Bob Songs

Bob’s bio is at the bottom.

About Bob

Robert M. Diefendorf is one of my best friends. I am most lucky to have made his acquaintance all those years ago in New York. He one of the most clear-thinking, original, creative and resourceful people I have ever met–and it is a tragedy for the world that he is not better well-won. His compassion is near supernatural, of course.

He is a musician, a humanitarian, a writer of plays and books and a far better vegetarian than I. He plays piano, which he studied at university, and guitar.

He plays and sings his own songs and writes thought-provoking and erudite poems as well as children’s books.

He hails from Illinois and has lived in Hong Kong, Boston, Washington, DC, New York City, and Princeton, New Jersey. I met Bob in 1992–on a picket line at New York City’s Rainbow Room, where we did a stint in hospitality.

In Illinois, Bob was born, in Boston, where he went to university. In Washington, DC he did a journalism internship. In New York City, Bob studied play-writing, taught music and was a star of our labor movement at the famous once-jewel of Manhattan–Rockefeller Center’s Rainbow Room. In Princeton, Bob was a music teacher in residence at the Westminster Conservatory, where he also ran a hugely successful music studio for learners young and old–with a long waiting list. He also started a non-profit organization, while there–the affiliates of which still procure instruments and lessons for the children of working class.

In Hong Kong Bob owned a real estate business, and of course taught music, as well as English–which I should add, he did for free in Princeton–for the benefit of hard-working immigrants from Latin America (Bob speaks Spanish, German and English–of course–like a Nobel Laureate. He can also pull off a good lay-up–but who am I to judge? I couldn’t score a basket with a ladder and tongs.

Bob wrote a book in Princeton: Release The Butterfly–a treatise that helps music teachers and students achieve their goals. It actually reads more like help for everyone and can improve one’s training in music or life in general. It received rave reviews from teachers, psychologists and even a medicine man/MD.

Today, Bob lives in India with his wife, Penny, his mom-in-law and his dogs.

The most important aspect of knowing Bob is that he is one of the most intelligent and kind human beings who has ever come up with a great idea on planet Earth–and Bob comes up with about ten great ideas each day. He is also a great friend and one of the principle souls who inspired belief in my writing–along with his mother, Lois Diefendorf. There will be more of his music here soon–mostly guitar and really cool songs.

Carl Atteniese
Tokyo