread counter for a 25-track CD that features contributions from Jamie Farr, Mannheim Steamroller, Crystal Bowersox and dozens more will seem like an easy choice and a great deal. You can also download the CD at www.cdbaby.com/cd/holidaywishes.

I remember standing before the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C., for the first time, squinting at the rows of names and trying to keep in mind that every string of letters in that endless litany represented an individual person, with family and dreams and a path that was unfairly cut short and cut down.

Looking at the hundreds of local wishes granted to Make-A-Wish kids on that wall Nov. 13, I felt a similar sense of helplessness and a renewed sense of mission.

I took my sons Sean, 3, and Evan, 5, to one of the CD’s recording sessions. Sean, seeing the special treatment and attention the Make-A-Wish kids received, looked up at me and said, “Daddy, I want to be a Make-A-Wish kid.”

“No, son,” I said, momentarily paralyzed by the idea. “No, you don’t. But we’ll do everything we can to help the kids who are, OK?”

Michael S. Miller is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Email him at mmiller@toledofreepress.com.

Tags: Alyson Stoner, Christopher Stoll, Crystal Bowersox, FOX Toledo, Holiday Wishes, Jamie Farr, Kerry Patrick Clark, Larry Meyer, Lighting The Fuse, Make-A-Wish, Mannheim Steamroller, Michael S. Miller, Mighty Wyte, Panera Bread, The Blarney Bullpen, Toledo Free Press, Toledo Symphony Orchestra

This entry was posted on Thursday, November 24th, 2011 at 12:00 am and is filed under Lighting The Fuse, Make-A-Wish, Opinion.
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The wonder and excitement of the first snowfall of the season was the inspiration behind “(Looks Like It’s Going to Be) A Great Day,” local singer-songwriter Kerry Patrick Clark’s original contribution to “Holiday Wishes.”

“That’s kind of the view of every child, from a holiday standpoint, the first snow, the first time they go on a boat ride, all those kinds of things,” Clark said. “One of the coolest events of the year is the first snowfall because it just makes everything look incredible.”

Kerry Clark

To write the song, Clark drew from his own childhood memories as well as his experiences as a father.

“Now my 8-year-old son is asking those same questions I did growing up,” Clark said. “At the mere thought of snow, he asks, ‘Daddy, can we get the sled out?’ and I say, ‘I hope so, buddy.’ I wrote it from that perspective, but also from the father’s perspective now.”

Clark’s son, Robbie, and wife, Amy, also sing on the track.

Clark said he was thrilled to be part of the project and to support the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

“I love what they’re about and I love what they do,” Clark said. “Anytime there’s something out there for a good cause, I’m there.”

Make-A-Wish’s mission of bringing hope and joy to sick children is near to Clark’s heart. For several years, he has worked with The Songs of Love Foundation, a national nonprofit organization that commissions artists to write original songs for children facing medical, physical or emotional challenges. The lyrics are personalized with the child’s name and references to his or her family, friends, pets and favorite activities.

“The gift of a song to a child is pretty incredible and the cool thing is the song is written specifically for each child,” Clark said. “Can you imagine your entire life spent in the hospital and a CD shows up in the mail celebrating your friends and your life? How cool is that? I think I’ve written about 500 hit songs as far as I’m concerned.”

Clark said he hopes listeners feel more hopeful after listening to “Holiday Wishes.”

“What I’m about is using music to sing hope into the human experience; that’s my desire,” Clark said. “All of us are living crazy lives — house, family, jobs, everything asking a little more, trying to make dollars stretch and time stretch. My hope is this CD will be an opportunity for people to just sit down and breathe, listen and just be. Music has a marvelous and miraculous ability to transport people to peace and hope, so my hope for the CD is that it provides that for other people.”

Tags: Holiday Wishes, Kerry Patrick Clark, Make-A-Wish

This entry was posted on Wednesday, November 23rd, 2011 at 1:00 am and is filed under Community, Make-A-Wish.
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Since early August, I have been listening to holiday music. Not because my Microsoft Entourage calendar is ahead of itself; I have been working with scores of local artists to compile a CD to a benefit for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.

Jamie Farr, Alyson Stoner, Crystal Bowersox, Mannheim Steamroller, Pat Dailey and the Toledo Symphony Orchestra are a few of the contributors who have donated their talents to the CD, titled “Holiday Wishes: NW Ohio Artists Unite for Make-A-Wish.”

I have been thinking about producing a holiday CD of local artists for a couple of years, but had not seriously pursued it until late this summer, during a meeting with Eric Slough, executive director of Make-A-Wish’s Northwest Ohio Region. Slough mentioned his organization’s annual fundraiser, coffee mugs featuring art by a local Make-A-Wish child that are distributed in Panera Bread locations. As we were talking, the proverbial light bulb went off in my head and I pitched the notion of compiling a CD that would feature local artists; the art normally wrapped on a mug could be used for the front cover. Slough pitched the idea to Development Officer Ellie McManus and their board of directors; we met with Panera Bread; and in early September, we received a green light.

While I contacted artists and matched them with songs, Slough secured funding for the project from General Motors/UAW Local 14, ensuring there would be no costs charged to Make-A-Wish (and that 100 percent of the $9.99 retail price of the CD will go to Make-A-Wish).

My wife Shannon has long worked with Make-A-Wish, and I have seen firsthand the literal miracles the organization is capable of. Raising two blessedly healthy boys adds to my appreciation for the Make-A-Wish mission. That standard meant I would not compromise on the quality of the CD, and I set my sights on the stars.

Then, the first three artists I contacted turned me down. That initially shook my confidence and had me doubting I could make the CD a reality.

But immediately, Jeff Stewart, Kyle White, Kerry Patrick Clark and Ramona Collins all jumped in with great enthusiasm, and we’ve never looked back.

I have faced very few projects with such enthusiasm — and such ignorance. I had no idea just what I was asking of the musicians, producers and engineers, in terms of time and effort. There will be another time for a more thorough thank-you list, but it is important to note that without Christopher Stoll of Zeta Recording Studio, David Mariasy of Audio Matrix Recording Studio, producer Mighty Wyte and attorney Larry Meyer, who guided us through the licensing maze, this never would have become reality.

There will be two dozen tracks on the CD, ranging from a harp solo by Nancy Lendrim to a Stones-y blast through Chuck Berry’s “Run Run Rudolph” by Voodoo Libido. Dave Gierke of Toledo School for the Arts helped secure Tower Brass, the Toledo Jazz Orchestra and Crystal Bowersox. Many of our media friends — 13abc’s Lee Conklin, K100’s Harvey Steele, Clear Channel “Voice of the Rockets” Mark Beier and FOXToledo’s Laura Emerson & Shaun Hegarty — stepped up and contributed vocals to spoken word tracks. Chrys Peterson of WTOL 11 brought Graceland to Zeta Recording with Hepcat Revival and channeled Elvis on a blistering version of “Santa, Bring My Baby Back to Me.”

I will not give away all the surprises on the CD, but mixed with classics recorded by Tapestry, Sheri LaFontaine, Kate Jordan, Chris Brown and Candice Coleman, and a chorus from the Toledo Museum of Art are original, newly recorded works by Reedius Maximus, Clark, Jameil Aossey and Charles Lane, and Rugby.

I was humbled by the lengths the artists went to. The Toledo Symphony Orchestra recorded “Sleigh Ride” during a September concert in Findlay, and captured a playful, majestic performance that redefines the song. Farr went into Marc Graue Voice Over Studios in Burbank, Calif., and performed a lively “Visit from Saint Nicholas” that will be cherished by many generations of Toledoans. Dailey and Sylvania native Chip Davis, founder of Mannheim Steamroller, generously and speedily donated tracks to the cause. Jeff Stewart recorded a Johnny Cash-inspired version of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer,” then unselfishly opened the track to a singing chorus of local Make-A-Wish kids.

There will be a number of ways to purchase the CD. Regional Panera Bread stores will sell the album, starting around Thanksgiving. There will be a public kick-off concert at 6 p.m. Dec. 1 at The Blarney Bullpen; those CDs will be signed by some of the artists, and special packages donated by Alyson Stoner will be available. If your company is interested in buying bulk copies as a corporate gift, please contact Eric Slough at EricS@makeawishohio.org.

The Thanksgiving issue of Toledo Free Press will contain a complete guide to the CD, with behind-the-scenes stories and photos from several of the recording sessions.

Since early August, I have been listening to holiday and Christmas music. People are asking me if I am sick and tired of hearing these holiday songs.

The answer is an emphatic no. I love every one of these songs, what they represent, and the kids who will be helped by them. I’m already thinking about 2012. I can’t believe no one asked about “White Christmas” this year, and I know exactly who I am going to ask to record it for next year …

Michael S. Miller is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star. Email him at mmiller@toledofreepress.com.

Tags: Alyson Stoner, Audio Matrix Recording Studio, Blarney Bullpen, Candice Coleman, Charles Lane, Chip Davis, Chris Brown, Christopher Stoll, Chrys Peterson, Chuck Berry, Crystal Bowersox, David Gierke, David Mariasy, Eric Slough, General Motors, Harvey Steele, Jameil Aossey, Jamie Farr, Jeff Stewart, Johnny Cash, Kate Jordan, Kerry Patrick Clark, Kyle White, Larry Meyer, Laura Emerson, Lee Conklin, Lighting The Fuse, Make-A-Wish, Mannheim Steamroller, Marc Graue, Mark Beier, Michael S. Miller, Mighty Wyte, Nancy Lendrim, Panera Bread, Pat Dailey, Ramona Collins, Reedius Maximus, rugby, Shaun Hegarty, Sheri LaFontaine, Tapestry, the Toledo Jazz Orchestra, Toledo Museum of Art, Toledo School for the Arts, Toledo Symphony Orchestra, Tower Brass, UAW Local 14, Voodoo Libido, Zeta Recording

This entry was posted on Friday, October 21st, 2011 at 12:00 am and is filed under Lighting The Fuse, Opinion.
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