About Don... written by my biggest fan (thanks mom!)

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Don Pierré is the second oldest child of Don and Joan Julin, He was born at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Detroit on August 2nd, 1960. His father was an automotive technician for Ford Motor Company and his mother was a home maker.

Joan had been born into a musical family. Her father had played the concertina, and her three brothers were all musicians, one brother teaching and also playing the accordion professionally and being asked to direct the music for the U.S. Air Force where he was stationed, another brother leading an orchestra in the Detroit area, and the last and youngest brother following in Gene Kroupa’s footsteps as he became a professional drummer. So Joan was always surrounded with wonderful music, growing up to appreciate all musical sounds and learning at a very early age that music can take you on many journeys. It is no wonder than that Joan wanted her children to learn to appreciate music.

The following are events that I remember, events that I have journaled in my mind, events that are so precious to me, of my son Don’s musical journey.

Don Pierre was only 5 years old when I took him to Massimino Music Studios and enrolled him into their private accordion classes. My oldest child Bonnie was already taking accordion lessons there. Providing music lessons for two children meant that I needed to really watch every penny and maintain a very strict budget. Having said that perhaps you can understand why I insisted that the children practice their music lessons daily.

We were living in Warren Woods, Michigan at the time and the summers were very hot and humid. Many times I would have the children practice their lessons in the basement where it was considerably cooler. I recall one time in particular that Don, who was 5 at the time, was not having what you would call a good practice session. He seemed to be making a lot of mistakes and one would think that he just might be doing this on purpose.

I remember scolding him and telling him if he wasn’t going to make good use of his time and practice correctly that he could just take the accordion off. And he did! He threw the accordion down on the cement basement floor and he didn’t pick up another musical instrument until he was 19 years old.

In 1969 the Julin family moved to Kewadin, a small community in Northern Michigan located 15 miles north of Traverse City. While there Don worked for Mr. White who had a large farm on U. S. 31N. Don was only 13 at the time and he would help in any capacity that Mr. White asked him to. I remember when he would come home with his belly all scratched up from bailing hay. It was hard work but it was good honest work and it taught him at an early age that it was necessary to work for things that he wanted. It was a time when  he learned a great work ethic. He would work in the summer time when school was not in session. And he would save his money. On Fridays when he would get paid for his week’s work he would come home eat his dinner and take a shower and ask to go into Elk Rapids for a while. And he would remind me that he was only taking 25 cents with him because he was saving the rest of his earnings. And he did. He saved all his money until he had saved enough to purchase his first Hi Fi Record Player and then he purchased records and listened to music every chance that he could.

Years passed and one day I received a telephone call from Don, who was then living with some friends at the time, and he told me that he was going to buy a mandolin. I was not familiar with  a mandolin, and ask him to tell me about that instrument. The rest of the conversation is kind of a blur because I got so excited to think that he was planning to learn to play an instrument. Wow~ could it be that music was again going to be in the family? But I should have realized that music had never really left him, it may have taken a detour for a while but the seeds of music were planted and Don was now going to nurture these feelings growing inside of him.

Among other bands that Don started was the creation of “The Microtones”. They played a lot of reggae music. I remember one event in particular where he called and asked if I wanted to take care of the cover charge at J. R’s Warehouse where they would be playing. Now its called the Loading Dock but back in the 80’s it was called J.R’s Warehouse. I jumped at the chance to be with the young musicians and also with my son.

Young musicians at the time had a hard time being paid a decent wage and many times just played for the cover charge. I can’t remember exactly what the cover charge was, either three dollars or five dollars. But there was a lighted marquee outside that establishment blinking TONIGHT THE MICROTONES and I do remember that the parking lot was full. And the line of people waiting to enter J. R.’s Warehouse circled the parking lot. I knew that The Microtones would get the benefit of the cover charge and I had made my mind up that no one was going to pass the entry door without paying the cover charge. And no one did!

Ordinarily, the band would go home with $30 to $50 each. That night the cover charge totaled $1400. I was ecstatic! It didn’t make any difference who you were, or who you knew, or what you said. If you wanted to hear the band that night, you paid the cover charge. Selfishly I always liked to think that the events of that night were an encouragement to the many steps that Don took on his musical journey.

Throughout the years Don has always made me feel so very special to be his Mom. Seeing crowds of people watching The Neptune Quartet perform, having people come up to me asking if I was related to Don Julin and proudly answering, “I’m Don’s Mom”.

Once when The Microtones were playing at The Pinestead some of Don’s friends ask me to dance with them as the band played “Take Me To The River” made popular by The Talking Heads. I had a great time. The kids certainly danced differently then from when I was their age. But I did what they did. Moved my whole body and arms and just got into the beat and I remember that night so well. And when the music stopped I remember hearing this young man thank me for dancing with him and telling me that the dance was just awesome.

When Don told me that he was going to Europe, to Italy in fact and that he would be entertaining there I was thrilled, so proud to think that my son was going to be  seen and heard in another country presenting his original music.  But the frosting on the cake was when I learned that he was asked to teach at the Cesare Pollini Conservatory of Music in Italy. All mothers are proud of their children and their accomplishments as it should be but the love of music gave Don and I  a special bond because we both appreciated music so very much.

Whenever I am sad, or discouraged, or meet a crisis in my life, I always put in a CD of my son’s music and magically within a short time my mood changes and I am happy again. For me I can say that his music has calmed a troubled heart many times.

Life has many twists and turns and Don’s music, particularly “Breathe” and “White Hair and Wisdom”  are  always there to encourage me with my own life challenges. His music lifts me up and I can feel the proud heart of mine expanding.

If you can open up your heart and listen to where his music can take you, you can experience traveling to places where perhaps you could never afford to visit. That has worked for me. If I close my eyes while listening to his music I can actually visualize being in that part of his music world and I didn’t need to purchase a ticket from the airlines to get there. I only needed to listen with an open heart.

~Joan Julin