------------------------------------------------------- OCTOBER 2001 ------------------------------------------------------- Source: University of Delaware Messenger, Volume 10, Number 3, 2001 http://www.udel.edu/PR/Messenger/01/3/yes.html 'Yes,' she says By Robert DiGiacomo If teachers had to write that oft-assigned essay about "What I Did During My Summer Vacation," Robin Heckert Kauffman, AS '78, would have an interesting tale to tell. The South Jersey middle-school language arts teacher has spent part of each summer since 1995 as an official photographer for the rock band Yes. Kauffman, an avid photographer since her days as an art education major at the University, is in a position any rock music fan would admire: During Yes's annual tour, she receives a coveted full concert pass for each stop--giving her backstage access and permission to shoot during the entire performance. The ultimate reward, though, was having the band use her work on its 2000 release, Live at the House of Blues, recorded in Las Vegas. "That was my ultimate thing," Kauffman says. "I've had photos in magazines, newspapers, press kits, online and so forth. To have something on the CD, DVD and VHS was pretty exciting for me." Kauffman's photographic treatment of the band reflects her deep affinity for its music; a fan first, the Hainesport, N.J.–based Kauffman was introduced to the band by her husband, Larry, more than 20 years ago. "It's intricate; it's spiritual," Kauffman says of Yes's music. "They're excellent, excellent musicians. It's not plain and simple pop music. Their music, the more you listen, the more you hear in it. A lot of Yes fans say they are not sure if they like the music when they first hear it. It gets deeper when you continue to listen to it. The musicianship--and the vocal harmonies--are amazing." Clearly, Kauffman is a dedicated fan. But how did that appreciation lead to her official role? Interestingly, considering it was 1991--before the Internet as we know it existed--Kauffman's Yes connection began online. She and her husband were among the early users of the Prodigy online service, and via bulletin boards, began to chat with and befriend other Yes fans. Through these chats, Kauffman met the editor of a Yes fan 'zine, Wonderous Stories (named after one of the band's songs). She started shooting photos for the magazine and assisting with fan conventions. Working for Wonderous Stories enabled Kauffman, who had done some photo work for the Phillies and shot some local bands, to receive an all-important pass to photograph the band during its shows. At that time, she was relegated to the so-called photographers' pit and allowed to shoot only during the first few songs of each set. Over the next few years, Kauffman got to know the members of the band and gave them copies of her photos. By the time the magazine folded in 1994, she had established her own relationship with the group. The turning point came in late 1994 when the band's lead singer, Jon Anderson, called to ask permission to use one of her photos for a publicity shot. Although Anderson ultimately did not use the photo, he did contact her again and eventually used a photo for a tour program in Japan and later used another of her shots to publicize his Toltec solo album. Even when shooting the entire band, Kauffman pays particular attention to the charismatic Anderson. "Usually, I'm just trying to capture the essence of who they are," Kauffman says. "Jon [Anderson] is the most spiritual person. I'm just trying to capture that in him. He totally gets lost in what he's singing. [Bassist] Chris Squire, on the other hand, is very animated on stage. His jumps and leaps and movements, I'm trying to capture them." In 1997, Kauffman received the go-ahead for a full access pass. That year, she went to nearly 20 concerts and, over the past few years, she's followed the band up and down the East Coast and to California. Luckily, Yes tours mainly in the summer when she is not in school. These regular encounters have gained her an interesting view of the everyday life of rock stars. "It's a peek into a celebrity-type lifestyle," Kauffman says. With little compensation other than free concert tickets, Kauffman says she plans to keep her day job in the classroom, where she has to explain to her students–save the occasional one whose parents are fans–exactly who Yes is. "The rumor has spread that I do photos for a band, but most of the time they have no idea who the band is," she says. Close Window YesInThePress.com For site comments, problems, corrections, or additions, contact YesinthePress@aol.com