Now Collecting
Anselm Rothschild stories and artifacts relating to his lifetime, his music, and his legacy.
COLLECTIVE NARRATIVE
Add your story by sending it to anselmproject1@gmail.com.
The Music Can Live on
"This connection to Jerusalem moved Anselm to write music for the ages that were coming, but also for the ages that had passed. He was absorbed in the wisdom of the past and moving into the present and leaving behind something for the future... He absorbed the past, wanted to help with the future, and did his best while he was here. I think his contribution... was immense... the music can keep going... I hope we can move his legacy forward especially now with human rights, because that's what Anselm was all about."
-Jack Healey, March 11, 2018, Washington D.C.
“Let Me Hear You, God”
"Though Anselm was on this earth a short time, he left us a beautiful gift with his music."
-Andrea Rae Markowicz
Music is a Superb Democracy
"I think the nature of music is such that it's a singular experience...It's you and the band, or it's you and the orchestra, and I think that's a superb democratic process...So you have this wonderful, powerful element that comes into your life called music, which can elevate you, and you're on your own...It's just you making your own decision...And I think that's the true definition of what democracy means."
-Jack Healey, March 11, 2018, Washington D.C.
Legacy
Singing under Anselm's baton was one of the greatest pleasures of my early life. His coaching was an inspiration, and his confidence in me is still one of the cornerstones of my personal and professional self esteem. It was an honor and a privilege to have known him and be mentored by him. I miss him. I'm heartened that his work and life are being appreciated now, and I hope to be part of the revival of his musical legacy.
-Richard Brenin
Inside Me
After hearing this song nearly 30 years ago, it touched me so deeply that I knew I would never forget it. In 2016, as a musical director, I brought this piece to my community by teaching it to an amateur singing group of adults. It moved them in such a way as to inspire them to sing the song as a series of solos with a group harmony ending. They went out on a limb, past their usual point of courage, and pushed themselves musically farther than they normally would, because the words are so personal and relevant. Anselm's music is still fresh for today. His message is universally timeless and human.
- Katy Gibney
At the Piano
I too was close to Anselm in the 1970s through Young World Development/American Freedom from Hunger Foundation. I will always remember him at the piano in his parents' home playing some original compositions and sharing his dream of composing a symphony. It is a memory vivid to this day as I reflect on what a loss his untimely death was to all of us and to this world.
- Carolyn Todd, from the Anselm Rothschild Facebook memorial page
A Universal Force
"He's a positive person, one of the most positive people I've ever met... He moved without power or money. And that's what I try to do in my life, move without power and money and still get the job done... [Anselm was] a universal force to do good in the world. That surge in him was unique... unusual. I have never seen anything like it!"
-Jack Healey, March 11, 2018, Washington D.C.
The Art of Interpretation
-Mark Stillman
“the shirt off his back …”
-Mark Stillman
Reminiscences
-Mark Stillman
A Labor of Love
I didn't know Anselm, but, rather, came to "know" him through his music. I took the many cassette tapes that were discovered, imported the audio to my computer, performed all of the "sweetening," as it is called, and made the masters for the CDs that were produced a couple of years ago. He was such a versatile and creative composer. I was excited to work on the project and considered it a labor of love.
-Art Vanick, August 2018
Fannie Lou Hamer Influences Anselm
“Anselm connected two parts of his life, his love of justice and
his love of music, and brought them together so that one of the
legacies he leaves us is a song that was inspired by Fannie Lou
Hamer in the deep South.”
-Mike Seltzer
The 1969 Draft
“A poignant moment in the history of our country.”
-Laurie Ferber Podolsky
Becky and Anselm Finally Face to Face
“...a short person in the biggest coat I have ever seen...”
"I fell down on my knees"
Moe talks about how Anselm impacted his students, and inspired their dedication and continue service to important social causes.
The Importance of Pianos
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"You Smell Like Colorado!"
“He (Anselm) always was curious about life and he loved people and he always made you feel special.”
Michael Recalls Anselm
“Anselm was a larger than life person. Everybody who was in the room with him felt his presence. They felt the power of his artistry, the power of his intellect, the power and energy of his passion.”
-Mike Seltzer
“I Give!”
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Bye, Bye, Bicycle
Two things come to mind as I remember the very young Anselm I knew in the Bronx. The first is that I always thought of Anselm and Leslie Morrison as the Amalgamated's very own Cubby and Karen. The second was being with him when he naively lent his brand new bicycle to "some kid" who pointed to Anselm's father and said, “It's alright. That's your Dad, right?” Bye bye bicycle. He was a gentle trusting soul.
- Steffi Rubin, from the Anselm Rothschild Facebook memorial page
Arriving Early
Anselm also studied piano with Malka Gottlieb (who happens to be Zalman's aunt). That’s how I knew him. His lesson was before mine, and I would arrive early so I could listen to him play.
- Sheila Krstevski, from the Anselm Rothschild Facebook memorial page
Sight Reading
Like so many of us, I was blessed to share quality time with Ans and considered him my mentor in the production of live events. We accomplished much together, Live Aid being one thing, the Los Angeles AIDS Quilt Event being another. But one of the greatest memories I have is when Ans asked me to come and sing for high holy days with the choir he led. He asked me if I could sight read and I said, "Yes, but I'd like to go over the music with you prior to sitting in." He agreed that it would be a good idea, so I went to the apartment one night and we sat down on the piano bench together. Ans opened a very LARGE volume of music and began to play. We went through a few pieces for about half an hour and Anselm turned to me and said, "You're right. You read very well. This should be no problem," to which I replied, "Thanks, Ans. It's beautiful music... when were you going to tell me that it was in HEBREW???" We both had a good laugh over that small omission of his for years to come... and it turns out that sight reading in a foreign language is not so hard if you just give yourself over to it!
- Cynthi Stephanoni
Dupont Circle
Anselm Rothschild and I met one predictably sultry summer day in Washington, D.C. After a long work day at the American Freedom from Hunger Foundation, which was located on H Street, we walked and talked ourselves to Dupont Circle where, as the sun went down and the heat broke, we sat on the grass for hours, opened our hearts and poured them out to each other.
This is a picture of what it was like to know Anselm. He freely opened the hearts of those around him and poured himself into us. He listened and then he spoke with words and music that continues to inspire.
-Susan Forsythe