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I owe Theo Obrastoff an apology\u2026 Theo unfortunately got tangled up in the wheels of my horrible planning and timing. We actually did this interview in the summer of last year, and then we decided to hold it until November\/December and release it in conjunction with his Basement Tapes episode. Seeing as how the New Year turned and you are just now reading this shows how far behind I allowed things to get. If only I could devote all my time to DTL, that would be nice! Anyway, back to Theo and what is important\u2026<\/p>\n
I was a late-comer to Theo and his work. I had seen from time to time an online reference to an album called Come as a Child (or Not At All)<\/em>, but I had never been able to find a copy to my dismay. All of my favorite artists are on there \u2013 a who\u2019s who in the music world: Theo, Terry Taylor, Michael Knott, Riki Michele, Derri Daugherty, Michael Roe and many others as well. I got an email from Mike Indest (who does the DTL Basement Tapes) that said \u201cYou need to interview Theo Obrastoff, the anniversary of Andy is coming up soon.\u201d To be honest, I wasn\u2019t sure who Theo or Andy was, but as soon as I contacted Theo he filled me in on the entire story. Theo lost his son Andy in 2001 due to complications from a lung & heart transplant. So, for me, there was this desire to talk to Theo about his music, but I found out so much more about his journey that he and his family have gone through. It is inspiring.<\/p>\n Theo sent me a book he had written, The Father Loves the Son<\/em>, as well as several solo CD\u2019s he has recorded. In addition he sent me Suffer the Children<\/em> and the follow up Come As a Child (or Not At All)<\/em>\u2026 I was surprised at his generosity, and I was excited to get the book and all the music\u2026 There is an important story here, one that is not only important because of the magnitude of what happened and how Theo and his family (as well as countless others) were affected, but it is important as well because the parallel between Theo and his son Andy are a mirror to how Father God feels about each of those that belong to Him. I think there is an expression of how much He loves every single soul that He created.<\/p>\n This is a story of complexities, it is a story of tragedy and triumph, and it is a story that is about the resilience of a child\u2019s spirit. There is a reason why scripture talks about children so much; there is a reason why unless we become like them we will not see the Kingdom. C.S. Lewis said it best, he said, \u201cWhen I was a child I spoke as a child, when I became an adult I put away childish things, like the desire to be grown up.\u201d Theo\u2019s story about the journey of his son is life changing, and it spoke deeply to me even though I do not have children. I hope that you will take this journey and learn about Theo and his music, but I hope you will take it a step further and learn from Theo about what he has experienced in dealing with Andy\u2019s cystic fibrosis, and ultimately learning how to give his son back to the Creator. It is quite a journey.<\/p>\n Can you tell us just a bit about yourself?<\/strong><\/p>\n I live with my wife and our youngest son (12) in Mill Creek (a city just 20 miles north of Seattle). My elder son (24) is living in Wisconsin and is with the Army.<\/p>\n What bands have you played with and been involved with musically?<\/strong><\/p>\n In the early 80s I played a great deal with a \u201cbest in the NW\u201d band called The Want. We did covers and a great deal of original music. I played bass for The Want and sang back up. Later I played in bands where I could play guitar and focus more upon my own compositions. There was \u201cPhilippi Co. Jail\u201d and \u201cThe Jordan River Project\u201d and finally \u201cFlip Side.\u201d Then there was the time I played a great deal of acoustic solo music as I was blessed with the unique adventure of trouncing about from Cornerstone to Vancouver BC, riding the coattails of The Lost Dogs (they used to play the big rooms).<\/p>\n What is your \u201cday time\u201d job?<\/strong><\/p>\n Presently I am a housewife\u2026 err\u2026 husband\u2026 and I am also a full time student with Walden University, getting my MS in Mental Health Counseling. Before that I pastured for quite a long while.<\/p>\n I owe Theo Obrastoff an apology\u2026 Theo unfortunately got tangled up in the wheels of my horrible planning and timing. We actually did this interview in the summer of last year, and then we decided to hold it until November\/December and release it in conjunction with his Basement Tapes episode. Seeing as how the New Year turned and you are just now reading this shows how far behind I allowed things to get. If only I could devote all my time to DTL, that would be nice! Anyway, back to Theo and what is important\u2026<\/p>\n I was a late-comer to Theo and his work. I had seen from time to time an online reference to an album called Come as a Child (or Not At All)<\/em>, but I had never been able to find a copy to my dismay. All of my favorite artists are on there \u2013 a who\u2019s who in the music world: Theo, Terry Taylor, Michael Knott, Riki Michele, Derri Daugherty, Michael Roe and many others as well. I got an email from Mike Indest (who does the DTL Basement Tapes) that said \u201cYou need to interview Theo Obrastoff, the anniversary of Andy is coming up soon.\u201d To be honest, I wasn\u2019t sure who Theo or Andy was, but as soon as I contacted Theo he filled me in on the entire story. Theo lost his son Andy in 2001 due to complications from a lung & heart transplant. So, for me, there was this desire to talk to Theo about his music, but I found out so much more about his journey that he and his family have gone through. It is inspiring.<\/p>\n Theo sent me a book he had written, The Father Loves the Son<\/em>, as well as several solo CD\u2019s he has recorded. In addition he sent me Suffer the Children<\/em> and the follow up Come As a Child (or Not At All)<\/em>\u2026 I was surprised at his generosity, and I was excited to get the book and all the music\u2026 There is an important story here, one that is not only important because of the magnitude of what happened and how Theo and his family (as well as countless others) were affected, but it is important as well because the parallel between Theo and his son Andy are a mirror to how Father God feels about each of those that belong to Him. I think there is an expression of how much He loves every single soul that He created.<\/p>\n This is a story of complexities, it is a story of tragedy and triumph, and it is a story that is about the resilience of a child\u2019s spirit. There is a reason why scripture talks about children so much; there is a reason why unless we become like them we will not see the Kingdom. C.S. Lewis said it best, he said, \u201cWhen I was a child I spoke as a child, when I became an adult I put away childish things, like the desire to be grown up.\u201d Theo\u2019s story about the journey of his son is life changing, and it spoke deeply to me even though I do not have children. I hope that you will take this journey and learn about Theo and his music, but I hope you will take it a step further and learn from Theo about what he has experienced in dealing with Andy\u2019s cystic fibrosis, and ultimately learning how to give his son back to the Creator. It is quite a journey.<\/p>\n Can you tell us just a bit about yourself?<\/strong><\/p>\n I live with my wife and our youngest son (12) in Mill Creek (a city just 20 miles north of Seattle). My elder son (24) is living in Wisconsin and is with the Army.<\/p>\n In the early 80s I played a great deal with a \u201cbest in the NW\u201d band called The Want. We did covers and a great deal of original music. I played bass for The Want and sang back up. Later I played in bands where I could play guitar and focus more upon my own compositions. There was \u201cPhilippi Co. Jail\u201d and \u201cThe Jordan River Project\u201d and finally \u201cFlip Side.\u201d Then there was the time I played a great deal of acoustic solo music as I was blessed with the unique adventure of trouncing about from Cornerstone to Vancouver BC, riding the coattails of The Lost Dogs (they used to play the big rooms).<\/p>\n What is your \u201cday time\u201d job?<\/strong><\/p>\n Presently I am a housewife\u2026 err\u2026 husband\u2026 and I am also a full time student with Walden University, getting my MS in Mental Health Counseling. Before that I pastured for quite a long while.<\/p>\n Can you tell me the order of the stuff you have released? When did what CD come out, and where was the book released in the order of things?<\/strong><\/p>\n Come as a Child<\/em> was still in the grinder, so at my first C-Stone, we released my book (The Father Loves the Son<\/em>) and a \u201csingle\u201d CD with the same name which featured two songs. One was \u201cAndrie,\u201d a love song to my late son Andrew. The \u201cflip side\u201d has a new recording of the Dogs singing \u201cLord, Protect My Child.\u201d<\/p>\n How\/when did you meet Terry Taylor and how did the friendship that you guys have develop?<\/strong><\/p>\n Terry received a request to come to Seattle and sing over a little boy who was dying due to Cystic Fibrosis (CF). God moved him to act upon the request and it was only a matter of days before he appeared on the fifth floor of Children\u2019s Hospital of Seattle. He sang and prayed over Andrew. He spoke with Andrew. We spoke. He asked if we might stay in touch and I was really quite moved by his offer of friendship. A few months after Andrew passed away (May 5th<\/sup> 2001), I approached Terry about doing some sort of memorial for Andrew; something that focused upon father\/son relationships and a bit of education about CF as well. It\u2019s a long story, filled with ups, downs, tears, laughter (such as I had never experienced before), and an entirely new host of friends (brothers and sisters) than I had ever imagined possible.<\/p>\n How did you meet John Piccari?<\/strong><\/p>\n The first Andy\u2019s Angels Christmas Concert had taken place here in Washington State with Terry, Mike Roe, Aaron Sprinkle, and me. It was taped through the board as well as on video. We decided to help the project get started, to announce our intentions for the project (this would be December 2001), and just celebrate what was happening. Following the gig, I posted on the DA website a request for anybody who might be able to master the CDs for me. Piccari stepped right up to the plate and so did Rob Marnocha (sp? who packaged the two disc set). There were about 50 collector\u2019s sets that were sold at around $50 each. Then I saw John at C-Stone (funny story). Then I went to So Cal, dropped off the tracks from my first Christmas album with Robert Watson, stayed with John, performed a Sunday morning deal with Jeff Elbel at John\u2019s church, then joined the Dogs on the road and then swung back through So Cal to mix the Christmas album with Watson before returning home to the Seattle area. Trips to So Cal became frequent. My two best friends, Rich Brimer (Andrew introduced us in person in WA), and John Piccari (Andrew introduced us too, but it was after he had gone to heaven\u2014if you catch my meaning). John is just this wonderful brother and I can\u2019t really find better words than that.<\/p>\n Can you tell me Andy\u2019s birthday, and the date that he passed away? <\/strong><\/p>\n Andrew was born September 30th<\/sup> 1985 and he ascended to God on May 5th<\/sup> 2001 due to complications with a double-lung\/heart transplant he received when nearly 10 years old.<\/p>\n Prior to Andrew having CF, was it something that you ever had any knowledge of or experience with?<\/strong><\/p>\n No… Not at all. We were called down to the hospital in the middle of the night for a conference. The staff told us that Andrew was diagnosed with Cystic Fibrosis. There was this long, terrible silence. Our minds swirled and we had no idea what Cys)UR)U Fibr)IUERJsis<\/em> or whatever was. It just sounded malevolent. Finally I broke the silence and asked, \u201cDoes this affect his life expectancy?\u201d A straightforward \u201cyes\u201d came back at me. Then we wept because we inherently knew that something really awful had been pronounced over our baby, and life was never going to be the same. We wept because we are simple creatures of little understanding, and how to care for one of God\u2019s angels (meaning kids with CF, with down syndrome, with autism, etc) is a thing too lofty for us to absorb. One just has to nod in acknowledgment and ask, \u201cWhat do we do?\u201d<\/p>\n In the beginning of your book, one of the things that really struck me was where you said that, \u201cAs I\u2019ve striven to deal with the temporary loss of my son\u2026\u201d that struck me because it made death sound so temporal and not permanent. How has the journey been since that happened? Is it difficult to remember that it is temporary?<\/strong><\/p>\n It is not difficult to remember that the separations we experience are temporal. This last May 5th<\/sup> marked 10 years since his passing. It seems like yesterday. Members of our family wear both scars and medals. There is PTSD and depression, but there is also joy and celebration. It pulls a person thin, demonstrates our own finiteness on a daily basis. Many in my family have passed away. I have experienced an inordinate amount of death for one living in the West; in the safety of the United States. My family comes from the \u201cold country\u201d (Russia) and we embrace the experience (post-modern before its time, lol). I am not properly Eastern Orthodox, but I hold to a number of doctrines the EO believes. One of those tenets is the belief in the living church, both seen and unseen. Death is but a thin veil that separates us for a brief season. As King David observed, \u201cHe will not return to me, but I will go to him.\u201d That\u2019s a guarantee.<\/p>\n I know it is a broad question, but how did you spend your time immediately following Andrew\u2019s passing? How do you pick up and continue to move after dealing with something of that magnitude? <\/strong><\/p>\n After some solemn moments of primal scream therapy, after basking in the love of my family and friends, after walking some really dark valleys, I\u2026 Let me say this: I kept on moving and I think that was a mistake. People think I demonstrated the proper way a man of faith, in faith, responds to such a thing. But a person can\u2019t just keep moving. Ten years later, I find myself retracing my own steps, gathering pieces of the story and of myself and trying to figure out what to do next. Ten years later I actually feel like I\u2019m mourning like a real person. When Andrew died I was a teacher at his school and too easily slipped into \u201ccare-taker\u201d mode, ignoring my own need to truly grieve. Just this last year, I met up with the Lost Dogs and thanked them again for how special they had allowed our relationships to become. Amidst the talk I found myself suddenly saying, \u201cI think I\u2019m finally truly grieving.\u201d So how does one continue? Not as the same person you were before. Andrew\u2019s life was a 15 year battle against a killer disease. You come home from the war and trust God to help you deal with whatever disorders may surface [smile] and give God glory that He has never gone anywhere and never will He go anywhere.<\/p>\n Sure. Violet has always been a very passionate young lady about God and her walk with Him. She leaned heavily into God, into us, and others who cared about her for comfort and responded well to that. It was a surrealistic world for her. Anybody who has lost one whom they love will tell you how they feel alone, in that they wonder, \u201cHow could anybody else know how this feels and know all that we\u2019ve shared together?\u201d In his book, A Grief Observed<\/em>, C.S. Lewis spoke to this matter in observing how he felt lonely and wanted to be around other people; he just didn\u2019t want them to approach him or speak to him. Violet has moved out of state, but to her I am still Papa and my wife is still Mama, and we are all of us, quite in love.<\/p>\n What items do you still have available for purchase? The book, what discs, etc.?<\/strong><\/p>\n Ah, ah! Like a son who knows his father\u2019s heart! Thank you. [insert real laugh] Everything. 1) Suffer the Children<\/em> 2) Come as a Child (or not at all)<\/em> 3) Like an Orange to a Child<\/em>, and of course, the book.<\/p>\n Can you give us a little info about the upcoming release and plans to play live?<\/strong><\/p>\n I\u2019m very excited about this. John Piccari is producing the project, which is a terribly wonderful illustration of what brothers do for one another. He sees the need in my music (we\u2019ve spoken of it often) for others to come along side and pitch in. He\u2019s doing that, along with some other friends, and I think this will be my opus\u2014my life work. I\u2019ve been earning an MS in Mental Health Counseling and have also worked closely in ministry with homeless folks who suffer various mental disorders. I\u2019ve learned a great deal. The album is entirely from the perspectives of people dealing with a mental health disorder; everything from a season of depression, to schizophrenia, to Dissociative Identity Disorder. After I had composed all the songs, John bought me a copy of Alice Cooper\u2019s From the inside<\/em>, and I\u2019m re-devouring that wonderful work. My new work has its lows, but it doesn\u2019t stay down in the trenches either. In the end it speaks to what we all must do, and that is to live today, remembering that tomorrow will have its own problems. I would love to stage this as something of a psycho-drama-rock-show and play it down in So Cal and perhaps around Seattle or Portland. But, that is a matter for tomorrow. For today, John has his hands full with me!<\/p>\n Having come this far through the experience of Andy and his beating us to the pearly gates, what lessons have you learned (or experiences and truths have you discovered) that stick out the most in your mind?<\/strong><\/p>\n In a hugely perplexing season, everything that is in the heart will come out\u2026 eventually. In a hugely vexing predicament, listen to the voice that says, \u201cYes, You can do this, because you\u2019re stronger than you think.\u201d People would always say, \u201cI don\u2019t know how you do it! I could never\u2026\u201d and I would say, \u201cYes you could. He would make you able.\u201d And of course, the mantra that came out of all of this for AAR: Life is short; live well, love well. I would rephrase that as, Life is NOW; live well, love well.<\/p>\n Anything else that you would like to say? <\/strong><\/p>\n Be sure to look up Camp CAACONAA on line just to see what happens when you scatter an idea. Please do visit andysangelsrecords.org<\/a><\/strong> to purchase the albums. Terry Taylor\u2019s compositions are worth the ticket alone. Keep an eye out for this new album. Next year John and I may be asking for your votes to C-Stone! It could happen. \ud83d\ude09<\/p>\n In closing this out I wanted to share that Theo released Even Though I Walk<\/em> which also comes with a download of the screenplay and is described by Theo as \u201cthe so-called “basement tape” recording of Theo Obrastoff’s Christmas Rock Opera “Even Though I Walk” \u2013 a lifetime opus for Obrastoff. It is a fairy tale focusing on the heart of Christmas with a prodigal edge to the story.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/downthelinezine.com\/archives\/files\/2022\/03\/TheoObrastoff3.jpg\")
What bands have you played with and been involved with musically?<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/downthelinezine.com\/archives\/files\/2022\/03\/TheoObrastoff4.jpg\")
Can you tell us about Violet and how she did after Andy’s passing? Are you still in contact with her? (Ed. Note-Violet was Andy\u2019s first love)<\/strong><\/p>\n
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