Our continued prays and condolences go out to Freddie's wife Lee Ann and sons Rocco and Joseph as well as the entire Rubino family.

It's not an exaggeration or an overly sentimental tribute to say that Fred, more than any one person, has inspired this site. Long before his storied career as a beloved educator in the New York City school system he taught guitar to an eager class of teens in a small school called "the center". He taught them three chords and told them to play. The teens studied hard and learned how to play and when it came time for graduation they held a ceremony in the St. Cecilia's gym. They called the ceremony a "Wine and Cheese"

Song For Fred

As Fred himself did in times of pain and loss in his life (see "Philly, Mike and Nick" on the Newtown Creek Music site), I too have written a simple song as a way of paying tribute, sorting out feelings and easing pain.

Fred, of course, left us on a Monday at the beginning of Holy Week. This "Song For Fred" was completed in my head by the morning of his church service on Good Friday. By Good Friday night I thought to myself wouldn't it be a special tribute to Fred if I played the song on guitar for the first time on Easter Sunday morning at dawn, in my yard, with the birds singing etc., etc. (I know Freddie would have loved this idea). So at 5am on Easter morning I took my guitar, a microphone and my laptop out to my porch and waited for dawn. I recorded a few takes before finally getting all the way through one. When I did the sun was beginning to lighten the Easter morning sky and the birds were singing. How symbolic it all felt. And by the way, did I mention, it was also Freddie's birthday.