As Baltimore County formally celebrate Veterans Day on Wednesday, Nov. 11, former Baltimore County Executive Dennis Rasmussen is making his debut as a video executive director at age 62.

Don't expect him to quit his day job, though; he's been a successful lobbyist since he left office in 1990.

Rasmussen's 3-minute, 34-second video, "The American Spirit Remembers," is billed as "a salute to the sacrifice and courage of the American veteran."

The video came out of conversations Rasmussen said he had with his "significant other" -- Barbara Rookard, 50, a Timonium resident and accomplished flutist who performs on the video.

Rasmussen said the video is about how people have an appreciation for the sacrifice that our citizens in the military are making -- but then often simply move on with their own lives without expressing it.

"We needed to do something, to give people some way to express that appreciation, to make a contribution," he said.

He said it was a song recorded by Rookard -- "Lamb of God," with appears on her "Flusion" CD -- that haunted him.

"I'd get this vision of the aftermath of a battlefield," he said. "It was the serenity of the song against the brutality of conflict. ... I thought it would make a great soundtrack."

Rasmussen said he knew what he wanted. In his mind's eye he saw scenes of war from the 1700s to Afghanistan, with Barbara playing the flute against those images.

"She's the Spirit of America, reminding us all of the hundreds of years of sacrifice for what we have today," he said. "As a grateful nation, we're thankful."

Rasmussen took his idea to a friend, George Stover III of Adventure Productions, near White Marsh, and worked with him and a technical crew to pull it together, using war footage and other film obtained through public domain.

The video was Rasmussen's vision, but Stover directed the photography and Rooker served as executive producer.

The end product can be seen and heard on Rooker's Web site, www.flusionmusic.com, which also lists the songs on her CD, including the hymn, "Lamb of God," written by Twila Paris and now on her CD as "Veterans' Anthem."

Rookard said music and "The American Spirit Remembers" video are her way of expressing gratitude for the courage and sacrifice of veterans. A portion of proceeds from the sale of "Veterans' Anthem" will be donated to several organizations benefiting veterans:

* Iraq Vets Stress Project -- offers veterans six free or low-cost sessions with a therapist to assist with stress, transition issues and post-traumatic stress disorder. Go to www.StressProject.com.

* American Red Cross of Central Maryland provides military personnel and families with communications assistance, counseling and access to financial assistance. Go to www.redcross-cmd.org.

* Gamers4Vets raises money and donates games to the Veterans Administration. Video gaming has helped some vets recover from injury. Go to www.Gamers4Vets.com.

* Operation Hero Miles gives family members free airline tickets to visit loved ones recovering at military hospitals. For information or to donate money or unused frequent flyer miles, go to www.heromiles.org.

* Fisher House Foundation donates "comfort homes" on the grounds of major military and VA medical centers to enable family members to be close to a loved one at the most stressful times and coordinates Operation Hero Miles. For information, go to www.fisherhouse.org.

For a link to the video, "The American Spirit Remembers," go to www.flusionmusic.com.

Channeling a Spirit of '76?

If anybody has credentials to play the flute on the patriotic video, Barbara Rookard believes it's her.

A few years ago, she says, she was told by a genealogist that she's descended from two Revolutionary War characters, John Justice and Simeon Justice, who many believe are depicted in the Archibald McNeal Willard oil painting, "The Spirit of 1776."

Rookard says she's not sure the story is true, but says her family has evidence of receipts paid to John and Simeon Justice, who were in the drum corps serving under Francis "Swamp Fox" Marion in the South Carolina militia.

All she knows for sure is that she has a strong sense of patriotism -- and she's wanted to play the flute since she was 5.

"The flute is kind of like singing," she said. "It's just a visceral experience, it has to come from your heart.

"Everybody ought to sing or play an instrument and let it rip," she said. "It's good for your soul."

Rookard said music has always had a strong effect on her since she was 3 years old and wept over "Puff the Magic Dragon."

She received a full scholarship to study flute and major in music therapy at Tennessee Tech University. She later earned a master's degree in clinical psychology at then-Loyola College and took courses for licensing at Towson University.

Along the way, she felt the need to do more flute playing, she said. She said performer Amy Grant visited her in a dream and suggested she do more with the flute than just hold it.

After that, she auditioned and went on to play at Grace Fellowship Church in Timonium. That was a challenge, she said, because she wasn't pitch perfect.

"Lord, please do not let me ruin anyone's worship this morning," she would pray on the drive to church.

She also joined a group, the Red Maple Band, which played Celtic and folk music at local events, fairs and weddings.

Last year, she recorded a CD featuring flute music, with vocals and instruments there for support. The songs in the album represent different musical styles -- she dubbed it "Flusion" to reflect the fusion of flute styles.

"It was a joyful collaboration," she said. The list of people she thanks on her Web site include former county executive Dennis Rasmussen and "Phoebe, my cat who thinks she is a dog."

The CD features a painting of her by Reisterstown artist Izya Shlosberg on the cover.

"Dennis bought that painting for me for my birthday," she said. "It's very special to me, very personal."

They have known each other for probably 15 years and have been a couple for the last three or four, she said.

When they first met, he'd sing only parts of "Happy Birthday" or Elvis Presley's "Blue Christmas," she said. "Now he sings all the time -- whether he knows the words or not.

"I've been his supporter over the years and now he's returning the favor," she said. "He's my roadie. He carries the flute in for me."

---

user comments (0)