Guest Editorial: Mark Solomon and The PD Song
Hi all - I asked Mark to write up a post regarding his experience with Parkinson's Disease, and a song he wrote which has been very well received. Give it a read, and check out the song, which is available for download at the bottom of Mark's site.
The PD Song
My name is Mark Solomon. I'm a TV writer/producer. I've lived here in Ojai for 20 years. Many of those years were spent commuting back and forth to the Valley since I was producing such shows as ALICE, GRACE UNDER FIRE and DIAGNOSIS:MURDER. I was also Executive Producer of NEWHART (By the by, I was nominated for an Emmy for writing the now famous LAST NEWHART episode! Unfortunately, I lost to an episode of THE WONDER YEARS about the death of a teacher! Funny stuff! Go figure!)
2 1/2 years ago, I found out I had Parkinson's Disease. I'm still at a very early stage, though I do have tremors in my right arm and leg. It's noticeable and like Michael J. Fox, I tried to hide it. I sucked at it! People could tell something was wrong with me.
I'm also a songwriter and I was having difficulty playing the guitar and piano. I hadn't written any songs in the past couple of years. My wife, Cary, told me not to get discouraged. Keep practicing! Maybe write a new song! About what? She said I should write about Parkinson's. I thought she was nuts! I'm a comedy writer and that's way too depressing! She said it doesn't have to be a sad song. Make it funny! Now I KNEW she was nuts! But the more I thought about it, the more I realized she might be on to something!
I picked up my guitar and within a half hour I had the song! Music and lyrics! The song almost wrote itself! I played it for a musician friend of mine, Sean Fullerton, over the phone. He lives in the Bay Area. He said he would love to add piano, drums and bass to it. Fine by me! We've been working by internet. He emails me the instrumental tracks and I lay in the vocals on my Mac! He just finished the final mix last week (actually, he's still tinkering with the harmonies!) It's called "THE PD SONG." I'm pretty sure this is the first disease to have its very own theme song!
The reaction to the song has been amazing! Some people laugh, some cry. Anyone who has PD or knows someone who has it will identify. The Ojai Valley News just did an interview with me about the song. It will be in tomorrow's edition ( Wednesday, June 10.)
I realized the song might make a great fundraising tool as well as bring awareness to Parkinson's. I sent it over to the Michael J. Fox Foundation and TeamFox. The reaction was immediate! They loved the tune. I proposed that they list it on their blog with links to iTunes, Amazon and CD Baby, with all proceeds going to the Foundation. They agreed! The song should be available on those sites in about a week. In the meantime, "THE PD SONG" can be heard on my website www.markssolomon.com.
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Comments (6)
Great interview and we love your song! Will be looking for your interview in the OVN tomorrow!
Comment #1 Posted by: Sheila Smigel | June 9, 2009 05:56 PM
It's disheartening to see that the people at the Michael J. Fox Foundation have brought one more person into the fold.
Michael's so-called "nonprofit" is making millions of dollars employing people to be a brick wall to information that could help Michael and others recover from this debilitating condition (not "disease").
The truth about Parkinson's:
Most cases of Parkinson's are caused by the overconsumption of aspartame-containing beverages. Michael J. Fox is a diet Pepsi addict and has been for many years. (I use the word "addict" to describe overconsumption, not chemical dependency.)
I've written the "nonprofit" many times to tell them about the detrimental health effects associated with Michael's addiction, but nothing has come of it. Why? Because their salaries depend on Michael's ignorance.
Type the words "aspartame parkinson's" into google and you'll get over 100,000 web pages.
Type "aspartame" into the Michael J. Fox Foundation search box, and you'll get zero results.
The people working at the Michael J. Fox Foundation should be ashamed that they belong to an organization that keeps people in the dark about simple dietary changes that can alleviate suffering.
In health,
Jock Doubleday
Director
Natural Woman, Natural Man, Inc.
A California 501(c)3 Nonprofit Corporation
http://www.SpontaneousCreation.org
director@spontaneouscreation.org
Comment #2 Posted by: Jock Doubleday | June 11, 2009 08:13 AM
That's just uncalled for Jock. You should be ashamed of yourself.
Comment #3 Posted by: LS | June 11, 2009 08:21 AM
Over the years I have taught yoga to several people in the beginning stages of Parkinson's disease. There is a chapter in my most recent book, "The New Yoga for Healthy Aging," devoted to yoga and PD).
I also know of yoga teachers who manage their symptoms with yoga. There is a wealth of information out there on nutrition, yoga, environmental factors, etc.,and the possible connections to PD.
Unfortunately, many "Foundations" pour untold millions into seeking a "cure" and very little attention is paid to prevention.
On a related note, the search for a "cure" often involves cruel and unecessary experiments on animals. For me that is the saddest part of all. For all our progress, we are still in the dark ages of medicine.
Comment #4 Posted by: Suza | June 11, 2009 08:36 AM
I should add that during the years that I did home health care I helped take care of people in the later stages of PD. It becomes increasingly challenging for someone with PD to maintain quality of life as he or she grows older ... I applaud Michael Fox and others for their work bringing PD out in the open. I will take time in the near future to learn more about his Foundation. It is important to do our own research about any Foundations...
Comment #5 Posted by: Suza | June 11, 2009 08:50 AM
Had a great chat with Mark at Movino moments ago for Radio Ojai. Click here to listen. Thanks, Tyler, for sending Mark my way. He's an inspiration.
Comment #6 Posted by: Lisa Snider | June 12, 2009 05:15 PM