Anthony Freddura's Schools

• Stonehill College , Class of 1994

Anthony Freddura's Publications

• Michael Pollan, Anthony Freddura January, 2011 by Anthony Freddura One of my favorite authors remains Michael Pollan, who wrote the highly influential book The Omnivore’s Dilemma. A University of California, Berkeley journalism professor educated at Bennington College and Columbia University, Pollan demonstrated his expertise in science and the environment throughout his career. He earned publication in The New York Times Magazine and Harper’s Magazine, as well as in anthologized in volumes such as Best American Science Writing and the Norton Book of Nature Writing. Pollan writes books that detail the progression of his interests in what we grow and eat. In his first book, Second Nature: A Gardener’s Education, Pollan wrote about his experiences in agriculture at an old dairy farm he bought in Connecticut. Following the publication of his second book in 1991, A Place of My Own: The Education of an Amateur Builder, Pollan returned to the topic of plants in 2001 with The Botany of Desire: A Plant’s-Eye View of the World. Pollan’s exploration of the social history of domesticated plants in The Botany of Desire led to a PBS documentary of the same name. After reading The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals, I counted Pollan among my favorite authors, such as Mark Twain, Jack Kerouac, and Tom Wolfe. Published in 2006 and based on the simple question of what people should eat in the 21st century, The Omnivore’s Dilemma delves into the personal and global implications of our eating habits. By following the production of four different types of food, Pollan arrived at the convincing conclusion that the best diet remains one that consists mostly of plants produced locally and sustainably. Since then, Pollan has written In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto and Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual, both of which expand on the groundbreaking and thought-provoking suggestions in The Omnivore’s Dilemma, ideas that shape the way people today think about food.

• Lincoln Brewster: An Inspired Christian Recording Artist, Anthony Freddura January, 2011 by Anthony Freddura [Posted at Wikimedia Commons] A longtime musician and fan of music in many genres, I enjoy many American musical artists, including Ray Charles and Ray LaMontagne. I play rhythm guitar for worship events at the Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts. Last year I received an invitation to perform at a weekend retreat for high school students at Camp Berea in Hebron, New Hampshire. Playing songs by Christian recording artists Lincoln Brewster, Matt Redman, and Hillsong UNITED of Hillsong Church, I reinforced the retreat’s goal of engaging students with God and the teachings of Jesus Christ. Born in 1971, Lincoln Brewster inspires many younger Christians. He not only serves as a Pastor, but also as a highly respected multi-instrumentalist who gained a reputation over the past two decades for his excellent guitar recordings. As a child growing up in Homer, a seaside Alaskan town of 5,400 residents, Brewster played mandolin alongside his mother as cruise ship passengers disembarked. As a teen, Brewster moved to Modesto, California, and joined marching and jazz bands, playing guitar and the snare drum. An accomplished guitarist by the age of 19, Brewster received recording offers and promises of a lucrative career from producers in Los Angeles. Feeling empty inside, Brewster turned to God through the encouragement of a girlfriend. During the early 1990s, Brewster recorded music and toured with Steve Perry, former Lead Vocalist of the band Journey, before returning to Modesto and working with youth as a Worship Leader and Associate Music Director at the church he attended. In 1997, Brewster moved to Nashville, where he worked with veteran Christian musicians and broadened his expertise in music. Moving back to California in 2001, Brewster serves as Worship Arts Pastor for Bayside Church in Granite Bay, near Sacramento. I appreciate the upbeat energy of Brewster’s contemporary Christian sound, as do younger generations of believers who have made his music popular in recent years.

• The Evolution of Praise and Worship Music, Anthony Freddura February, 2011 by Anthony Freddura I take part in Grace Chapel’s Life Community Through Worship program, which includes worship songs and Bible study. The genre called praise and worship music, or contemporary worship music, evolved gradually over the last 50 years and has become a major aspect of contemporary Christian musical expression. Starting in the 1960s, Christian groups began placing emphasis on reaching young people, and they turned to music to achieve this goal. Very quickly, this type of music began incorporating influences from popular music. The hippie movement of the 1960s led many young people to seek out spiritual experiences, and their desire spawned the so-called Jesus Movement of the 1970s. This group wanted to translate their excitement for worship and praise into a musical context, and they achieved this goal via rock music and festivals. Although controversial at first, by the end of the 1970s, the Christian rock music industry was firmly established, and shortly thereafter the term “Christian contemporary music” (CCM) was coined. While CCM continued to expand through the 1980s, the music used for worship purposes in Church did not change as quickly. Young people increasingly questioned why the music used to express their praise should differ from the music they enjoyed at concerts and at home. In the 1990s, the modern conception of praise and worship music evolved. Often led by a rock-style ensemble, this genre was intended for communal participation. Congregations now sing along with bands who play a variety of musical styles, from traditional hymns to Christian rock, R&B, or even hip-hop. Part of the appeal of praise and worship music is its accessibility. Repertoire is often chosen from songs that the congregation knows and loves, and for that reason everyone can sing along and participate. Additionally, because the music is played on popular instruments, virtually anyone can lead a worship band. All it takes is the desire to get involved and a bit of musical practice.

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