| Michael Fralich |
Jim had a dream when he was five. In the dream, he had a guitar. He could either play the guitar or sing but not both. This inauspicious memory is for Jim the beginning of his musical journey. He now can do both extremely well. His fingerpicking skills are impressive as is his song writing talent. With four CDs and an old-school cassette tape in his catalog, he has composed and covered a lot of great music in his decades-long career as a musician.
I have known Jim for over twenty years. Our children are of similar ages. We both have a boy and a girl in our respective families. This wove our lives together through school and sports. I always knew that Jim was an accomplished musician. He has played at the Village Coffeehouse. This is the musical venue my wife Julie and I have run for over fifteen years. It is located in the Congregational Church in the Lower Village. We have always known how lucky we were to have such a talented and humble man living in our town. Jim has also been the leader in organizing an annual Christmas concert to raise funds for local fuel assistance. This also takes place in our church.
These wonderful evenings of musical and poetic entertainment have raised thousands of dollars to support local folks with their heating bills. This was Jim’s idea and his determination to keep these concerts going every year has given our townsfolk not only much needed help but also a bright night featuring a collection of Jim’s musician friends setting the tone for the Christmas season. Jim and his friends take no money for their efforts. All donations go to the local fuel fund.
This selfless approach to sharing his craft epitomizes Jim’s giving nature. While he has toured extensively and played with some amazing nationally known musicians including Livingston Taylor, Doc Watson, Dave van Ronk and Jessie Collin Young, to name a few, one gets the feeling that Jim would play for free anytime he was asked just for the joy of sharing his music.
That is exactly what he is doing during the pandemic, two times a day, from his home in New Gloucester. Through Facebook, Jim plays two songs a day of his and others’ choosing to spread the magic that is music in these trying times. We daily put my smart phone on its stand on our kitchen table and let Jim take us to a place of magic and joy. His gift to all his fans, so freely and expertly delivered has been a bright spot for us as I am sure it has for others. According to Jim, “Music is just a five-letter word for magic.”
Thank you, Jim, for all that you have done and continue to do for our town. To hear more of Jim’s music, we have been posting his daily songs on the Village Coffeehouse Facebook page or you can hear more of his music on Jim’s YouTube channel.
