Togo RPCV Hayden Janssen's musical journey continues with his new album 'Irish Hands'



He ended up in Togo in West Africa with the Peace Corps and later with AmeriCorps in Montana, where he met a kindred spirit - a philosophy major and French minor, as well as a singer and songwriter - who instantly became a major part of Janssen's musical inspiration. He worked the small clubs in the area, then moved to New York and played little houses in Brooklyn.

Togo RPCV Hayden Janssen's musical journey continues with his new album 'Irish Hands'

A MAN ON A MISSION SPIN CYCLE; Songwriter Hayden Janssen's journey continues with his new album 'Irish Hands';
Jan 20, 2006 - Spokesman-Review
Age: 26

Style: solo, acoustic, soulful folk-rock

Go: Janssen played college soccer at the University of Kansas, where he majored in French and minored in philosophy.

Soccer eventually took him to France for a little while, and then he ended up in Togo in West Africa with the Peace Corps and later with AmeriCorps in Montana, where he met a kindred spirit - a philosophy major and French minor, as well as a singer and songwriter - who instantly became a major part of Janssen's musical inspiration. He worked the small clubs in the area, then moved to New York and played little houses in Brooklyn.

He met his wife in New York, and the couple decided to drive around the country to see friends on their move to Anchorage, Alaska, where he played at more small clubs. They then moved to the Northwest, arriving in Spokane in late December. The thriving arts scene attracted Janssen to move to town, even though he had never played here before.

"We jumped in the four-door Kia and drove front-wheel drive, 66 1/ 2 straight hours at 37 mph during winter solstice, so there was about five hours of daylight," Janssen said.

Go faster: Janssen recorded, mixed, mastered and pressed his new album, "Irish Hands," in 23 days in November.

On the record: "I'm not rock, I'm not pop, I'm not R&B, but I bring all of those elements together. I had a hard time playing on an album because it takes away the earthiness. I do my songs differently every show. I might make it more twangy or more rockin', or pick up the pace, or change the tone and the emphasis on the words," Janssen said.

Philosophize this: "Everyone you meet - whether their morals are contrary to or agree with what you believe - all of those people help mold who you are," Janssen said.

Philosophize this Pt. II: "Inequality is the nemesis of society. Until you see everyone the same as you see yourself, you'll be standing in the same place every time you look at yourself," Janssen said.

"Forward is the only place to move toward understanding."

Next gig: Saturday at 9 p.m. at Blue Spark, 15 S. Howard St. Cover is $2. Check out his lineup of shows at http://www.myspace.com/ haydenjanssen.

HAYDEN JANSSEN'S ESSENTIAL ALBUMS: "O," Damien Rice "Ophelia," Natalie Merchant "Living in Clip," Ani DiFranco "Welcome to the Cruel World," Ben Harper "Remember," Rusted Root "Laid," James "Live at the Old Quarter, Houston, Texas," Townes Van Zandt

Listen to tracks from Hayden Janssen's "Irish Hands" at http://www.spokane7.com/music.

When this story was posted in February 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

---

---

Top Stories: February 2, 2006 Al Kamen writes: Rice to redeploy diplomats 20 Jan Peace Corps mourns the Loss of Volunteer Tessa Horan 1 Feb RPCV pursues dreams in America's Heartland 1 Feb Sargent Shriver documentary to be shown in LA 30 Jan W. Frank Fountain is new board chairman of Africare 27 Jan Abbey Brown writes about acid attacks in Bangladesh 26 Jan Christopher Hill Sees Ray of Hope in N.Korea Standoff 26 Jan Jeffrey Smit writes on one man diplomatic outposts 25 Jan Joe Blatchford's ACCION and microfinance 24 Jan James Rupert writes: A calculated risk in Pakistan 23 Jan Sam Farr rips conservative immigration bill 21 Jan Americans campaign for PC to return to Sierra Leone 20 Jan Kinky Friedman supports Gay Marriage 20 Jan Margaret Krome writes on Women leaders 18 Jan James Walsh leads bipartisan US delegation to Ireland 17 Jan Mark Schneider writes on Elections and Beyond in Haiti 16 Jan Robert Blackwill on a "serious setback" in US-India relations 13 Jan Kevin Quigley writes on PC and U.S. Image Abroad 13 Jan Emily Metzloff rides bicycle 3,100 miles from Honduras 9 Jan Charles Brennick starts operation InterConnection 9 Jan Lee Fisher tells story of Pablo Morillo 7 Jan Nancy Wallace writes: Was PC a CIA front after all? 4 Jan

---

RPCV admits to abuse while in Peace Corps Timothy Ronald Obert has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a minor in Costa Rica while serving there as a Peace Corps volunteer. "The Peace Corps has a zero tolerance policy for misconduct that violates the law or standards of conduct established by the Peace Corps," said Peace Corps Director Gaddi H. Vasquez. Could inadequate screening have been partly to blame? Mr. Obert's resume, which he had submitted to the Peace Corps in support of his application to become a Peace Corps Volunteer, showed that he had repeatedly sought and obtained positions working with underprivileged children. Read what RPCVs have to say about this case.

---

Military Option sparks concerns The U.S. military, struggling to fill its voluntary ranks, is allowing recruits to meet part of their reserve military obligations after active duty by serving in the Peace Corps. Read why there is opposition to the program among RPCVs. Director Vasquez says the agency has a long history of accepting qualified applicants who are in inactive military status. John Coyne says "Not only no, but hell no!" and RPCV Chris Matthews leads the debate on "Hardball." Avi Spiegel says Peace Corps is not the place for soldiers while Coleman McCarthy says to Welcome Soldiers to the Peace Corps. Read our poll results. Latest: Congress passed a bill on December 22 including language to remove Peace Corps from the National Call to Service (NCS) military recruitment program

---

Why blurring the lines puts PCVs in danger When the National Call to Service legislation was amended to include Peace Corps in December of 2002, this country had not yet invaded Iraq and was not in prolonged military engagement in the Middle East, as it is now. Read the story of how one volunteer spent three years in captivity from 1976 to 1980 as the hostage of a insurrection group in Colombia in Joanne Marie Roll's op-ed on why this legislation may put soldier/PCVs in the same kind of danger. Latest: Read the ongoing dialog on the subject.

---

PC establishes awards for top Volunteers Gaddi H. Vasquez has established the Kennedy Service Awards to honor the hard work and service of two current Peace Corps Volunteers, two returned Peace Corps Volunteers, and two Peace Corps staff members. The award to currently serving volunteers will be based on a demonstration of impact, sustainability, creativity, and catalytic effect. Submit your nominations by December 9.

---

Robert F. Kennedy - 80th anniversary of his birth "Few men are willing to brave the disapproval of their fellows, the censure of their colleagues, the wrath of their society. Moral courage is a rarer commodity than bravery in battle or great intelligence. Yet it is the one essential, vital quality for those who seek to change the world which yields most painfully to change."

---

Peace Corps at highest Census in 30 years Congratulations to the Peace Corps for the highest number of volunteers in 30 years with 7,810 volunteers serving in 71 posts across the globe. Of course, the President's proposal to double the Peace Corps to 15,000 volunteers made in his State of the Union Address in 2002 is now a long forgotten dream. With deficits in federal spending stretching far off into the future, any substantive increase in the number of volunteers will have to wait for new approaches to funding and for a new administration. Choose your candidate and start working for him or her now.

---

The Peace Corps Library Peace Corps Online is proud to announce that the Peace Corps Library is now available online. With over 30,000 index entries in 500 categories, this is the largest collection of Peace Corps related stories in the world. From Acting to Zucchini, you can find hundreds of stories about what RPCVs with your same interests or from your Country of Service are doing today. If you have a web site, support the "Peace Corps Library" and link to it today.

---

Friends of the Peace Corps 170,000 strong 170,000 is a very special number for the RPCV community - it's the number of Volunteers who have served in the Peace Corps since 1961. It's also a number that is very special to us because March is the first month since our founding in January, 2001 that our readership has exceeded 170,000. And while we know that not everyone who comes to this site is an RPCV, they are all "Friends of the Peace Corps." Thanks everybody for making PCOL your source of news for the Returned Volunteer community.

Read the stories and leave your comments.