Cormac
McCarthy

Reviews by Teachers and Student for

Hard Times and Good Times in America

Cormac performed at several Nashville schools as part of his appearances for Woody Guthrie 90th Birthday, Woody Guthrie Foundation, Nashville, TN.

Dear Cormac,

On behalf of the Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, I would like to sincerely thank you for the outstanding performances you gave during Woody Guthrie month at three of our middle schools. I was fortunate enough to attend one of the performances and was quite impressed. It is nice to know that another generation is informed about Woody Guthries's causes and music.

We appreciated your willingness to educate and entertain our students. I feel that all those students who had the privilege of attending one of your performances will long remember who you are and the music you presented.

Sincerely,

Carol Crittenden
Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator
Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools

Letter of Recommendation:

June 2002

To Whom it May Concern:

Cormac recently performed for my 115 8^th grade students during he last period of the last day before vacation!Needless to say this was not an ideal time to perform for adolescents. Cormac however, not only held their attention but they lingered after the bell because they didn’t want his concert to end. My students were captivated by Cormac’s chronicles of Woody Guthrie’s experiences during the Great Depression. He kept them intrigued by skillfully weaving Guthrie’s songs with historical background information and interesting anecdotes of the era.

Throughout Cormac’s performance he celebrates the life of one of the greatest troubadours of this century by singing and playing a wonderful selection of Guthrie’s music. His choices not only reveal Guthrie’s talents as a poet and writer but also provide his audience a glimpse in the lives of a generation of Americans who truly understood the meaning of the word struggle.

Cormac’s musical ability is astounding. He incorporated vocals, harmonica and guitar and is incredibly talented in all 3 arenas. My students were thrilled with his musical skills but were even more impressed with his sense of humor.

"Mr. McCarthy impressed us all with his ability to play the guitar, sing, and play the harmonica all in one song! He played a variety of songs, some we had studied in class and some new ones, some happy, and others sad, but no matter what, we sang along. He gave us the chance to listen to songs we don’t hear everyday."

"Mr. McCarthy told us things about the Depression that our history books didn’t. I loved his stories and he’s a really great musician too. He even made Woody Guthrie sound good."

My students and I would highly recommend Cormac McCarthy’s performance for any audience. He was accommodating and knowledgeable and most important of all he puts on an incredible show.

In addition, I’m booking his show for the Old Berwick Historical Society next year!

Please feel free to call if you would like any further information: 207/384-2248.

Sincerely,

Nicole St. Pierre

94 Emery’s Bridge Road
South Berwick, ME 03908

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