The Tale Of Fredo Viola, The Sad Song And Faith In Humanity.


First of all, listen to Fredo Viola's 'Sad Song.'

Isn't it absolutely beautiful?

Then read the following email exchange between my brother-in-law and Fred Viola, my brother-in-law's being the first email.


Subject: Your wonderful music

Hi,

I just watched/listened to 'The Sad Song' (I got it on a link from this irreverent and brilliantly silly newsletter: http://www.b3ta.com/newsletter/issue157/ ) I was completely blown away, absolutely beautiful. I listened to some of your other MP3's and I'm hooked.

If it is not too much trouble, could you let me know how much you would need to post a copy of your CD to London England (on top of the $15 for the CD)?



Subject: Re: Your wonderful music

Hello there,

Thank you very much for the kind note! Yes, I've gotten a solid amount of traffic from that newsletter! :) If you add five dollars I will send you a cd. :) Thank you very much, again, for the encouragement. It really means a lot to me.

Sincerely,
Fredo Viola


Subject: Re: Your wonderful music

Thanks very much,

I am just waiting on a late payment from a client (freelance design - great when you are working from home in your underwear - sucks when your invoices are ignored by companies who's daily coffee bill is double what you're owed...) So I will get on the case and order your CD as soon as possible.

Thanks again


Subject: Re: Your wonderful music

Send me your address. I will send you a cd, and you can pay me if and when you are able. :)

- Fredo


Subject: RE: Your wonderful music

So, I wake up with a bit of a hangover, and I have to cycle into central London to get a new PC mouse as my last one packed up yesterday. Its Armistice day, so at 11am the world is supposed to stop, just for a minute, to quietly remember all those who gave their lives so we could live, and to remind ourselves why we shouldn't have any more wars, and I'm in the Virgin Megastore (huge loud record shop) at 11, and they didn't even turn the music off. I left and had my quite minute on the street outside, no one else stopped.

So this, coupled with my hangover pisses me off.

The PC Shop didn't have the mouse they said they did on the phone.

On the ride out to my studio in the East End, a taxi cuts me up and nearly knocks me off.

I decide to get a salt beef and mustard bagel to take the edge off, and the guy in front of me in the bagel shop orders 40, FORTY! salt beef and mustard bagels.

So by the time I get to my studio, my day is going very badly, I'm tired, hungover, pissed off, and hungry.

I open my emails and your random act of trust and kindness re-affirms my faith in humanity and makes me smile for the first time today.
So thank you Mr. Fredo Viola, you just made my whole day.

Footnote: whilst I was writing this, my lovely wife emails me just to tell me how much she loves me, and a client emails to tell me money has cleared my account - so I'm off to paypal right now. Some turnaround eh?


All the best


How lovely is that?

Oh, and to top it all the words at the end of the beautiful sad song are baby Harry be good.