 A
Wonderful Day In the Neighborhood…with Fred Rogers
By Scott Ferguson
Fred Rogers |
This
past week we lost Fred Rogers, an enduring icon of childhood for
several generations. Fred set the bar for children’s programming
in the same unassuming manner that he presented himself to children.
Quiet and confident, a reassuring voice from the adult world that
paid careful attention to the realities of the child’s world.
I had
an opportunity while still in high school near Pittsburgh to participate
in making a short film for PBS with my creative writing class. I
was lucky to be selected to compose and perform music for the soundtrack
to the film. The studio at KQED where we recorded was the same soundstage
as Mr. Rogers’ neighborhood.
We
literally set up our instruments on the set of the Neighborhood
and even tracked one set of the music using Mr. Rogers’ celeste
instead of the piano. Mr. Rogers’ warm aura permeated the
room as we performed this set of the music with that magic sounding
keyboard.
Our
film went on to get a five-star rating from Cue Magazine and was
seen on all the PBS stations east of the Mississippi River. I always
felt we were blessed with Mr. Rogers’ good karma on this project.
And
I believe that applies to his legacy among the children lucky enough
to have been his TV friends.
We
here at ToyDirectory would like to join our industry in sending
Fred Rogers off the world stage with love and a hearty thank you.
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