Willie Nelson

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John Fern gets it. The point of this project emerges to reveal itself in his video. Sing a song of peace.

A simple demonstration of peace becomes a transmission of the idea of peace. To have the idea of peace everywhere would manifest peace everywhere.

Keep singing the song.

John Fern, rightfully famous for his virtual duets on YouTube, adds “A Peaceful Solution” virtual duet with Willie Nelson. John does a great job of getting Willie to keep up with his guitar playing.

John also did a great job editing the audio and video to create this effect. Smooth singing and smooth editing results in a video you will want to watch more than once.

We must hold peace, love and harmony in our minds. John gives us an example with this video. He appears to invoke Willie’s spirit of peace, love and harmony for the sake of the song.

And while John and Willie sing the traffic noises go away. It becomes as if we enter another dimension. We enter a dimension of peace, love and harmony by singing a song.

A brilliant example simply executed.

John’s singing helps create the example by seamlessly blending his voice with Willie’s voice. The mellow vocals help create a dimension of peace, love and harmony.

Now that John gets it, it is time for more people out there to get it. Lift up your voices.

Keep singing a song of peace.

Thanks, John, for adding your voice to peace. Please go visit John Fern at his YouTube channel and his personal website.

* * * * * Artist’s Statement * * * * *

When I sat down to write this article, I was a bit stumped on how to go about it. My first idea was to point out how significant peace is, not only to our country and world, but also our own neighborhoods.

Then I toyed with the angle on how music can have a powerful impact on getting a message of love and peace across that might otherwise go unheard. Of course I considered the historical peace advocates in the past that gave so much, only to suffer and die for their beliefs and convictions. But chances are these subjects were already covered.

So, I settled on sharing a story about a musician named Clayton.

I first met Clayton when my brother, Joe, and I were playing guitar out on the courtyard of our apartment complex in the late 70’s. We saw Clayton go into the building before returning with his guitar. We introduced ourselves and the three of us played our favorite CSNY songs working out a nice three-part harmony.

Clayton told us he was drafted in the late 60’s but never completed basic. “They were training me to kill,” he said, “and I thought, ‘‘What am I doing here? I’m a peace freak!’ He then told us the story of faking a back injury during a march.
“I fell on the ground and began screaming, ‘It’s my back! I can’t feel it!’” The drill instructor removed an insignia from his uniform so he could use the stickpin on Clayton’s back.

“I just laid there as he stuck the pin into my back again and again. As hard as it was, I didn’t flinch, I just kept telling myself: “I’m a peace freak! I’m a peace freak!”

They sent him to the infirmary where Clayton played out his bluff, repeating his mantra every time the fear overwhelmed him about what he was doing and what the consequences could be.

Before they sent him home, the drill instructor told him, “I know you’re lying, and you are NOT going to get away with this. We will come and get you and bring you back and then you are really going to be sorry!”

He was terrified at the airport every time someone in a uniform went by, and all the way home his regret was eating him alive, but he kept telling himself: “I’m a peace freak…I’m a peace freak…”
It took months before his paranoia finally subsided and Clayton was content in the fact that they probably weren’t coming for him to take away his guitar and replace it with a rifle.

It may seem like an insignificant story, but I like to use Clayton’s mantra from time to time, and it seems to help. Try it the next time someone does something that you think requires an aggressive action on your part.

Just say: I’m a peace freak as many times as it takes, and say it as if you believe it with all your heart.

It just might be a small step toward a peaceful solution.

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