"The Magic of Music"

You can't keep two thoughts in your head at the same time. It's impossible. One of the finer things about that, is that you can tune-out the "crap" of your life for awhile, by concentrating on the good.

Music has been a significant part of my life for over four decades now, and I can think of a lot of situations where it's just been "me & my guitar" in an empty barracks room, at a campfire up in the mountains, or sittin' on an Oregon beach sand dune watching the tide, and doing a little mellow pickin'. It really purges the soul.

Years after my bar & nightclub days, I have njoyed seeing the smiles of the seniors at assisted-living homes, where two or three of us might get together and spend a couple of hours, playing those old songs for those who are living out their "golden years." Sadly, in some cases, a small group of musicians might be the only "visitors" they ever get.

I like playing for those, because it's always a quiet, pleasant atmosphere, no drunks or cigarette smoke, and you aren't too likely to witness a brawl, where a beer bottle might come flying by you and your thousand dollar guitar!

When I came back up here from "cactusland", I was sharing with my good buddy, Harvey Sarven, about how our church in Mesa had been going toward that "Christian Rock" stuff, complete with trumpets and seemingless ENDLESS repetitions of verse lines.

He told me to come to church with HIM next Sunday, because they DID play the kind of oldtime gospel music I liked. And he was right.

I walked into the Christian & Baptist Church, (on 6th & American Legion, across the street from Moxie Java), and the little "Worship Band" was already playing as folks were coming in the door. There was Marilyn Landers (the group leader) at the piano, her husband Mike playing a guitar, Donnie Brubaker on guitar, Owen Montrose with a banjo, and two fiddlers........Noel Metzer & Rex Kite.

Man.....talk about oldtime "back-porch" music! There were folks in the congregation I'd known for YEARS. The Pastor, Gary Allen, is a really neat individual who doesn't preach from the pulpit......just slides a stool down "amongst us" and shares the message. "This church is more like a family than anything else," Harv said as he leaned over in the pew. He was right about that too.

By the time the service was halfway over, I knew I was where I needed to be. No need to "church-shop". I really liked this. Still do.

After the service, I went up to Marilyn, introduced myself, and asked her if she could possibly use another guitar player.......(it was really the lAST thing she needed---they were already a good strong group). But she told me to come out and jam with them at their house next Saturday night, so I did. I've been with them ever since. Over these past few years, we've lost Noel Metzer, Owen Montrose and Donnie Brubaker, who all passed away (Donnie just recently).

Today it's Mike & Marilyn, Rex Kite and myself. Tom Lindsay leads the singing, and there's always a "special piece of music" every Sunday. one of US might stand up and do a solo, or someone from the congregation might sing something special.......

Every 7 or 8 weeks, we'll put on a big "Saturday Night Country Bluegrass Gospel Night." Quite often, folks who don't even go to our church---or go to church at ALL, show up just for the music. And that's all it is---just music, there's no preaching, or "passing a collection plate", or anything like that. It's all about oldtime gospel music. The musicians are made up mostly of OUR group, and folks from as far away as Nampa and Bruneau.

There's one going on THIS coming Saturday night. Starts around 6:30PM and usually lasts until just past 8:PM.........but if you ever come to one, you wanna be sure to get there between 6 & 6:15, to get a good seat. It's usually packed by 6:30 and at times, we've had to put "fold-up" chairs along the aisles.

In his "pre-ministry days", the Pastor himself used to play "ragtime piano" at a Shakey's Pizza parlor where he lived, and always plays something as well.

But music is a universal language. A "C" or an A-minor is the same in English as it is in any OTHER language. You could toss a dozen musicians from a dozen different countries-----NONE of them able to speak a word to each other-----toss 'em all together on an island with their instruments, and in no time at all, they would be playing TOGETHER.

Maybe governments should be run by MUSICIANS eh?

In our big jam sessions, AND at our "gospel" nights for example, I play music with a couple of pretty far leftwing dudes. (Lamont has a couple of RIGHTwingers in HIS band). But to listen to the music and watch the interchange on the stage, you'd never know it.

There really IS a "magic" in music.