Peter Yarrow, of the famed folksinging group Peter, Paul, and Mary, will perform in the Quad on Thursday, Sept. 25, from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m.
Yarrow’s connections to Augsburg date back more than 20 years, when he became interested in travel through the Center for Global Education. In 1990 he led a travel seminar for artists and musicians to El Salvador and Nicaragua, and in 1994 he returned to El Salvador with a small group to study the Salvadoran elections. Over the years, Yarrow has hosted gatherings that benefit CGE, and he has served on its advisory board. In 1990 he gave the Commencement Address at Augsburg.
Yarrow has been a lifelong activist for social and political causes, and in 2000 established Operation Respect, which seeks to reduce school violence by providing school programs and information that teach children around the world tolerance and respect for each other.
The project’s website quotes Yarrow, “…I have lived a life of social and political advocacy through music, one in which I [have] seen songs like “Blowin’ in the Wind,” “If I Had a Hammer,” and “We Shall Overcome” become anthems that moved generations and helped solidify their commitment to efforts like the Civil Rights Movement and the Peace Movement…”
Yarrow has twice been nominated for Emmys for his television productions around folk music and has received a number of awards for his social advocacy. In his career with Peter, Paul, and Mary, he is best known for co-composing the hit “Puff, the Magic Dragon,” as well as others like “The Great Mandala” (The Wheel of Life).
Yarrow’s recent connections to Augsburg link him with transfer student Dat Nguyen, who was encouraged by Yarrow to consider Augsburg when deciding upon a transfer school for this fall. The two had met both in Hue, Viet Nam, and in Telluride, Colo., when Nguyen was chosen for the Telluride Academy high school exchange program. On a return trip to Viet Nam, Yarrow sang with Nguyen and his fellow students at the Hue Hung Dao Theater and the Hue Children’s Home.
For more information about Peter Yarrow, go to peterpaulandmary.com.