Privileged Witnesses

The Ellison High School Wind Ensemble,
Mr. Smith conducting. Photo courtesy Mr. Raul Munoz

Some experiences leave a lasting impression. Sometimes they are grand in scale, and sometimes not, but they are significant enough to become etched in your mind and your heart. Music has such power, especially live performance. People playing musical instruments can move your soul; they can astonish and electrify, they can transfix and captivate. Sometimes, when everything is just right, you feel privileged to have witnessed it.

A high school band, including my son Brendan, and a piccolo player provided such a memorable experience on a rainy May night.

King of the Texas Troubadours

I was a passenger in a car on Interstate 35 just entering Austin, Texas, when I read the news on my phone. It was Tuesday, May 17, and Texas singer, songwriter, and luthier Guy Clark had died earlier that day. After reading the news, I looked up and the first thing I saw was an American flag at half-staff.

Merle

He was one of those one-name guys – someone whose first name alone left no doubt who you were talking about. Like Waylon, Willie, Jerry Jeff, and maybe even Elvis, all you had to say was one name, and everyone knew.

'Merle'.

Glenn Frey: A Unique and Memorable Talent

Glen Frey spent the past 40 plus years writing and performing some of the best music many of us have ever heard. As frontman for the Eagles and a solo artist, his music captured and held our imaginations and our interest as we grew from teenagers into adulthood, through middle age, and beyond.