Where do I begin?
My story begins the first time I picked up Diane’s book, The Secrets of Plymouth Rock. I remember closing that last page and thinking, “I’ve lived in Massachusetts my whole life, and yet there’s so much about Plymouth — and about this rock — that I never knew.” The book opened something in me. It made an impression I didn’t fully understand… not yet.
Seven Years Later — Enter Johnny Drama
Fast-forward seven years. I’m holding down the low end as the bassist in a funk band with one of the greatest names of all time: Johnny Drama and His Funky Entourage. The bandleader? Johnny Alves — Plymouth native, and beloved star of the A&E hit series Wahlburgers. I had auditioned for the band not knowing anything about the TV connection. Lucky me.
We rehearsed hard. Really hard. Sundays started at 11 a.m. and often wrapped close to 10 p.m. We’d break for snacks, dinner, jokes — then back to the grind. Wednesdays were for vocal-only rehearsals. Everyone was all-in. There was magic in those long days.
After one especially productive stretch, Drama (nicknamed by Mark Wahlberg himself) gathered us in the studio and said something I’ll never forget:
I remember thinking, Is he serious? So I asked him.
His response: “Of course. Mi casa, su casa.”
Immediately my brain lit up like someone switched on a jukebox. Songs. So many songs. Songs I could finally record properly. This was a gift — a real opportunity.
And Then… Plymouth’s History Came Calling
It was 2017, and all of Plymouth was buzzing about the upcoming 400th anniversary of the Landing of the Pilgrims. I was in Plymouth constantly — rehearsing, recording, absorbing its energy. It felt like the town itself was hinting at something.
Then one day Johnny looked at me and said, “You’re like the Black Mr. Rogers.”
His sister Leelee nodded. “I thought the same thing when I met you, Candido. Honest to God”
That comment stayed with me. If I had a “Mr. Rogers” spirit — maybe there was something I was meant to create for children. Something gentle, meaningful, educational, musical.
And then the dots connected.
Reaching Out to Diane Finn
I remembered Diane’s book. I remembered how it had stirred something in me years ago. So I picked up the phone.
“Diane,” I said, “I’d like to write songs to go with The Secrets of Plymouth Rock.”
She giggled — this excited, unmistakable Diane giggle — and said, “Really? I love the idea!”
For anyone who doesn’t know her, Diane Finn is Plymouth to her core:
- Former co-owner of the Plymouth Rock Trolley Company
- Co-owner of Colonial Lantern Tours
- A 30+ year Plymouth elementary school teacher
- And a lifelong, passionate historian
Nobody on planet Earth was more fired up for the 400th than Diane.
Finding the Rock’s Voice
In Diane’s story, Plymouth Rock talks. So in my musical, Plymouth Rock needed to sing.
But… whose voice?
One morning, the universe gave me the answer: children. A chorus of kids would be the perfect sound — pure, innocent, timeless.
To prepare, I spent days visiting the actual Rock. I’d sit quietly, listening to the park rangers tell stories, answer questions, and field myths and misconceptions. Some moments were inspiring. Some were unsettling.
One afternoon, a stranger walked right up to me, looked me in the eyes, said: “Malcolm X.” Then he turned and walked away.
I stood there stunned, thinking about Malcolm’s famous line: “We didn’t land on Plymouth Rock — the rock was landed on us.”
Little did I know how prophetic that moment was. Because soon the rock — this story, this history, this responsibility — was about to land on me.
The Breakthrough
Shortly after, I found myself in West Palm Beach, sitting by a hotel pool with a cup of coffee. And suddenly… the songs arrived.
Not slowly — all at once. Lyrics, melodies, rhythms. It felt like someone opened a faucet straight into my mind.
I had never experienced anything like it.
The story, the music, the voices — they all surged through me as if the Rock itself had chosen this moment to speak.
And that was the beginning.
The beginning of 12 original songs,
The beginning of Rockin’ The Secrets of Plymouth Rock,
The beginning of a project that would involve children, teachers, historians, musicians, and an entire community…
All because a gift — a studio, a story, a connection to history — found me at the right moment.
-Candido Bretto
Children's author, musician, founder, entrepreneur