TEF Educators' Pages

​The Clearwater organization - of which NJ Friends of Clearwater is an integral part - was literally founded on and originally funded by music. Over 45 years ago, Pete Seeger, the godfather of Folk music, realized a dream by getting the 106' Sloop Clearwater launched to spread his message for a cleaner environment by word, music and action.

The Sloop was paid for by music concerts, house parties, and festivals organized and performed by Pete and his many Friends before and forever after its launch in 1969. In fact, on its trip home from its launch, the Sloop stopped for music concerts from the deck and dock in town after town along the Atlantic Coast from Maine to New York City. This has all been recorded in Jim Brown's award-winning documentary, Pete Seeger, The Power of Song, premiered at the TriBeca Film Festival and shown on PBS American Masters.

The Sloop remains the symbol and the living embodiment of Clearwater's concept of environmental education. This concept involves an interactive, hands-on approach where each environmental lesson is taught at a station on the deck of the Sloop accompanied by appropriate music from several musicians, including for a time our founder, folksinger Bob Killian.

Bob Killian brought the Clearwater ideal to Monmouth County in 1974 complete with music, festivals and boats. In fact the Monmouth County Friends of Clearwater, NJFC's former name, was the first Sloop Club (i.e., chapter) of Clearwater (officially, Hudson River Sloop Clearwater, Inc.). In 1994, inspired by the Classroom of the Waves but unable to duplicate the Sloop experience*, Bob Killian, Ed Dlugosz, and others adapted, codified, and transformed the curriculum, lessons, and presentation to suit a wide variety of landlocked venues.

Music is still the integral heart of NJFC and an intrinsic part of its TEF.  TEF uses the songs of our musical Friends of Clearwater - Pete Seeger, Bob Killian, Joan Baez, Dan Einbender, Tom Chapin, Magpie, Rick Nestler, and many others - to enhance and enrich the experience.  Among the most popular, both onboard the Sloop and in our TEF are the following samples by some of our songwriters:
Credits:
Bob Killian:  I Like the Jersey Shore & There'll Come A Day
Joan Baez & Tom Chapin:  This Pretty Planet
Tom Chapin:  Someone' Gonna Use It
Danny Einbender:  It Really Isn't Garbage
Rick Nestler:  The River That Flows Both Ways
Magpie:  Blue Crab Blues & Hugh the Manatee

Our electronic TEF (eTEF) educational tool and game, which closely mimics our live TEF, also incorporates the music of our Friends.  The eTEF uses the music of these artists with their expressed permission.