aaaaaaaa             

~~~~~~~~~~~~
aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaA C O U S T I C     F I N G E R S T Y L E     G U I T A R

Sometimes a melody just fits the mood of a place.  That's the case with this song.  When I reminisce about my hometown of Panama City Beach, Florida, I'm carried back to the sound of surf and soft warm feeling of sugar white sand giving way under my bare feet.  Who could fully describe the pleasure of a kid growing up in such a place? 

Song For Kate

My little Kate is the independent one of the bunch.  Sometimes it's easy to get her approval but, at other times, there's little chance of changing her mind.  She's so spontaneous.  Once, at a photo shoot, she ran full tilt across the lawn and bounced into "Daddy's lap".  What a priceless feeling!

Song for a Friend

Some of us are luck enough to have a friend or two from our younger days that we still keep in touch with.  One such friend, Brian, and I got to know each other in Mrs. Fuqua's Business Law class in High School.  We talked baseball, girls, and hot rods most of the time and somehow managed to stay in Mrs. Fuqua's good grace!  When I go back to Panama City, he's the first person I call.

Back Porch Rocker

Waltz for Julia

I met Julia when I was a freshman broadcast journalism major at the local community college in Panama City.  She was the news and public affairs director for the college radio station.  Working together at the station, we discovered a common interest in entertaining and began to get performance opportunities around the area.  We played in various bands for over a decade until I moved to Texas in the late eighties.  Julia became a high school choir director and has her own chorale that travels internationally.  We have many fond memories of our days as a duo.

A couple of years ago I was invited to go on a musical mission trip to Spain and Portugal.  On occasion we were guests in private homes.  After one evening concert, we took a harrowing bus ride up and around steep mountain roads in pitch darkness to one of our host family's restaurants for a late supper.  After a wonderful meal, the sons of the owner brought out their guitars to entertain us.  Soon we found ourselves outside under a perfect starry sky overlooking the twinkling lights of the village of Vila Real, swapping American finger-picking for Brazilian rhythms late into the night.  

When Mandy, my oldest daughter, was born I was working for  the Coca Cola Co.  As I headed out the door  each morning between 4:30 and 5:30, I would often find her wide awake, standing in her crib.  I couldn't resist the urge to sing her a lullaby or try out one of my new melodies before I left.  Sometimes, when I was taping a new song, I would let Mandy listen to it on the headphones.  If she cried, I knew it was time to go back to the guitar to work some more.  If she hugged the headphones closer to her ears, I knew I had a winner!  This song passed the test.

This song was first recorded in one of the old historic buildings of downtown McKinney, Texas.  For several weeks I had been playing around with some musical ideas and the dusty hardwood floors and ancient brick walls, full of long forgotten memories, seemed to provide just the right mood for its completion.

This song captures several memories of my son, Michael, as a two year old.  The first time he was caught outside in the rain he seemed so surprised.  But he adjusted, and quickly located the nearest mud puddle to play in.  Then there were visits to the lake with him chasing dragonflies, lizards, and minnows.  I certainly can't forget hands FULL of sand hastily stuffed into his eager mouth.  And just who was monitoring whom with those backward grinning glances?  I wonder if he'll realize how special these moments were for me.