At Home with...Cy Curnin

The working farm and bed-and-breakfast became so successful and time-consuming that it squashed any idea of a goat farm. “We started eating off the land and added organic vegetables to go with what meat we had,” explains Curnin. He also constructed an enormous (80 x 40 x 30-foot) underground rainwater collection system that amasses approximately 190,000 meters of water a year that was otherwise going to waste. Cy Curnin lives with his wife and daughter on an organic farm in France. Photo credit: Lisa Bell Roden. Photo courtesy of cycurnin.com. Rediscovering Passions Although this hands-on life was initially a bit of a culture shock to a famed musician who had been traveling the world and enjoying a lavish New York City apartment and wealthier lifestyle, relocating to France renewed his childhood memories of becoming a veterinarian. “I grew up loving fishing and the countryside,” says Curnin, who spent his childhood in the Wimbledon area of London, England. “It just took time to rediscover.” However, Curnin admits that at times living ‘green’ can be overwhelming. “I wanted to give up at one point, wondering how much money it took to live like this,” he says. “You’re thinking of saving the planet, but you’re not saving any money. It’s a lot of man hours and a lot of heavy work. It seems quicker to bring in the team or just go to the supermarket and buy a pork chop.” In tough times, such as last year when all the sheep got sick and half of them died, he would often remember what his mother told him: “It’s better to tend to your own garden than worry about news from afar because if you don’t tend to your own garden, news from afar will swallow you. Take care of yourself and you’ll be in fitter shape, basically to take care of whatever comes at you.” As for the sheep, “those who survived came back stronger, and so did I,” he says. Giving Back The farm keeps Curnin physically stronger, too. The 50-year-old Curnin says that being a farmhand does keep him fit, but he finds time to still work on music and perform. “I used to spend a couple hours rehearsing and plenty of time sitting around,” he says. “Now, I still spend a couple hours a day noodling and writing, but then I’m working on the farm every day, which keeps me in great shape.” The Fixx are currently recording music for their new album scheduled to be released in 2009. They were recently part of the Rockin’ the Colonies tour and will be performing in Las Vegas later this year. Curnin’s most recent solo project is The Returning Sun, a self-released CD that is available on his Web site. In October 2007, Curnin performed in a concert called Everest Rocks at the base camp of Mount Everest, setting a world record as the highest gig on land, as part of a 13-day trek through Nepal with the Love Hope Strength Foundation (LHSF), a charity that raises funds and awareness for international cancer centers and networks through music-related events and promotions. “I believe [my wife and I are] kind of smiling at ourselves,” says Curnin. “We arrived at this place without really planning it, but it happened.”

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