Well, we talked for a while until it was time for us to pack up our equipment and for her to head back to her room. Then before she left, she took my hand, looked into my eyes, and said “Y’all were just wonderful. This was like a short stay in heaven.”

Now some might wonder why we work so hard to do the things we do. That’s why. When one audience member feels moved enough to share words such as those, you don’t need additional reason or motivation.

Rather, most everyday musicians have to find work where work is available. Sometimes we play at festivals, sometimes for a restaurant, sometimes for a museum or library, sometimes for a public concert, and sometimes for a nursing home or senior care facility. And no matter where we find ourselves, we give the best concert we can offer.

Not long ago, Sound Traveler had the occasion to play at the Rockledge Health and Rehabilitation Center in Rockledge, Florida. In a senior facility, set-up is part of the show. Some patients will arrive in the music performance area well before the concert, to watch the preparations. And for a duo, we provide quite the spectacle. Guitar, bass, trumpet, percussion, speakers, amplifier, stands, and seemingly miles of wire are all placed with the speed and deftness of street-corner magicians. Some of the residents will ask us questions during this procedure – “How many of you are there? Did you come in a moving van? Have you been here before? What do you play? Do you play all of that? Do you know my Cousin Raymond? Do you know where I can get some cranberry juice? I’ve been asking for cranberry juice.”

But there is a pleasant air of expectation, and all are on their best behavior. At the appointed hour, we are ready and additional residents arrive in the room – some on foot, some assisted by canes or walkers, some maneuvering their own wheelchairs, and some guided by others. Then we begin.

We start here as we start any show. Guitar, trumpet, and voices lead the way as we try to make the most beautiful music we can muster. We play songs intended to stir good memories. We play the old standards many knew when they were younger, we play bouncy familiar tunes that soon have feet tapping, and we sing the rousing gospel numbers that have folks finding religion all over again. And all respond warmly – with applause, with smiles, and yes, even with dancing.

The attendant, a beautiful and spirited young lady, invites some of the residents to dance. An older man, somewhat wobbly on his feet stands and dances along with her. A woman rises from her wheelchair, and with some assistance, dances in time to the music. Others sing, some clap, and all have a look of appreciation that removes years from their faces. Their embracing smiles warm us from the inside out.

In performance, there is a phenomenon wherein time seems to vanish. It only happens if conditions are just right. The music must be good, the crowd has to be engaged, and everyone must be sharing the same experience. When we look up at the clock, our hour is gone, completely gone as in the blink of an eye.

I have written previously about some of our “crystal chandelier” moments before big, responsive crowds. Those were wonderful and unforgettable. But there are also Rockledge Health and Rehab moments that have their own magic — not quite as big, not quite so prestigious, but totally amazing in their own way. Sound Traveler is lucky to be blessed with the opportunity to share our music in this way.

Sound Traveler will be at Island Health and Rehab on Merritt Island this Saturday and Windsor Place at Orlando Lutheran Towers on Tuesday. Then we prepare for our trip back to North Carolina. On the way (not the most direct route, for sure), we will be playing a performance in Washington, DC. Once back in North Carolina, we will begin our busy summer schedule. Check our web site for full details.

So far, Sound Traveler has had the privilege of playing twice at The Dandelion, the most recent being this past Earth Day. The space is small, but the crowd is sizeable. It seems that everyone wants a place in one of the several modest rooms. The food, strictly vegetarian fare, is delicious, the conversation intelligent, and the smiles easy and relaxed. We wriggle our way to the small stage and prepare to share our music.

In a situation like this, we like a soft start. We are here to enhance the general dining experience and not to dominate it. We don’t want to overpower discussions; we would rather provide a background against which patrons can eat, talk, listen, and sometimes sing if they feel so inclined.

And so we start. First there is the introduction on guitar, an easy first verse, and then the smooth, restrained sound of Patty’s trumpet. Many begin to sing along with the first line — “Somewhere over the rainbow….” As we continue, the song swoops to pick up “What a Wonderful World” then begins to blend both songs together as in a melodic dance. The organic weaving of the two songs lasts about six minutes before a final trumpet outro gently fades, replaced by warm applause.

At this time, I hear a young man’s voice to my left. He speaks clearly and with some feeling, “Thanks for that song; my brain is dancing.” I’ve heard many comments about our playing, but I don’t know if I’ve ever heard a nicer one. I turned, caught the young man’s eye, and thanked him for his remark. What a good reason to play music – to cause people to dance, inside their minds, on the dance floor, or in both places simultaneously.

I look forward to the next time that Sound Traveler plays at The Dandelion. But I will be there even before that because it truly is a wonderful place. I don’t often do commercials for the places we play, but I would take any opportunity to dine at The Dandelion Communitea Café. And then make double sure that you are there the next time we play there! We’ll enjoy it together.

This weekend Sound Traveler will be doing a show for the Rockledge Health and Rehab on Saturday. On Sunday we will play the morning service at the Center for Spiritual Living in Rockledge, and on Sunday afternoon we will be attending the wedding of our friends Sydney and Elaine in Gainsville, FL. Check out our complete performancer schedule on the website.

Here in Cape Canaveral, the space program is not something “out there” somewhere. Around here almost everyone has or has had some personal connection with the dream to boldly go…well, you know. In fact, one of the bigger employers in town is a company called the United Space Alliance, but I understand that it will be bought out sometime fairly soon.

Today, as I look out of our window facing the NASA Space Center, all seems quiet. Oh, there are still people working over there, but for now, manned space flight is something we don’t do here anymore. For that you might want to visit Russia, or perhaps China might become interested, but the US has turned its focus elsewhere. Political scandals, the price of gasoline, and the latest sales at Wal-Mart seem to capture much more attention than our once burning quest to reach the stars.

There was a time when this was the center of the world, and we were part of a winning team. Today, it feels like we’re saying goodbye to our star player and calling it quits for a while.

Goodbye, Discovery. I hope that someone in this country remembers you and dares to dream again – even bigger than before. And may that dream be embraced by all of us once more. Here’s hoping.

Sound Traveler will be playing in Orlando this weekend. Check us out at noon on Saturday for the Earth Day Celebration in Lake Eola Park. Then that night we will return to the Dandelion Café. Hope to see you at both places!

Since that early introduction into the “music ministry,” it seems I have played everywhere – at numerous conferences, countless churches of various denominations, and even in a synagogue. Everywhere the message is the same: God is good, and God’s love extends to the farthest reaches of human imagination and beyond. And no holiday ever symbolized that more than Easter.

So, on every Easter I played and sang. Sometimes it would be at an outdoor sunrise service while the still cool winds of early spring stung my face and sleepiness battled against my religious fervor. Sometimes it would be at a big indoor service – either on the vigil (the night before) or the day of the biggest holiday in Christianity. One of the latter I remember most clearly.

My church at the time, St. Elizabeth’s Catholic Church in Boone, NC, was conducting its Easter vigil service in the large Methodist church in town. We had gained permission to hold our service there because our own church had recently burnt down and had not yet been rebuilt. I was the chief guitarist at the service, and every moment was choreographed so that all the pomp, circumstance, prayers and songs were to be delivered precisely on cue for maximum effect. Obviously, it was a new and unfamiliar building for us, but we thought we could pull the service together so that all would proceed without a hitch. We were all working on subtle visual cues. When the priest turned to face the congregation, when the music director raised her right finger, or when the altar servers stood to bow before the cross – something musical was scheduled to happen. I was the lead guitar, but generally I joined with others to introduce a song or began a musical segment. But for one joyous ritual, it was all me. When the priest stood, I was to stand, strike my guitar and begin a musical introduction to a great little song “You Will Draw Water from the Well of the Kingdom of God.” I was to follow with the song – all at full volume.

Well, I was tensed and ready. My eyes were focused on the priest, who was also my friend, as he went through his motions. Suddenly, he stood. “Vrooom” a full, rich sound of an acoustic guitar, well amplified, soared throughout the sanctuary. My introduction was strong and confident, and considerably longer than a usual introduction. Then came my first word “You….” As I sang out this word, the priest turned to me with a big smile, and I immediately realized that I had gotten the wrong cue to begin the song. I instantly stopped, but my word “You …..” echoed like a stranded bird across the sanctuary.

The rest of the Easter service went off without incident. It was beautiful and meaningful – commemorating the central event of all Christianity. I thought that even my exuberant mistake had somehow been erased from all memory as the parishioners gathered in the fellowship hall after the service. Many people told me how beautiful and meaningful the music had been. Then a friend in the congregation came to lay the crowning comment: “It was great! Especially when you gave the world’s longest introduction to the world’s shortest song.” We both cracked up.

Many years have passed since that Easter, but I still smile when I think of that service – and when I think of my blunder. I went on to become music director at that church, and I continue to play for events large and small in both North Carolina and Florida. One thing I learned that Easter is that a mistake is nothing to fear. It happens sometimes, and life goes on. With each new note is a new birth – a resurrection, if you will. I am not afraid of making a mistake. I have found that when there is joy in my heart, music follows, and life is good.

Life is good. Happy Easter from Sound Traveler!

The ship is called Monarch of the Sea, but once we reach blue water we could as easily be referred to as “The Insignificant Speck on the Ocean.” Dolphin race beside us for a time, but they seemingly get bored. After that, the ocean and its customary inhabitants seem to take little notice of our progress.

The sun shines unimpeded, the winds blow briskly, and clouds in the distance form fluffy chains of mountains while we on board get down to the business of living together. And live we do, around three thousand of us in total. We eat together, attend performances together, swim together, play games together, pick up conversations in random combinations, and sleep in relatively small cubicles separated from each other by thin walls – all of us gently rocked by the same ocean.

We don’t look alike. Skin colors vary from porcelain white to charcoal black – with multiple shades and combinations between. Accents and even languages vary. English is the predominate tongue spoken on board; all instructions, for example, are delivered in English. But I also recognize Spanish. Other languages emerge as well – German? Chinese? Japanese? Even among the English speakers I hear the musical Jamaican lilt, the slightly swaggering Australian twist of speech, and the playful Scottish brogue – not to mention the crisp language of officers from all over the world who have mastered English better than many of us who have spoken it all our lives.

After little more than a day at sea, we feel like family. Not that we know each other’s histories, hopes, and dreams; but we know that we share so many things in common. We bask in the same sun, breathe the same air, laugh at the same jokes, and appreciate the same music and art – even if it is not the music and art we are most familiar with. And we see that our shipmates are real people like us – people fully worthy of our respect and admiration, people with whom we share a deep and inexplicable connection.

There is so much more to say about the trip, and all of our wonderful experiences on board, but I will save that for another time – and perhaps another place. All I can say at this time is thank you to the crew and staff of the Monarch of the Seas for working so hard to create an environment that demonstrates that a large number of very diverse people can live together in such harmony. I want to thank all the actors and performers who worked so hard to make our experience such a memorable one. And I especially want to thank my wife, Patty. Without her influence and companionship, I doubt if I would have ever made this journey. If Sound Traveler someday gets the chance to perform regularly on a cruise ship, we will remember our time on the Monarch as a moment when we got a feel for what it might be like to add our music to a floating utopia.

Sound Traveler has a number of engagements in April and May as we begin to wind-up our winter/spring season in Florida. Beginning in June, we begin again in North Carolina with many appearances already booked. Check our web site for full scheduling information, and come see us when you can.

This weekend we head to the Big O to do what we so love to do – play music. We will be starting tonight with a small, socially-conscious venue called the Dandelion Communitea Café. The place has a homey, personal atmosphere about it. The dining area is like a large living room. The band sets up by the window and plays acoustically, close enough to the audience to support a conversation between the band and members of the audience. You can find the Dandelion at 618 North Thornton Avenue, and we will be performing there from 8-10 PM.

On Saturday, we will move downtown to the Orlando Public Library to give a concert on the main floor. If you haven’t visited any libraries recently, you are in for a different experience than those you’ve had in the past. Today’s libraries not only have books to lend and information to share, but now libraries also have art to exhibit and performances to present. And tomorrow we will be the featured performers, sharing originals and covers in our own unique way.

Finally, on Saturday night, starting at about 9:30 PM, we will be the guests of Natura Coffee and Tea located at 12078 Collegiate Way – near the campus of the University of Central Florida. This is an all-originals venue, and we will be sharing three hours of our original songs. Come out ready to relax, listen, have a drink, and share in what we have to offer. I have been writing and recording songs since I was ten years old, and as some of you know, that’s been quite a while. Performed to the accompaniment of trumpet, concertina, percussion, bass, and Patty’s vocals, many of the newer songs sparkle with surprises, while the older songs hum with new life. Of course, my voice, guitar, and harmonica provide a familiar setting for the whole repertoire.

We hope to see as many of you as possible tonight and tomorrow. The Big O may seem like a world away, but it is only about an hour’s drive from Brevard County. Come on out and see us if you can!

For Sound Traveler’s complete schedule, click the “events” button at the top of our web site – www.soundtravelerband.com.

Last night I was able to realize a dream I’ve had for a long, long time – to experience the Moody Blues live in concert. For Valentine’s Day Patty bought us a pair of tickets to see The Moody Blues at the Maxwell King Center in Melbourne. As some of you know, the King Center is a perfect place for a concert. It is large enough to generate great energy, but it is not so large that you need a telescope and x-ray vision to discern what’s happening on stage. The sound is loud and full, but definitely not ear-splitting. We were sitting center balcony, but the setting felt intimate.

When you go to a concert by a band that was wildly popular in the past, it’s hard to know what to expect. You know the songs themselves will be great, you feel that the performers will be giving their best, but you’re never really sure if the group can still present in the way that once set them apart. Even if they don’t live up to the glory of their past, you feel that you can fill in what they lack from the rich store of memories we share.

No worries with the Moody Blues. Yeah, the hair color has fully changed, the bodies have sagged, but the sound soars with all the majesty and wonder it ever had. When Justin Hayward sang “Nights in White Satin,” his voice was so plaintiff, so rich, so full, and oh so evocative. I have heard and seen numerous recordings of Hayward performing that song, but I have never heard such a magnificent rendering of that incredible masterpiece. When John Lodge and Justin Hayward combined for vocals it sounded like one spirit possessing two bodies. And when Graham Edge, still with that twinkle in his eyes, intoned his now classic “Late Lament” his voice along with incredible lighting created an effect that seemed otherworldly.

In addition to Justin Hayward, John Lodge, and Graham Edge, there were some new members as well. Gordon Marshall, Norda Mullen, Julie Ragins, and Alan Hewitt were tremendous – not the original Moody Blues but certainly schooled in every nuance that helps to generate that inimitable Moody Blues universe. Together the group didn’t just reproduce the vintage sound of the Moody Blues; rather, they created again the experience of the Moody Blues – an experience that could in the span of a few musical measures sweep an audience member from the gentle question “Isn’t Life Strange” to the foot-stomping reality check of “I’m Just a Singer in a Rock and Roll Band.” And they did it with voices, instrumentation, sound, light, energy, and two hours of inspired performance that I feel confident few could match. And two encores attest that others in the audience agreed.

Sound Traveler will be performing tonight at La Java Room in Cape Canaveral. It’s Writer’s Night, so groups will be singing songs you’ve probably never heard before. Come on out, it all starts at 7:30. Next weekend we will be performing several times in the Orlando area, and we would love to see you there as well. Check our website for details.

That’s what we did this past weekend. We began our trip by performing at a going-away party for our friend Denise in Palm Bay. The site was a modest but very attractive house, decorated most tastefully both inside and out. We began with an outdoor concert, but that was shortened by untimely rain. An indoor concert followed, however, lengthened by enthusiastic listeners and dancers. Late at night, our hosts provided lodging so that we could continue our road trip in the morning.

On Saturday morning, after spending some quality time with our hosts, we headed across the state, passing south of Orlando and Kissimmee on Highway 60. On the way we saw seemingly endless fields of orange groves, sweetening the air with the fragrance of citrus. As we continued our journey we stopped to photograph Yeehaw Junction, which amounts to a country crossroads serving as the location for the historic, but otherwise unimpressive, Desert Inn.

Later we got one of the world’s best subs at Jimmie’s Foods in Lake Wales, FL., and we lunched with a charming couple from Canterbury, England. Before leaving Lake Wales, we had to visit Spook Hill – one of those places where, when you put your car in neutral, it seems to roll uphill completely on its own. Then we continued on until we reached The Sunshine State Skyway, one of the more impressive bridges in the world. Once safely across the bridge, we unhitched our bikes for a trail ride beside the bridge on a path that took us far out into the Tampa Bay and finally to the end of a great fishing pier.

That night we attended the St. Petersburg contra dance and were entertained by the Avant Gardeners, a contra band that incorporates both traditional and non-traditional sounds into a mix that provides the perfect foundation for a contra dance. Following that, we spent the evening with David Hastings – a dancer, professor, and friend.

On Sunday we performed for the residents of Aston Gardens, a facility located in the Sun City Center area. Although many of the guests were up in years, all seemed to appreciate what we had to offer – often singing along to songs they hadn’t heard in years. At this, and every other stop, the car had to be unloaded, and all the contents sorted into performance vs. non-performance items. Then after each show, the car had to be repacked from scratch – utilizing every cubic inch of space so that Patty and I would finally wind up with enough space to see out the front and rear windows while still having enough room to manipulate the shift lever and the GPS.

Finally we headed back home to Cape Canaveral – over expressways, toll ways, and eventually over the Indian and Banana rivers. Once back at our domicile, everything had to be unpacked and stored until the next performance, until the next time we decide to take leave of our common sense and again embark on our sound travels. It’s a lot of work, but it’s even more fun – and fortunately some people appreciate our skill and effort enough to reward us with enough money so that we can catch our breath and do it all again. Thanks to all of you who give us a chance, and I hope more of you will have the opportunity to see us live soon.

Sound Traveler will be performing for a writer’s night on Thursday, March 15th at the Java Room in Cape Canaveral. We will be playing a few songs you’ve never heard so come on out. On the weekend of March 23, we will have three performances in Orlando – one at The Dandelion Café, one at Natura Cafe, and one at the Orlando Public Library. Check our events calendar for details

On Friday March 9 Sound Traveler will be playing a private party in Palm Bay and on Sunday we will be playing in Aston Gardens in the Tampa area. Come on out and see us if you can!