Oh, the joy of living in a “battleground state.” Tonight at 7pm the polls close, the votes will be counted, and it will be finished in Florida — for now. And that will be about the only good thing that results from one of the ugliest demonstrations of American democracy that I can remember. Who wins when everyone is demonized? Again, the questions arise – does it have to be so negative? So personal? So disrespectful? The easy answer is no. But we allow it to be so. As an American voter, I have my political opinions, and I am sure that they differ from many of those with whom I interact. But that’s OK with me. I respect you, and I hope you respect me. Whether I’m a Democrat or Republican, I want the candidates within each party to [...]

A heavenly setting, terrific bands, hundreds of excellent dancers, and a chance to play music in one of the most amazing venues anywhere – this past weekend in Gulfport, Florida was a weekend that will live in our memory. Yep, I’m talking about Snow Ball again. Dancers gathered from all over Florida, from all over the United States, and from as far away as Canada. All joined together to share a weekend in time – or, perhaps more accurately, a weekend removed from time. Two great contra dance bands headlined the events. One group, Nor’easter features fiddle, guitar/mandolin, keyboard, and drums. The group starts dance sets out with a nice, easy groove; then the energy builds until the very chandeliers seem to jump in place. Each dance ends with whoops, hollers, laughter and smiles. The other group headlining the dance [...]

Here we are, in the depth of winter, preparing to travel across state to enjoy and perform at one of the most prestigious contra dance gatherings in the United States. In all irony, the dance is called Snow Ball. Sound Traveler will be performing at the Gulfport Casino Ballroom near St. Petersburg, Florida. Oh, we are not the main band for the gathering – or even the second band. But we are scheduled to play the waltz break on Saturday night with hundreds of superb dancers gliding across the floor to our music. The ballroom is located on an arm of the magnificent Tampa Bay. Through large windows we will watch Florida sunshine sparkling off the rippling waters as we alternately sing and dance. Dancers will be there from all over the United States – some even from foreign countries. [...]

Sound Traveler had a very nice time last night at Tropical Haven in Melbourne as we played the waltz break for the contra dance. Bo Frazer and his band were so generous as to let us use their equipment and share their space. As usual, Patty surprised some by introducing trumpet, xylophone, and melodica to a venue not accustomed to such instrumentation. But the dancers glided around the floor like angels to tunes such as “Sunrise, Sunset,” “Bella Note,” “Ashokan Farewell,” and “Moon River.” After the break and as we returned to the dance floor ourselves, the dancers were very kind and complimentary. One of the nicest compliments anyone can give to a dance band is to dance beautifully while the music plays. Our dance friends showed once again why we value them so much. Sound Traveler will be heading [...]

The New Year is a time when people look back in order to look forward with greater clarity. 2011 was quite a year for Sound Traveler. We traveled 9136 miles on business, played (formally or informally) over 100 performances in four states. We recorded our first official CD of original songs and have already sold enough to cover costs. Our original Christmas song “Can You Remember” led off the Christmas in the Mountains CD Volume V. We added xylophone, melodica, additional foot percussion, and video to our performances. In short, we tried to create and/or take advantage of every possible opportunity to perform and develop our music. Yet we look ahead! In the coming year we hope to expand our business into new geographical areas. We already have performances lined up in Brevard, Orlando, St. Pete, and North Carolina. In [...]