Mom had been released to go home and was packing to walk out the door. Then all of a sudden she had a relapse and was taken into emergency surgery.
We all rushed to the hospital thinking that this set back would mean a longer recuperation than we had anticipated. When the doctor came into the room, no one was prepared for what he said. She was not going to make it.
Her untimely death affected all of the family in different ways. I think as I went through the months of the grieving process, the dulcimer was a constant friend. I would sit up very late at night playing through the hymns that I had grown up listening to and hearing mom sing. Things were very different in our family now. Mom was the spiritual and musical leader of our family and now there was a void.
After the holidays, we brought in the New Year of 1997. I continued to work on my music and skills. When I would reach a musical plateau, I would buy another dulcimer recording and learn the songs from different artists. In the spring, I started thinking about doing a recording. I wanted to do some of the hymn arrangements that I had put together. I was talking one afternoon to one of my neighbors who had done some recording. He recommended that I go see Dennis Steele with Trackside Studio in Lexington. I realized that was the same Dennis Steele that I went to high school with. I called and made an appointment to come and visit his studio. I was very impressed and yet somewhat intimidated by the studio. I was pretty confident in my playing at that time and thought this would be a fun adventure. We scheduled some sessions. I was going to be a recording artist.
My first night in the studio brought some unexpected surprises. First, I had never played with a click track. Most people, including myself, who play by themselves usually develop timing issues. Staying with the click was very hard. Then the microphone was so hot that I could hear myself breathing. You also felt like you were in a fish bowl inside the recording area.
This was going to be harder than I thought. The first night brought a lot of humility to this dulcimer player. I look back now and know that if I had gone anywhere else to record, I would have been recorded quickly and pushed out the door. God brought me to Dennis and Trackside. He basically held my hand and took me through the recording project, encouraging me all the way. I also started working with another friend, James Rizzuti, on all my graphics. We released our first recording, Dulcimer Praise, in the fall of 1997. It was also time for the Georgia Sate Championships in Hiawassee, Ga. After letting my nerves get the best of me the previous year, I decided to go back. Mom would have surely encouraged me. This time the results were different and we came away with the win. Georgia State Champion!
Sales were good on our new project for the Christmas season. After New Years, I starting contemplating recording another project. From the style of some of my signature songs, I decided to call it Swingin' the Gospel. I compiled my selections and started to work. I was now excited about going back into the studio. I also started looking at other competitions that would be coming up in the spring. Should I go and see what I could do? 1998 was starting out to be an exciting time with the dulcimer.
We all rushed to the hospital thinking that this set back would mean a longer recuperation than we had anticipated. When the doctor came into the room, no one was prepared for what he said. She was not going to make it.
Her untimely death affected all of the family in different ways. I think as I went through the months of the grieving process, the dulcimer was a constant friend. I would sit up very late at night playing through the hymns that I had grown up listening to and hearing mom sing. Things were very different in our family now. Mom was the spiritual and musical leader of our family and now there was a void.
After the holidays, we brought in the New Year of 1997. I continued to work on my music and skills. When I would reach a musical plateau, I would buy another dulcimer recording and learn the songs from different artists. In the spring, I started thinking about doing a recording. I wanted to do some of the hymn arrangements that I had put together. I was talking one afternoon to one of my neighbors who had done some recording. He recommended that I go see Dennis Steele with Trackside Studio in Lexington. I realized that was the same Dennis Steele that I went to high school with. I called and made an appointment to come and visit his studio. I was very impressed and yet somewhat intimidated by the studio. I was pretty confident in my playing at that time and thought this would be a fun adventure. We scheduled some sessions. I was going to be a recording artist.
My first night in the studio brought some unexpected surprises. First, I had never played with a click track. Most people, including myself, who play by themselves usually develop timing issues. Staying with the click was very hard. Then the microphone was so hot that I could hear myself breathing. You also felt like you were in a fish bowl inside the recording area.
This was going to be harder than I thought. The first night brought a lot of humility to this dulcimer player. I look back now and know that if I had gone anywhere else to record, I would have been recorded quickly and pushed out the door. God brought me to Dennis and Trackside. He basically held my hand and took me through the recording project, encouraging me all the way. I also started working with another friend, James Rizzuti, on all my graphics. We released our first recording, Dulcimer Praise, in the fall of 1997. It was also time for the Georgia Sate Championships in Hiawassee, Ga. After letting my nerves get the best of me the previous year, I decided to go back. Mom would have surely encouraged me. This time the results were different and we came away with the win. Georgia State Champion!
Sales were good on our new project for the Christmas season. After New Years, I starting contemplating recording another project. From the style of some of my signature songs, I decided to call it Swingin' the Gospel. I compiled my selections and started to work. I was now excited about going back into the studio. I also started looking at other competitions that would be coming up in the spring. Should I go and see what I could do? 1998 was starting out to be an exciting time with the dulcimer.
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