6 minute read
Last Call
Arny Spielberg
musician and Without a Net cofounder
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Arny Spielberg told his fel- also had surgery at the Brigham began as strictly a music event. were going to play and in what low musicians to “bring and Women’s Hospital. She was It was a fundraising concert, but keys, but we purposefully did not the funk” while recording diagnosed in February of 2009, the whole idea was based on a rehearse. Everybody went off and his original song, “Doin’ and eight months later, after metaphor for dealing with cancer. learned the songs on their own. the Best I Can.” Spielberg hopes chemoradiation and surgery, she Nobody ever plans to have cancer. And we came to that moment on the positive message will inspire was given the all-clear signal. Like Nobody ever rehearses having the stage and somebody counted donations for UMass Cancer a lot of families, we felt deeply cancer. There’s never any prom- it in. It worked because of the caliCenter. The recording includes indebted to the UMass Cancer ises for the way things ber of musicians that took part. contributions from Duke Levine, Center and we took part in the are going to turn Some of these events had 25 musiMike Ladd, Rob Coltun, Nicole annual UMass Cancer Center out. We cre- cians from around the region. But, Sutka, Erik Cohen, Michael Har- Walk. That year, we formed ated a musical there was always that element mon, Brooks Milgate, Fernando Team Pam and we took event similar of chance baked into the event. Perez and Spielberg himself. Both part in every walk for the to that. We My wife is a graphic designer and the track and the video were pro- next five years. But, on got great last year she decided she wanted duced by Michael Harmon, owner the fifth anniversary, we musicians to introduce an art element. We of Wachusett Recording Company said, “Let’s do something together invited artists from around the in Princeton. different.” We pushed and we region to hand paint umbrellas. around several ideas and agreed on How did you become involved where we landed was on a setlist. Ev- What is the significance of the with the UMass Cancer Center? this idea of Without a Net. erybody knew umbrella? In 2009, my wife, Pam, was diag- Without a what songs we The umbrella symbolizes shelter, nosed with esophageal cancer. Net but also it’s a tool to help us keep Individuals don’t get cancer, our balance. We invited these families get cancer. It really shook artists to hand-paint umbrellas, us, obviously. We found tremen- and last year we raffled them off. dous clinical and caregiver This year, the pandemic precluded resources at the UMass us from having a live event. We Cancer Center where did a web-based auction of the Pam received her umbrellas that went really chemo and ra- well. Over the last month, diation. She we also worked on creating a song. I wrote the lyrics in 2009, one night at the dining room table after Pam went to bed. It’s been kicking around for a while. I thought this was an especially timely and appropriate tune, not just for folks who were involved in the cancer fight, but more generally in the middle of this pandemic. I like to think the song has a very affirmative, positive and encouraging message.
How did you find yourself in Worcester? Are you from here originally?
I moved to Worcester in ’82 for a job. It’s kind of weird. I was born in Clinton, Massachusetts, but brought up in Brooklyn, New York. So, when I eventually moved back to Worcester, it really felt like moving home in a lot of respects. I’ve lived in the area ever since.
Can I ask what your day job is? I’m a writer and an editor at Commonwealth Medicine, which is a division of UMass Medical School.
What does the future look like for Without a Net?
That’s a great question. I like to believe that next year we’ll be able to hold another live event, but, like everyone else right now, we’re just making it up as we go. You have to leave yourself open to opportunities and collaborate with really great people. Without all the musicians in Central Mass, there is no Without a Net. Nearly every one of the individuals that make up our community of musicians has been personally impacted by cancer. They’ve either had it themselves or a member of their family or a friend or a loved one has had it or died from it. A couple of years ago at one of the live events, I was on the stage to welcome the audience. I asked everybody who had a personal experience with cancer to raise their hands. I am not lying when I tell you every single person in OCTOBER 8 the room raised their hands. The statistics are pretty stark. Sooner or later, someone in your circle is going to have cancer. Those are 14, 2020 the hard, cold facts. I feel like everybody has a stake in supporting cancer research and they’re doing amazing work at the molecular level here in Worcester. To hear Arny Spielberg’s “Doin’ the Best I Can,” visit https://www. youtube.com/watch?v=P7QXnvTt aZc&feature=youtu.be. To make a donation to UMass Cancer Center, visit https://support.umasscancerwalk.org/fundraiser/2793700. WORCESTERMAGAZINE.COM
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