The Fonda Blog

Student finds his soundtrack to success

The past few weeks of Grant Fonda’s life would not make for a very stirring motion picture.

Although Fonda participated in an international contest that tested his skill and resolve, there was no final scene of victory, only quiet affirmations. No triumphant hoisting of a trophy over his weary head, only subtler moments to be cherished and worthwhile lessons to be tucked away for a future date.

University of Missouri graduate student Grant Fonda recently traveled to Poland to compete in the Transatlantyk Instant Composition Contest.

The graduate student at the University of Missouri School of Music traveled to Poland earlier this month to compete in the Transatlantyk Instant Composition Contest, a compositional pressure cooker that tested his ability to write emotive music for motion pictures. Although Fonda did not achieve a level of glory worthy of having his own tale captured on celluloid, he came home with a better understanding of what it means to be part of the film industry.

Fonda applied to the competition — founded by Oscar-winning composer Jan Kaczmarek (“Finding Neverland”) — almost as an afterthought, engaging the process between finishing a commission and heading to his native California for vacation. In addition to submitting previously composed works, he was required to score two short film clips that were distinct but equally daunting. The first, a climactic scene from the 2009 film “Get Low,” included a stirring soliloquy from Oscar winner Robert Duvall; it was an “intense” and “delicate” moment with dialogue that needed to be preserved, not drowned out, he said. The second was from a “bizarre” French cartoon in which a young girl, among other things, falls into a bowl of alphabet soup and is attacked by zombies.

For the Duvall clip, he evoked themes of mystery and absolution through the use of unresolved dissonances, inverted chords and pedal tones; Fonda balanced “menacing” and “childlike” themes for the latter. For his work, he was selected as one of 30 participants, which meant trekking to Poland, watching a short film, and composing and performing an accompaniment before a panel of American and Polish judges on the spot.

Fonda was shown a five-plus-minute piece called “Walking,” produced by a Canadian travel commission decades ago; the work was bizarre and psychedelic, with no discernible plot or dialogue, he said. Immediately upon leaving the screening room, he sat at the piano and performed his level best. His strategy: attach a winning theme to the film’s central character and balance out its more extreme elements with a relatively accessible, melodic score. Ultimately, Fonda did not take his place among the 10 finalists. He received praise from the American panelists but was told the European judges wished he’d taken more risks; other contestants incorporated elements of prepared piano or relied on a more serial, clustered set of tones.

Although Fonda did not advance in the competition, his compositional sensibilities were advanced by encouraging, “invaluable” interactions with the likes of composers Christopher Young (“Spider-Man 3,” “The Grudge”), George S. Clinton (the “Austin Powers” films), Bruno Louchouarn (“Total Recall”) and producer Roy Conli (“Tangled,” “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”); these professionals offered lessons on life and art in master classes and specific feedback in personal conversations.

Among the comments Fonda received were praiseworthy pronouncements on his ability to convey mood and character and his capacity to musically captain viewers through a spectrum of emotions in a short period of time. Clinton remarked on his remarkable capacity for suggesting and creating color through orchestration. Additionally, he was told he had a fitting temperament for composition and was encouraged to stand up for his abilities, even while avoiding walking on others in collaboration. Ultimately, he was deeply encouraged by Young’s comments on the relationship between a composer’s maturity and the potency of his or her music.

“He said, ‘You’re not going to be able to evoke the right emotion for a romantic scene if you’ve never been married,’ ” Fonda recalled. “ ‘You’re not going to be able to evoke the right emotion for a funeral if you’ve never witnessed somebody close to you die.’ He said there’s just a certain advantage that being older in the industry has than being younger. … All this time I had been thinking,” as someone who’s closer to 30 than 20, “I’d missed my stride.”

Fonda said he’s likely to reapply next year — this year’s contest might not have provided a feel-good movie ending, but, as he exercises his talent and applies messages received an ocean away, there’s little doubt a sequel is in the works.

Reach Aarik Danielsen at 573-815-1731 or e-mail ajdanielsen@columbiatribune.com.
Copyright 2011 Columbia Tribune. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
This article was published on page C2 of the Sunday, August 28, 2011 edition of The Columbia Daily Tribune.

written by admin \\ tags: Achievements, Arts, Midwest

Hank Fonde halfback at Univ. of Michigan (1944-1948) (Photo credit: Joel Thurtell)

Former U-M Football Player/Coach Henry Fonde Dies

Published: Wednesday, May 06, 2009
Former University of Michigan football player and coach Henry Fonde, who also coached the Ann Arbor High School football team for 10 years, died at the age of 85 early Sunday morning of complications brought on by Alzheimer’s disease.  A visitation for Fonde will be held on Thursday from 4-9 p.m. at the Vermeulen Funeral Home, located at 46401 W Ann Arbor Road in Plymouth, followed by a funeral service at First Presbyterian Church in Northville at 11 a.m. Friday.
A native of Knoxville, Tenn., Fonde came to the University of Michigan in 1944 as part of the Navy’s V-12 program and studied engineering while contributing to the strong Wolverines football teams of the mid-to-late ’40s.  Known to many as Hank, Fonde’s highlights as a player included scoring the lone touchdown in Michigan’s 7-3 victory over Ohio State in 1945 and tossing a 45-yard touchdown pass in the 49-0 win over Southern California in the 1948 Rose Bowl.
Fonde compiled a 69-6-4 record (with four of his losses coming in his final season) coaching the Pioneers from 1949-1958, after which he joined Bump Elliott’s staff at Michigan.

Hank Fonde Team Photo

“It still amazes me how many people know the name ‘Fonde’ and it’s because of him,” Fonde’s son, Chuck said. “He made such a mark in this community, both through Ann Arbor High School and the University of Michigan. A lot of people knew him, a lot of people loved him.”  Fonde remained on the staff at Michigan through the 1968 season and became an academic advisor for the football team when Bo Schembechler replaced Elliott in 1969.
“I just remember him being one of the nicest gentleman I’ve ever met in my life,” said longtime Michigan assistant Jerry Hanlon, who arrived on campus with Bo in 1969. “He was that kind of a person. He had everybody’s best interest at heart. The players loved him, and when he decided to leave Michigan as academic advisor, I thought it was a big loss.”
Seth Gordon can be reached at sgordon@annarbornews.com or 734-994-6108.

Hank Fonde (Photo credit: Joel Thurtell)

Henry Fonde’s record in the Fonda family tree is here.  He has a Wikipedia entry here.

The following obituary was excerpted from the Ann Arbor News on MLive.com on 5/5/2009:
“Hank Fonde passed away May 3rd 2009 at the age of 85 years. He was a graduate of U of M School of Engineering and Masters in Education. Head football coach at Ann Arbor High School & Assistant football coach at U of M. Owner and operator of the Stretch & Sew Fabric Store in Farmington Hills for many years. He is survived by his children: our class of ’67 member, Karen (Joel Thurtell) Fonde, Chuck (Linda) Fonde, Mark (Stacey) Fonde, Julia (Max) Davis and Anne (Bill) Potter, his grandchidren: Adam, Abe, Ben, Megan, Rachel, Hayley, Beck, Chelsea, Danielle, Regin and William. He was predeceased by his wife Edith (nee Jordan) and grandchild Aaron. Visitation was Thursday May 7th  at Vermeulen Funeral Home, 46401 W Ann Arbor Road (btwn Sheldon & Beck) Plymouth. The Funeral was Friday May 8th at First Presbyterian Church, 200 E. Main, Northville. Memorial contributions may be made to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation or the Alzheimer’s Association . To leave a message of condolence, log on to www.vermeulenfuneralhome.com”

Another good story about Hank Fonde, written by his son-in-law, Joel Thurtell – “I beat Ohio State!”

Andrew Fonde’s record in the Fonda family tree is here.  A cemetery memorial for him is here.
His details: 16-Feb-1798 – Supreme Court of Philadelphia, Oath of Allegiance; 1800 US Federal Census, Southwark, Philadelphia, PA (Andw Funday, household of 6); 1810 US Federal Census, Philadelphia, Philadelphia Co., PA (Andrew Fundy, o. Porter, household of 11); 1820 & 1830 US Federal Census, New Orleans, New Orleans Parish, LA; 1822 New Orleans, LA City Directory (Rev. Andre Fonde, Accountant, at 116 St. Philip cor. Perdido); d. New Orleans, LA (Cholera); bur. Girod St. Cemetery, New Orleans, LA

Excerpt from “Ancestors of Charles Henry Fonde” website
“It is believed by the family that Andre Fonde came to America from France, but that the family originally came from the Lombardy area of Italy, and that Fonde was originally spelled Fondi. There is a town in Italy called Fondi, located on the west coast about halfway between Rome and Naples. David Fonde quotes the Chambers Encyclopedia, published in England, as describing Fondi this way: “A small town in Italy on the Appian Way between Rome and Naples, located near a pestiferous swamp and noted during the Middle Ages for its brigands and horse thieves.” The family story is that during some political disturbance it became necessary for an early Fondi to escape from his own country if he could. This may have been when Napoleon overcame Venice and gave Northern Italy into Austrian (German) control. There is a poem written in Italian among the Fonde papers which lends some credence to this theory.”
“According to a letter written by his great-granddaughter Elizabeth Fonde, Andre relocated in France, where he served as a scrivener, writing documents beautifully in more than one language. Later (between 1790 and 1794) he removed to America, probably to Philiadelphia, where records of the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania document that he either made a Declaration of Intention (to become a citizen) or an Oath of Allegiance on February 16, 1798. (Philadelphia Naturalization Records, edited by Wm. Filby, Gale Research Co., Detroit, MI, 1982, page 197). His nationality is given as French.”
“We have copies of letters that Andre Fonde wrote, one from New Orleans to his wife in Philadelphia, and another (1818) from Philadelphia to his son, John P. Fonde, who had recently moved to Washington, D.C. It is believed that Andre and Sarah Fonde moved to New Orleans before 1830 and that they are buried there. Although their marriage in 1794 and the baptisms and burials of several Fonde/Fondy children are recorded at Christ Church (Episcopal), Philadelphia, not all their known children are in these records. (Henry and John Philip are not recorded, nor is the birth of two Fondy children who were buried at Christ Church — Calipso in 1803 and Andrew in 1801). I have made some estimates about the birth order of these children and their dates of birth.”

written by admin \\ tags: Achievements, Fonde, Michigan, Sports

Possibility In Objects

Gioia Fonda transforms gutter garbage into art

Ordinary hurricane fence morphs into happy orange flowers, familiar green baskets that once held strawberries transform into whimsical city skylines and forks found abandoned in Sacramento’s gutters glisten brightly. These are Sacramento City College assistant art professor Gioia Fonda’s recycled treasures. And her art. “I feel that people aren’t being as creative as they could be with their trash,” Fonda says. “There are possibilities in objects. A lot of things could be repurposed.”

Sacramento City College professor Gioia Fonda snuggles to one of her quilts, some of which are made with repurposed plastic bags.

Fonda’s den of creativity once filled a large space in Verge Gallery and Studio Project at 19th and V streets, but now is awaiting construction of walls before its move into a new location downtown near S and Seventh streets. Her studio brims with random objects found during her daily bicycle commute. While seated at her workstation, Fonda appears wholly comfortable surrounded by a world of recycled bliss.

On the ground, a white ceramic owl anticipates a fresh coat of paint. Boxes labeled “froo-froo fluff” and “Valentine crap” rest neatly on shelves. Hand-painted sheets of construction paper wadded into balls, then pierced with string, hang over a doorway. There’s more: A patch of cotton-candy-pink fur is pinned to one wall. A tin caboodle chock-full of gel pens beckons even the most artistically challenged. A small table bears an assortment of dull and bent silverware. A tiny pile of snipped paper bits lay interwoven on her desk.

Scanning the entire room, Fonda jumps up and grabs an object she proudly presents as a “weed tiara.” “Everything looks better with spray paint,” Fonda says, matter of factly, while holding what appears to be a chunk of flattened tumbleweed. “One day, I just decided to spray-paint it pink and then, another day, I decided to glue a little sequin on the tip of every [branch].”

A simple weed, flattened by numerous cars and blown into the gutter in front of her art studio, now sparkles with new purpose. “When things are cheap, I’m more likely to take a risk and try something new than if I spend a lot of money on art supplies,” explains the blond 36-year-old of her attraction to found art and collage. She says that her family always looked at things “a little differently.” “For me, it’s second nature.”

She points out a deity sitting on a shelf lined with orange lace, safely surrounded by an old picture frame, silently surveying the studio. An artificial-grass fan is attached to the deity’s back, forming a green aura, while an old ink pen and pair of scissors stand guard at its sides. Multicolored paint chips, scraped from Fonda’s palette, lay as an offering at the deity’s feet.

“[My mom] thought it would be funny to give me this little goddess, my ‘studio goddess,’” Fonda says, smiling. Her mother, Chloe Fonda, is also an artist. “Most of the paintbrushes I have were hers when she was in school. She kept good care of them, and I take OK care of them, and they are still usable 50 years later. “I think there’s a sense that you should use things and take care of them for as long as you can.”

Students in Fonda’s collage-and-assemblage classes quickly learn this lesson, too, and items such as an ordinary gum wrapper, lying in a crumpled-up ball on the ground, becomes their art. Fonda’s intention is to show students that they can save money by visiting thrift stores or by simply taking a second look at, say, the plastic bag bread comes in. “My motivation isn’t always saving the Earth, although that’d be nice,” Fonda admits. “[But] everything could be useful somehow. It could be turned into something.”

Fonda’s passion for recycled collage and assemblage has produced notable projects. “Gioia is one resourceful woman,” says Sacramento City College’s art department chairwoman Emily Wilson. “A piece that comes to mind is a quilt she made entirely out of used plastic shopping bags. She created a piece of artwork with intricate pattern and vivid color made entirely out of what most of us would consider trash.”

Fonda started collecting plastic bags from different bodegas around Brooklyn during her studies at the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She saved them by making a book of plastic pages. Two years later, they reappeared as the quilt. “When I use plastic bags, I can kind of experiment, and it’s freeing to me,” Fonda says while unfolding her plastic masterpiece, which rustles softly. Certain squares of the quilt are very familiar: the swirly “S” of Safeway, red Target circles, even the intense yellow of a Sacramento City College bookstore bag. “I was just thinking I had so many plastic bags, and they were such beautiful colors … what could come of it?”

Fonda says that her fear of driving is the reason she commutes by bike, but that pedaling through Sacramento puts her at the street level, which makes it easier to find objects for future art projects. “I used to go on walks with a friend [and] her dog, and she would be laughing at me for how many times I bent down to pick things up,” Fonda says. “My pockets would be full by the end of the walk.”

Fonda, who has also participated in state fair competitions for recycled art, feels everyone is capable of repurposing an object, but everyone should also push the aesthetic potential a little more. “If somebody wants to start out, just look around,” she advises, thinking. “Like all those AOL discs that come in the mail all the time. We gotta think of a project for those!”

written by admin \\ tags: Achievements, Nature, Schools, West Coast

Longtime University Professor Honors Mother, Assists Students by Establishing New Endowed Scholarship

President Bob Suzuki accepts a check for $10,000 from Animal & Veterinary Sciences professor Edward Fonda. The donation will fund a new endowed scholarship at Cal Poly Pomona.

Ed Fonda remembers how his mother influenced him and his sister to pursue advanced degrees. Each eventually obtained a Ph.D., degrees that opened doors of opportunity in both their lives.

Mary McNellis Fonda passed away in February 2001. Ed Fonda, in his 20th year at Cal Poly Pomona where he is presently professor and chair of the university’s Animal & Veterinary Sciences Department, has chosen to honor his mother’s memory by establishing the Mary McNellis Fonda Scholarship.

“My mother was so supportive of education. The mother of two kids, she came from a farm, became a nurse, earned two masters degrees and eventually became head of nursing administration for a large hospital in New Orleans,” says Fonda. “She encouraged me and my sister to continue our education. I see this as a wonderful tribute, establishing a memorial that will enable other students to further their educational dreams.”

The Mary McNellis Fonda Scholarship will be awarded each year by the College of Agriculture through the Cal Poly Pomona University Educational Trust. It will annually recognize a full-time student who is a U.S. citizen with a GPA of 3.0 or higher majoring in Animal & Veterinary Sciences. First preference will be given to a qualified graduate student.

“My mother had two graduate degrees and encouraged both her children to get graduate degrees, so I believe it’s fitting we try to recognize a graduate student with this award,” adds Fonda. “So many times scholarships are established for undergraduates and we may forget the importance of graduate training. I feel this is a good chance to create an opportunity for those students looking to continue their educations.”

Fonda’s $10,000 gift creates a continuing endowment for the scholarship. After one year, that endowment will qualify for matching funds provided by the Kellogg Foundation.

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Further details from Inland Valley Daily Bulletin (Ontario, CA) – May 3, 2002:

When Mary McNellis Fonda died February 2001, her son, Upland resident Ed Fonda, feared her passion for healing, education and animals would die with her.  To perpetuate his mother’s fine qualities, which others shared, Fonda established the Mary McNellis Fonda Scholarship fund.  The scholarship will be awarded each year to a Cal Poly Pomona student majoring in animal and veterinary science.  Additional criteria for the scholarship include being a United States citizen and holding at least a 3.0 grade-point average. First consideration for the scholarship will be given to graduate students.

Fonda is a professor and the chairman of the university’s animal and veterinary sciences department. He started the fund with a personal $10,000 donation which was matched 50 percent by the Kellogg foundation. The first recipient will be chosen in late May by a committee made up of the agricultural department’s faculty.  The amount of the annual scholarship will vary from year to year depending on interest earned from the principal, Fonda said.

He chose this type of scholarship because his mother was born on and raised on a farm; and Cal Poly’s picturesque setting, rolling hills and lush landscaping would make the perfect backdrop for his mother’s lasting tribute.  “My mother would have loved this place,’ said Fonda about the university where he has taught for more than 20 years.

Fonda’s mother was born in 1913 and grew up on her family’s farm in Iowa. She was one of three children whose parents valued education. Though she was a young woman who became college age during the depression, her father insisted she further her education. She graduated from Iowa State University with a bachelor’s degree in nursing.  McNellis married Ed Fonda Sr. and the couple had two children. She worked as an Registered Nurse until her husband died in 1953, then she packed up her kids and moved back to the farm.

She loved the outdoors and the animals. Fonda said his mother believed that her children would benefit greatly from growing up on a farm as she had.  The Fondas raised cattle, pigs and turkeys. Their farm also grew such crops as wheat, soybeans and corn.  “She was tiny and she was tough,’ Fonda said of his mother. “She could drive any type of farm equipment work any piece of heavy machinery. She was amazing.’

Though his mother valued the practical education her children were receiving from farm life, she held formal education in the highest regard and moved back to the city where she believed there were more educational opportunities, Fonda said.  McNellis Fonda herself went back to school and earned two master’s degrees: one in nursing and the other in nursing administration.  She eventually became the the director of nursing at a large hospital in New Orleans.

Her example influenced both her children. Fonda has a bachelor’s degree in biology from Tulane University in New Orleans, a master’s from Louisiana State University in reproductive physiology and a Ph.D. in animal science and reproductive physiology from the University of Georgia.

Fonda’s sister, Jean Westin-Legotic has a Ph.D. in art history from Pennsylvania State University and a law degree from the University of Florida.  “My mother was a great lady and I miss her greatly,’ Fonda said.  It was because of all his admiration for his mother that Fonda wanted to create a lasting memorial for her.

“There were so many things I could have done, but I wanted to do something that really represented what she was all about,’ he said. “I couldn’t think of anything better than something that helped students further their education especially in an area she held so dear.’

Diana Sholley can be reached by e-mail at d_sholley@dailybulletin.com or by phone at (909) 483-8542.

written by admin \\ tags: Achievements, Biographies, Education, West Coast

Attorney Honored with Community Service Award

Fayette County resident and attorney Angela Hinton Fonda was recently awarded the Justice Robert Benham Award for Community Service, presented by the State Bar of Georgia and the Chief Justice’s Commission on Professionalism. She was the 6th Judicial District recipient at the 11th annual award presentation Feb. 16 at the State Bar Center in Atlanta.

Fayette resident and Atlanta Assistant City Attorney Angela Hinton Fonda (far left) recently received the Justice Robert Benham Award for Community Service presented by the State Bar of Georgia and the Chief Justice’s Commission of Professionalism. Joining Hinton Fonda at the ceremony were (from left) Fayette County DFCS board member Pete Nelms, Fayette County Commission Chairman Jack Smith, therapeutic counselor Connie Thomas and Carol Nelms.

“Although I am deeply humbled for being selected for the Justice Benham Award for Community Service, I regard it as an affirmation of the values of Fayette County,” Hinton Fonda said. “I was, and am, honored to have been chosen to serve with the wonderful members of the Fayette County DFCS (Dept. of Family & Children’s Services) Board. Fayette residents are kind and generous in times of trouble. I am glad to have the opportunity to contribute to our community in such meaningful ways and I am proud to call Fayette County my home.”

Hinton Fonda last week commented on her service with Fayette County DFCS and on some of the aspects of of that service that put an undeniable human face on those receiving services.

“In the course of my service on the Board, I discovered that children who were aging out of foster care were sent off to college, trade schools or independent life with their belongings in trash bags. What a humiliating message for those children. I thought about what it must be like to arrive at school alone, with no one to fret over whether your room will be comfortable or whether you have enough study snacks. The absence of a parent can be explained, but the indignity of bringing everything you own in trash bags has no easy explanation,” Hinton Fonda said. “Community leaders and churches donate backpacks and school supplies for grade school and high school students but there is, generally, no collection for students aging out of care. After getting an assessment of needs from Fayette DFCS, I got community members to buy brand new suitcases for the college students. We put a set of towels and an alarm clock with a battery backup in the bags and gave them to DFCS to pass along. The point was to give the newly-independent young people the appearance of normalcy, and a few ‘life tools,’ for this new phase of their lives. I anticipate an expanded effort in the coming months.”

Hinton Fonda was nominated by therapeutic counselor Connie Biemiller Thomas for her work on the Fayette DFCS Board and on behalf of families and children in crisis and based on a career-long history of community service and involvement in Fayette County and in Chatham County, her previous home.

In addition to her work with the Fayette DFCS board, Hinton Fonda led a Leadership Fayette project with the assistance of the Southside Chapter of the Georgia Association of Women Lawyers to collect career-appropriate clothing for women at the Promise Place domestic violence program.
“We received donations from as far away as Alpharetta and the donations included shoes, purses, and scarves, all of the ‘uniform’ elements of a successful interview candidate. It is my hope that the clothing will be a confidence booster to the recipients as they build independent lives,” Hinton Fonda said.

Since 1998, the Justice Robert Benham Awards for Community Service have been presented to honor lawyers and judges in Georgia who have made significant contributions to their communities and demonstrate the positive contributions of members of the State Bar of Georgia beyond their legal or official work.

Bar members have served a wide range of community organizations, government-sponsored activities, and humanitarian efforts. Their fields of service include: youth athletics and mentoring programs, literacy programs, social and support services, church and religious activities, politics, conservation and the environment, promotion and support for legal aid programs, community development, health, education, sports, recreation, and the arts.
The awards recognize the commitment of Georgia lawyers to volunteerism, encourage all lawyers to become involved in community service, improve the quality of lawyers’ lives through the satisfaction they derive from helping others and raise the public image of lawyers.

Hinton Fonda serves as Atlanta senior assistant city attorney and holds a J.D. from Duke University and a B.A. cum laude State University of New York at Albany.

Among her many accomplishments with the Georgia Bar Association and the American Bar Association, Hinton Fonda also affiliated with the Promise Place Women’s Shelter, the Arts Leadership League of Georgia, the Georgia Association of Woman Lawyers and the State Bar Fee Arbitration Panel.

New vehicles granted to county departments

Fayette County resident and Atlanta attorney Angela Hinton Fonda was also applauded for her commitment to public service. Fayette Commission Chairman Jack Smith recognized her for receiving the Justice Robert Benham Award for Community Service. The State Bar of Georgia selected Fonda for the prestigious award, which Smith said she was very deserving of. He also noted Fonda’s diligence as a board member of the Fayette County Department of Children and Family Services.

written by admin \\ tags: Achievements, Business, Legal, SouthEast