The Fonda Blog

Joe Fonda: My Life in the World of Music

Published by Abe Goldstien on December 2, 2025

Much like his bass playing and compositions, Joe Fonda’s recent autobiography, My Life in the World of Music, is straight-forward and compelling. It chronicles the journey of a young electric bassist infatuated with the rock, R&B and blues of the late 1960s and early 1970s to a mature acoustic bassist being named one of the five “Musicians of the Year 2022” by the New York City Jazz Record.

Fonda admits in the opening sentence of his story that at a very young age he had a passion and longing to be part of this thing called music. Although the genre of music he gravitated to in his early years emulating the sound of Gerry and the Pacemakers may have changed, Fonda’s passion for the music has remained steady and strong throughout more than five decades of performing and recording.

That passion was there in 1973 when he entered Berklee College of Music not knowing where the journey might take him. It was there when he was totally transfixed and transformed after hearing Deodata’s 2001; Space Odyssey as well as his first exposure to the music of Ornette Coleman’s Free Jazz in 1974. The passion for modern jazz became stronger as he experienced the music of Pharoah Sanders, McCoy Tyner, Sam Rivers, Charles Mingus and others firsthand in Boston clubs.

Meeting folks such as Wadada Leo Smith and Bobby Naughton at the Creative Musicians Improvisers Forum only intensified his curiosity and interest in the art of free improvisation. He refined that passion in rehearsal spaces, stages and recording studios with musical partners such as Michael Jefry Stevens, Harvey Sorgen, Mark Whitecage, Herb Robertson and a long list of other modern jazz artists.

More recently, Fonda’s passion led him to be a member of some of today’s more forward-thinking and playing ensembles including Barry Altschul’s 3Dom Factor, Remedy (with Thomas Heberer and Joe Hertenstein), Origin (with Christophe Rocher and Harvey Sorgen) and Bass of Operation (with Michael Rabinowitz, Jeff Lederer and Harvey Sorgen).

Joe Fonda: My Life in the World of Music shares these stories and more about a musician who longed to be part of this thing called music and will continue to be a definitive voice in it. That passion is best expressed in the closing line of his book — stay tuned.

Joe Fonda: My Life in the World of Music is available on Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/Life-World-Music-Mr-Fonda/dp/B0FSGJZTWY

BOTTOM LINE: Congratulations to bassist Joe Fonda for sharing his life and career in Joe Fonda: My Life in the World of Music. Like his playing and compositions, his autobiography is straight-forward and compelling. Readers will enjoy learning about his journey “to be part of this thing called music.”

Also see: joefonda.com, jazzhalo.be

written by admin \\ tags: Achievements, Arts, Biographies, Music

20 years of the School for Curatorial Studies Venice

Interview with Aurora Fonda of the School for Curatorial Studies Venice
by Alessandra Galletta

More than a school for curators, it is now a cultural institution frequented by young people from all over the world who want to participate in the art of exhibiting art. He turns twenty years old School for Curatorial Studies Venice founded by Aurora Fonda and Sandro Pignotti in 2004 in Venice with the aim of creating an open laboratory for the visual arts and for all professions related to contemporary art. The Summer School has also been active since 2015, bringing together participants from all over the world. We retraced 20 years of training with Aurora Fonda in this interview.

Since 2003 you have been the director of the AplusA gallery in Venice, and only a year later you had the idea of ​​founding a curators’ school from scratch. Lack of available professional figures, or desire to implement a new teaching of contemporary art?
It can be said that this need was born in the field, in carrying out my role as director of the gallery, in particular since it is the official home of the Slovenian Pavilion on the occasion of the Biennale. When a gallery transforms into a national pavilion, interesting positions open up for interns, trainees and students who want to experience working in the field.

Offer them an opportunity to learn and have direct discussion with the hot topics of curation, exhibition design, communication…
The boys were all very active, proactive and willing, and complained about the fact that their university studies did not include the practical experiences that would certainly have complemented the theoretical lessons. I felt the sense of their lack, and I thought about how to contribute to the training of future international curators. The more contemporary art can count on trained spokespersons, the stronger and clearer its message will arrive.

Where did you start?
Once I realized that in 2004 there were no real courses for curators in Italy – with the exception of a small one in Florence – and that no public institution was offering them, I thought that structuring a real curator course should be born in the private sector.
We started with a first three-week edition which was immediately a great success. The participation was so numerous that we immediately organized a second edition and since then the number of students has always grown.

What aspects of curating do you pay most attention to, what are your privileged experiences?
Already from the first edition of the course it was clear to me that the children not only did not foresee a direct relationship with the artists, but they struggled to find a way of relating with them, because they were unfamiliar with artist studies and consequently with their practice. For my training, however, this is a fundamental aspect, both for the profession of curator and for personal enrichment.

So it can be said that the first supporters of the school were the artists themselves?
Not only that, even later. We started inviting artists and organizing a full calendar of visits to their studios; in this way the program was lengthened from time to time, as we added lessons, meetings, workshops… Fueling the activities in direct collaboration with the artists has definitely made our school grow.

Has the demand from foreign students also grown over time?
Yes, a lot, and to deal with this demand in a more structured way, since 2015 we have activated the Summer school, a program in English aimed at international students which brings together people from all parts of the world. While with the pandemic we began to offer online courses, which instead of limiting moments of dialogue, discussion and discussion on topics, have contributed to strengthening that sense of community, where everyone feels part of a project.

Another strong point of the school is that a lot of theory is studied… but at a certain point it must be put into practice
After understanding the complex concept of “exhibition”, thanks to the fundamental contribution of the teachers, students are asked to discuss and develop the creation of an exhibition concept. Once the methods and motivations have been approved – expressed in a project already developed at a professional level – we proceed with the choice of the artists, the selection of the works and all the organizational phases are gradually carried out, from transport and insurance up to the preparation of the exhibition and its correct communication.

(continued on webpage)

Also see:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aurora-fonda-20965821

https://www.curatorialstudiesveniceonline.com/the-tutors-i-docenti/aurora-fonda

 

 

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

Bob and Jen take a class at Nuesole Glassworks

by Bob Herzog and Jen Dalton, WKRCMon, May 6th 2024

CINCINNATI (WKRC) – We like to keep things classy but today we are going to keep things glassy.

“One of the first things I talk to people blowing glass is that you will learn a lot of patience. It’s going to be really frustrating, those pieces often hit the ground,” said Ali Fonda.

Fonda is just one of the teachers at Nuesole Glassworks.

She says it can take years to master the art of glass blowing but no need to worry, if you come in as a beginner, she has you covered.

“We do all of the really complicated things until you really come and do it for a while.”

After a quick lesson, they are actually going to let us try our hand at glass blowing.

We are going to be making something called a witches ball, or a fairy orb.

With that we were ready to get to work, and of course safety first.

The gas powered furnaces clock in at more than a thousand degrees Fahrenheit.

We put on our protective equipment while Ali gathered a ball of molten glass on a long metal pipe.

The next step in this process is to create a perfect sphere.

Bob tapped away, providing the hot air as usual.

And while that was happening, Ali and Jen used a wooden tool that was soaked in cool water to create the sphere.

This is where the fun really started. With a sharp tool we stabbed holes in our sun catcher.

Ali told us to trust the process and that this would make the final design extra special. Not going to lie, this was a little violent.

After the stabbing was done, Ali took a blow torch to the orb and with one crack, our creation was freed from the metal pole and ready to go into a kiln where it would harden.

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

Historic home of artist Leonard Ochtman for sale in Connecticut

By Jennifer Gould – New York Post – December 2, 2020

When famed Dutch-American landscape artist Leonard Ochtman moved to Connecticut in 1891 with his wife — Mina Fonda Ochtman, an accomplished American Impressionist painter in her own right — they built a house in Cos Cob and dubbed it Grayledge.

Now on the market for $1.4 million, the five-bedroom home at 35 Mianus View Terrace is where the couple became founding members of the Cos Cob Art Colony (whose famed members included Willa Cather and which helped launch NYC’s iconic Armory Show) and held classes for young artists boarding at the nearby Bush-Holley House.

The Ochtmans would also go on to become founding members of the Greenwich Society of Artists, where Leonard served as president.

Original details in the home, which was renovated in 2010, include the hardwood floors, the staircase and the solarium.

written by admin \\ tags: Arts, New England, Notables

Women in Business 2013: Geneva Fonda, Bear

Owner, Geneva Fonda Photography

By Mark Nardone // Photos by Luigi Ciuffetelli – Delaware Today / December 2013

 

Geneva Fonda
Bear
Owner, Geneva Fonda Photography

When have you arrived? Perhaps when you’ve been invited by Arianna Huffington to write for the Huffington Post. Fonda’s career as a photographer began when, as a teenager, she shot a wedding. From there, her work evolved into a true business that provides portrait photography and other services. That business continues to evolve, as Fonda becomes an author. Her book, tentatively titled “Her Brilliance,” relates life lessons she has learned from other women. It should be available in the spring. The dream: “I would love to create a philanthropic initiative that supports financial education, provides emotional encouragement, and inspires clients to elevate others as they have been elevated.”

Also see: Website, Huffington Post

Geneva Fonda is a professional portrait photographer, author, speaker, and writer whose work has appeared in national and regional publications such as Ladies’ Home Journal and Delaware Today. She is a proudly born and bred New York City gal, who lives in Northern Delaware with her family. When she’s not managing the family home, Geneva meditates, does yoga, and makes crafty things. She advocates fairness for others, is very passionate about giving back and is an active and supportive member of community events while managing her portrait photography business, Geneva Fonda Photography.

written by admin \\ tags: Arts, Business