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Raves for "Class Song"
"Sometimes an artist perfectly nails a concept, an emotion, or a
shared experience, and does it so well that it is lauded almost
universally by all who come in contact with it. There are
examples in film, literature, and other art forms, but we found
our own particular masterpiece in Class Song.
Notice how I used the phrase, 'our own particular masterpiece.'
This song generated a reaction in people unlike any I had ever
seen before. Having gone to school with the composer/performer,
Dave Caruso, I naturally felt a connection to the song,
which I believed was based on the fact that its writer was
someone who had gone through the same stage of his life at the
same time and place as I had.
Upon going to college and meeting others from literally all over
the planet, spanning any possible socio-demographic one would
care to invent, I discovered that Dave hadn’t written a song
merely about a Trenton, MI high school. Rather, he had
lyrically captured the high school experience so well, and his
singing, arrangement and musical style had so perfectly
supported the opposing emotions of nostalgia and anticipation,
that it became clear he had, in effect, written a song about
EVERY high school.
Boy, talk about an icebreaker. Picture yourself a 17-year-old
college freshman at a small dormitory party with folks from
Texas, New Jersey, Jamaica, Pittsburgh, Mexico, and L.A. All of
these disparate backgrounds now thrust together in the
continuing process called 'growing up.'
As the night rolls on, the conversations inevitably include
aspects of each’s individual background that they’re
particularly proud of. When it became my turn, I broke out the
Class Song single. The reaction was stunning. Girls
cried. Guys took a swig of beer to hide the fact that they were
choking up. People would sometimes actually applaud after
hearing it – on the stereo. There was never an occasion where
it wasn’t asked to be played again. The unanimous approval was
overwhelming.
It was as if the emotional investment people put into listening
and relating to that song gave them an ownership of sorts to
it. It’s kind of like when a couple refers to something as 'our
song' or 'our movie.'
Well, what Dave did was make “our song” not just for his
classmates, but for everyone who has ever heard it.”
Phil Preston
THS Class of 1979
“I have known Dave Caruso for over 30 years. Dave was my
first friend and we have always shared a love of music. My
happiest memories of childhood involve music and our rather
primitive attempts at creating our own. Dave mastered the
keyboard and guitar very early, then began writing his own music
at an age where most of his peers were putting baseball cards
into bicycle wheels to make 'cool' sounds (which Dave did
too…). Dave’s musical gifts were obvious to all of us around
him, but one of his strongest and most impressive talents is his
songwriting.
While some songwriters take us to a place we’ve never been
before, Dave’s lyrics take us instead to places we’ve been and
would like to visit again. Describing his songs as
'bittersweet' doesn’t tell the whole story either, they’re much
more complex than that. Writing the class song was a unique
experience because it had to reach high school kids and appeal
to them and also look into the future 20 years or so to see the
truth in the lyrics played out in all of our lives. Listening
to Class Song gives the listener exactly what Dave
intended to give: a trip back to the happy and sometimes sad
memories of our times together in high school. Looking back
twenty years ago, I often wonder how Dave could have known how
true that song really is.
Having one of your classmates write your class song is much more
personal and special than simply picking a song heard on the
radio. I know of several schools who chose 'Free Bird' or
'Stairway to Heaven,' not really giving it much thought. Twenty
years later, those songs are as stale as last night’s beer and
just as appetizing. I’m thankful that our class chose Dave’s
song and I think it’s aged very well. Rather than being old and
stale, it’s as new and ever-changing as we are. As we age, we
become more confident of ourselves and learn to appreciate
others a little more. As I age, I appreciate the friends I had
in school more each passing year and count myself fortunate that
Dave Caruso is a friend of mine.”
Art Zasadny
THS Class of 1979
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