Topical Music - Guitar and vocals: Freddy Harrington

Interview with Freddy Harrington


Songs: California, France, Lollipop Lover, Sweden, Ice Cream Lovers, New Mexico, Japan


Songs: St. Keats, Illinois, Spanish Love Song, Green Ice Cream, Long Island, "You Are So Beautiful", We Love Trevor, Ohio

Artist: Freddy Harrington
Medium: Small guitar and vocals
Location: Battery Park on Statue of Liberty ferry line

Dobre utra, jenouble, bonjour, bonjourno, buenoziwe, good morning. Freddy Harrington starts by saying hello in every language because he’s connecting with the world. “Too many people don’t understand that we are all the same under the sun so we limit ourselves by language.” For Mr. Harrington, though language is no barrier and he believes language shouldn’t be a barrier for anyone anymore because language is on the internet.

Freddy comes from Trinidad and Tobago and first came to the US on a track scholarship to Jackson State University. After graduating in 1987, he returned to the US in 1988 because he is fascinated by New York. “New York is unique because it gives you a chance to become…become whatever you want.”

When he first arrived in the city, Freddy recounts that his music was for survival. Now Mr. Harrington, a US citizen, does his music on the side and teaches high school science for a living. “It’s one of the most rewarding things I can do because I can take this experience from out here, and share it with students in school.” Most of the students, he explains, won’t be able to go to different countries anytime soon. Freddy, then, takes the experiences he has with people from all over the world while performing and brings that into the classroom. This allows them to “project their imaginations and see how big the world really is [but also] how really small it can be if you know anything about it.”

Freddy actually came up with his geographically based concept for songs when he was trying to teach his daughter geography. In his basement, he recalls, there is a map of the United States. To teach his daughter, he created an electronic game based on state nicknames and facts. He also finds inspiration in weather reports, stating that there is a lot of information about the world away in them and that it is very important to take information from everything around you.

Freddy’s father gave him his first guitar when was very small and he’s never stopped playing it. His current one is about 20 years old. Although he always enjoyed playing music he “didn’t realize that one day [he] was going to take this and make something out of it.” Indeed, Freddy does not play for the money and does not plan to make a career. Instead, he comes out for fun. He enjoys performing because he gets to meet all the people of the world. It’s about meeting people; “nothing serious.” Freddy is adamant that “this is not work.” He says it cannot be work because if it were work he would not enjoy it. “It’s not based on money it’s based on fun. If you are having fun you will be rewarded for having fun.”

Like what you hear? Need to teach your kid geography or science? Contact Freddy
fjnnatj@aol.com

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