Opportunities
and Obstacles: Dana Farley, an OBHS Student, Makes the Most of Both
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David Lynch and Dana Farley. Photo by Karen
Farley
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On
a chilly overcast day in London, England 40 years ago, the world's most popular
band, the Beatles, performed as a group for the last time in public. What
followed were years of court battles and bitter feelings pitting Paul McCartney
against the other three Beatles. The public's love for the Beatles never
subsided in all those 40 years since. The borderline obsession with the Beatles
is apparent today. Even after the deaths of George Harrison
and John Lennon, the surviving Beatles are constantly being asked if there will
ever be a Beatle reunion. It took a memorial concert for guitarist George Harrison to get Paul and Ringo to agree to perform
on stage together. So, what could get the two remaining Beatles to perform
together at Radio City Music Hall in New York City on April 4 of this year?
In
the 1950s, the Maharishi Yogi introduced the world to a relaxation method
called Transcendental Meditation (TM). The Beatles often felt trapped by their
own success and popularity. The stress of fame was never more intense for the
four musicians than in the summer of 1967 when their beloved manager, Brian
Epstein, died suddenly. It was then that the Beatles discovered the healing
power of TM from the Maharishi himself. In a recent statement posted on his
website (http://www.paulmccartney.com), Paul McCartney said: "It was a
great gift the Maharishi gave us. For me it came at a time when we were looking
for some stability towards the end of the crazy '60s. It's a lifelong gift that
we can call on anytime. Allowing children to experience something that they
wouldn't have been able to experience otherwise is a great thing."
The
famous Hollywood film director David Lynch has been nominated four times for an
Oscar, three times in the best director category for his films, The Elephant
Man, Blue Velvet and Mulholland Drive and once for co-writing the screenplay to
The Elephant Man.
Mr.
Lynch has found TM to be a wonderful tool for dealing with stress and artist
blocks. He feels so strongly about the beneficial effects of TM, that he has
started a foundation (The David Lynch Foundation
http://www.davidlynchfoundation.org/) to spread the word about TM. He was
instrumental in bringing a TM program to an inner city high school in Detroit
that was plagued by daily violence and poor grades. The program had remarkable
results.
The
Surgeon General of the United States is quoted as saying "Americans are
swimming in a sea of stress. Children are drowning in it."
With
its mantra "change begins within," Mr. Lynch and his foundation set
the goal to introduce one million students to Transcendental Meditation. Many
of the biggest names in show business from the world of stage, screen,
television, and radio, all of whom owe a great deal of their success to the
calm and focus that TM affords, participated in the event at Radio City Music
Hall to raise awareness.
On
the Friday before the concert a press conference was scheduled where Paul
McCartney, Ringo Starr, David Lynch, Mike Love of the Beach Boys, Donovan,
Moby, Russell Simmons and others spoke about the value of TM. Forty years
magically disappeared and Beatlemania was in full force as thousands of press
people from around the world tried anything and everything to get access to one
of the 75 seats available at the press conference.
Oyster
Bay High School senior Dana Farley sat in the front row.
Ms.
Farley is a fledgling filmmaker, learning her craft at the Long Island High
School for the Arts, who won first place in the 2009 Long Island Film Festival
25th Edition for 'Best Student Short' for a film she co-directed called
Feathers. Dana is being honored on May 8 by the Town of Oyster Bay Arts Council
with a scholarship in recognition of her considerable talent. The road has not
been easy for Dana who has had to deal with and overcome struggles on her path
to gaining strength and wisdom well beyond her young years.
On
the Tuesday after the Radio City Music Hall show, I spoke with Dana about the
not so long, but winding road that led her past hundreds of seasoned
professionals to sit in the front row of the press conference and then
backstage and entry to the multimedia event that had sold out in minutes many
weeks prior.
Tom
Gould (TG): How did you wind up on the guest list at Radio City Music Hall?
Dana
Farley (DF): "That's the interesting thing. In March 2007, my mom, who
works in real estate was trying to find a place for a TM group. The director of
programs for the group, Harry Martinian, told her that David Lynch was going to
be in the city to talk about TM. As a filmmaker, I thought it would be cool to
meet a famous director. My mother and I went to this tiny room and he was
there. At the time, I didn't really know who he was. I had seen The Elephant
Man, Blue Velvet and Dune. So I knew the movies but didn't know anything about
the director.
"I
found him to be a cool guy, very laid back. He started talking about TM and how
it helped him in making his films. Artists sometimes get blocks. He explained
that since he has been doing TM, he hasn't had a block. He explained how TM
helped him in life in general. When you hear something like that, it makes you
wonder. I had just done the Challenge (Challenge Day) at Oyster Bay High
School, which promotes understanding, love, and respect between students. David
Lynch talking about TM sounded similar to the message of Challenge Day.
"At
the end of the presentation, Mr. Lynch asked if anyone had comments or
questions. After some people had asked questions, I raised my hand and said, 'I
think what you are doing is really cool. I think that people, especially in
schools, are dealing with a lot of stress and sometimes aren't very nice to one
another. I've never really done meditation before, but whatever it is you are
trying to do is helpful. Like with the Challenge at my school, I think that
anything at all that can help would be useful.'
"He
smiled and said 'thank you very much.' Afterwards, Mr. Lynch and I talked a
little. After we talked, people wanted to talk with me. I was kind of nervous
because I hate public speaking with a passion. People from the Huntington
Cinema Arts Centre, including filmmaker Kevin Sean Michaels, came over and
talked to me. We brought up the idea of doing a documentary about TM. They
asked if I wanted to pursue the idea. I didn't know much about TM, but was
interested as a filmmaker to get involved in the creative process. I started to
learn a lot more about TM, David Lynch's whole mission, and the good it could
do for people. I started working on the documentary that way.
"On
May 2, 2008, David Lynch did a lecture and book promotion at the Cinema Arts
Centre in Huntington. I followed him around with a camera and was basically his
shadow all evening. We talked to each other throughout the night and I got to
interview him on camera for about 20 minutes. He was really cool. I sat right
next to him at the book signing. I was shocked by how famous he was because I
just thought of him as a really nice guy. People would hand him their scripts,
screenplays, movies, and books they had written about him."
TG:
As you worked on this documentary about TM, you began practicing it yourself.
What did you find?
DF:
"People mistakenly think that Transcendental Meditation is a religion.
It's not a religion. You get all these diverse people doing it and it has
nothing to do with religion. It has to do with keeping your mind at peace and
relaxing. When I first started, I had bad dyslexia and ADD (attention deficit
disorder) and I went back and forth with depression because of something that
happened at the time. I started to do TM last summer.
"I
was getting a lot of interest from colleges as early as last spring in my
junior year at Oyster Bay High School because of my rowing. I talked to
Bucknell. They really liked me and I said, why? They said because I was really
down to earth and honest. I had told them ahead of time that I wasn't sure if I
was the right fit for their school. Their Crew is D1, but it is a nice D1. In
the fall they want you to do other things and then in the spring it is a killer
season with six practices a week. It is four in the fall. They offered me a lot
of money. At first I was hesitant because they didn't have a film program, but
they made it a major this year. So, I'll be going in and will be one of the
first Bucknell students to have film as a major."
TG:
Where do you get an opportunity to row around here?
DF:
"The Sagamore Rowing Association at the boathouse in Roosevelt Park just
five minutes away. People from all over go there. My head coach is Troy Smith.
He is very dedicated and a great guy. I think it's really cool that kids from
different schools can meet each other. It opens up a new outlet. I started in
eighth grade. I'm very competitive. It is the hardest sport I have ever done. I
think it helped me in every aspect because it gave me an opening to make great
friends and tremendous opportunities for the future. While other kids were
partying, I was working out. It shows that when you work really really hard at
something, the end result is great. I forever became in love with crew although
it can be painful at times."
TG:
Before last summer and your discovery of TM, you experienced difficulty coping
with the stress of juggling everything you were doing?
DF:
"The reason film came so easily was because it was visual. I can read, but
when books have no visuals I struggle a lot because of my dyslexia. When taking
tests, I would study for hours the night before and still get bad grades. With
crew I would stress out about races. I don't think that is healthy. I would
hold it in for a week before a race. It is a lot of pressure when you are out
on the water. Your oar can get stuck and you will let down your team. You have
to push really hard and give it all you've got. I would get obsessive about the
racing and how fast I could go. I was so busy worrying about all this that I
couldn't enjoy anything. TM took me a while to get into because I am obsessive
and thought I could be doing so many other things.
"The
hardest part of TM is sitting down and taking the time. TM itself is not hard.
When I started doing it, I noticed a lot of changes and so did my parents. For
example, right before a race I wouldn't feel scared. My parents noticed that I
was calm. I would still have periods of sadness because everyone goes through
that, but it would end a lot quicker and it wouldn't be as intense as it was
before. Before, stress used to make it difficult to sleep. Since I have been
practicing TM, I sleep a lot better and I wake up energized. Every time I do
TM, my mind vibrates in a good way. Your body likes it when it doesn't have to
think and can just relax.
"With
my schoolwork, sometimes I get so busy. I'll have so many things to do that I
won't know where to start and I'll just not do anything. With TM, I get things
done piece by piece and find that afterwards I'll have extra time to do other
things. It's weird, but a real good experience. As I did more research for the
film, I found that a lot of doctors say it is the best form of meditation. It
helps with your heart and breathing. It cuts down on your appetite so you don't
want to eat all the time; only when you need to. It really calms you down and
helps you focus more. It makes you happier and helps you to experience what life
is truly about. You appreciate the quality of life instead of just having to go
through it."
TG:
This experience surely will shape the rest of your life.
DF:
"I took so much interest in this because I love helping people and I'm
probably going to follow some sort of career path either in film or something
else. I work at the Boys and Girls Club and I am with kids all day. I love
being a kid and I think it is important not to lose your childlike joy. Life
should be fun!"
TG:
Did you have a camera in hand this weekend?
DF:
On Friday at the press conference, in order to sit in the front row, I wasn't
allowed to have a camera. I had borrowed a great camera from my friend Max
Glider. My mom got some really good shots from the back of the room. It was fun
to see all those people with such prestige so close. My mom and I picked an
Indian outfit to wear so that I would stand out. It was hot pink and gold.
Kevin from the Cinema Arts Centre prompted me to go into the back. I waited a
little bit and as soon as I got in the back, Ringo and Paul McCartney were
heading down the stairs. I didn't get to talk with them. I talked to (legendary
soul singer) Bettye LaVette and ('60s icon) Donovan. Donovan was really funny.
I waited for David Lynch to say hi, but I didn't know if he would remember me.
I went over to him and he instantly smiled and talked with me for a little bit.
"The
next night, Saturday April 4, was the actual event. It was great. I was not
expecting it to be so good. Sheryl Crow and Eddie Vedder sang. Russell Simons
and Howard Stern spoke about how TM has helped them. Jerry Seinfeld did stand
up comedy. He said he has done TM for over 30 years. Ben Harper and his wife,
actress Laura Dern were there. Laura Dern is one of David Lynch's best friends.
The whole night was designed from a director's eye with movie clips, comedy,
famous speakers and music."
TG:
Are they going to make a DVD of the event?
DF:
I think David Lynch is doing his own documentary about it, but mine is
different because it is about him. Afterwards, we went to the VIP party. We saw
Mike Love of the Beach Boys and talked to Moby, who recognized me from the
press conference. It will be fun to interview him. Moby was my favorite one who
spoke at the press conference because he was so funny."
TG:
Let's talk about the future. You are interviewing Moby April 10?
DF:
"Yes."
TG:
Where is the documentary at this point?
DF:
"Right now, I am in the editing process which is the most hectic process
for most people, but when I edit I like to get done as quickly as possible, so
I am sleep deprived. I should have it done in three or four weeks. Then Kevin
(Michaels) and other people I am working with will have to see it and further
edit it. A few of my friends are composing music for me. It's a long process,
but once the ball gets rolling, it moves along pretty quickly."
TG:
I guess we can anticipate it being shown at the Cinema Arts Centre in
Huntington?
DF:
"Yes. I just hope it's good."
TG:
It sounds fascinating.
DF:
"Thank you."
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