Bernie Williams: I’m Bernie Williams, and I lost my dad to idiopathic
pulmonary fibrosis.
My dad was my hero. He was the patriarch of our family, and it was difficult to lose him
to a disease we knew so little about. Since his passing, I committed myself to raising
awareness for interstitial lung disease, and I’ve had the honor of meeting many people
who have been affected by idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis and other forms of interstitial
lung disease—including patients and caregivers like myself. Hearing these stories has
allowed me to spread much-needed awareness for this rare disease and, on a personal
level, has helped me heal.
Music played a critical role in helping me cope with the loss of my father. Talking
about my family’s experience with interstitial lung disease and how music helped us cope
is very important to me. It is one of the ways I can ensure my dad’s legacy lives on.
It’s why I’m so excited to be part of Tune In To Lung Health. Through this program,
you’ll find plenty of resources and education, including a series of vocal-exercise
videos.
I’ll be joined by vocal coach Eric Vetro. He’ll walk us through techniques that he uses
with his own celebrity clients. In these videos, you’ll meet people affected by
interstitial lung disease. They’ll share personal stories, as well as participate in
breathing and vocal exercises that may help you cope with the mental, physical, and
emotional burden of this disease. Please explore all these videos and enjoy. I hope you
find them helpful.
Bernie: Having worked with many people over the years in your role as a
vocal coach, what can you say about the impact of music?
Eric Vetro: Well Bernie, I think we can all relate to how powerful music
can be. Sometimes when we just don’t have the words to say exactly what we want to say,
music
does it best. There’s songs for every occasion and every emotion. There’s songs that
express grief and pain. There’s songs that motivate us and inspire us. In my own career
as a vocal coach, I’ve witnessed firsthand just how powerful music can be and the
emotional response it can elicit. Bernie, I understand music was a big part of your
childhood … Can you talk to me a little about that?
Bernie: Yeah, I started playing guitar around the age of eight, and my
mom and my dad were very instrumental in that, but specifically my dad … He was, he used
to play at
night after work, after hours, when we were supposed to be in bed. And, one of those
nights, I sort of woke up, and had been listening to him, and asked me if he could teach
me how to play, and he taught me a couple of chords and that started my, you know, sort
of love affair with the guitar and music in particular.
Eric: Wow. I had a little similar story with my own dad. But then your
dad was sadly
diagnosed with interstitial lung disease. So how did you use the music then to cope?
Bernie: I was listening to a lot of that music, you know, when my dad
passed. I was in
the middle of a season, a baseball season, and going through the games, you know, gave
me some distraction. It was very important for me to know that he was supportive, and I
think, you know, playing some of the music that he used to listen to when he was growing
up—it was a way of me connecting with him.
Eric: You have a really unique perspective here, Bernie, because not
only do you love
listening to music, but you also play, because you’re a musician. And you were so
inspired when you were a caregiver for your dad, it inspired you to write a song. Tell
me about that.
Bernie: Yes, and the song that I created is called Para Don Berna,
because that’s the
name that we, you know, people knew him by “Don Berna.” It’s short for Bernabe; it’s
“Barnaby.” But I wrote that song probably a week or so after he passed away, and it was
a very heartfelt song even though it did not have lyrics. I was trying to put in the
notes, and the harmony, and the rhythm and the tempo … My feelings about how important
he has been in my life and basically paying a tribute to his memory and his life.
Eric: And now you’re an accomplished musician, so music is still clearly
a big part of
your life. How do you hope your music is gonna inspire others?
Bernie: Well, I hope that people could hear my story through my music
and either going
through the same process that I did, you know, going through my dad’s disease, you know,
passing away from IPF, they can also be inspired by my story—and maybe they can relate
to the things that I was going through, and—ultimately—it will be a lot of help for a
lot of people.
Eric: Right. Well, Bernie, thank you so much for being so open and
sharing your personal
experiences, and your connection with music … It’s so beautiful and inspiring to hear.
Bernie: Oh, thank you so much for having me. I mean, it was just great
to be able to
tell my story and hopefully have other people listen to it or be inspired or, you know,
use it as a resource, you know, in their own journey.