Just A Berkshire Kid by Terry Hall

“Just a Berkshire Kid” written and self published by Terry Hall aka Terry ala Berry was released in spring of 2020 and available from Amazon (click here). While it is true that Terry is an alum of WMS, this book barely mentions our school, the Bondy family, teachers and fellow students. His experience attending Windsor, which he describes as being one of six other area prep schools, seemed to have no more influence on him than the Lenox public schools he went to prior.

Also to be fair, Terry was a neighbor and day student whose home, located on land once part of Windsor, had parents who worked for the Bondys, and for much of the 1950’s ran a summer camp there leasing the school grounds. The Hall’s felt betrayed when Heinz chose to rent to Tanglewood in the summer for more money, even though his father Jim was hired to manage the grounds.

That said, should you as a WMS alum read this autobiography … yes. Despite hoping for more WMS insight and stories, as well a deeper understanding of his parents Jim and Franny whose teaching and student commitment had such a lastly impression on so many alums, Terry’s story is unique, and in many ways blessed given his choice to be a musician in the land of Tanglewood, along with the luck of being a long, though not always regular, member of Arlo Guthrie’s band. There are many great stories of summer camp, summer theater, countless rock, folk and jazz bands, not to mention working with numerous celebs, including having Carly Simon as a camp counselor.

Personally I remember Terry fondly hanging out in the Main House as we waited for dinner, or on the back lawn. Even years later when I visited Windsor, Terry always seemed to be around. I came to live in Haydenville, MA in 1973 a mere 40 miles from Lenox, and would go to the Music Inn where occasionally Terry would be a drummer for the opening act. A few months after Windsor folded in October 1975, Shirley Kube, myself, and Ron Carlson went to nearby Worthington for a health center benefit concert with Arlo and Shenandoah. I remember having to hike in like it was a mini-Woodstock, sitting a 20+ acre farm field filled with people, and when Arlo introduced his new band calling out Terry ala Berry, he stood up – frizzy hair and his wide brim hat we were wonderfully surprised!

So buy the book and enjoy a pleasant afternoon or so read about one of our own who in his words: “Some people are Born to Lose, others are Born to Win. I just wanted to kind of slide down the middle. I seem to have more or less achieved my goal.”

Here are some recent YouTube reviews by the infamous literary expert and seal trainer Herman Shmellville, resident Lenox scholar (click here) and (here) and even (here), plus (here).