Happy Father's Day! I'll be speaking at the Kerrville Cultural Arts Center in downtown Kerrville Sunday on the topic: "Stories and Songs of our Fathers." Then I'll head out to Chili's on the river to hear the band Harris and Ryden. Another father/son story in Kerrville. Blake Lindley respects his dad, Mike, and Mike is indeed the proud father of a son playing music and doing what he loves. I know the most important thing for me as a parent is that my children pursue their own dreams. Mine are! The father/son story becomes a significant part of our lives.

I cannot begin to process my last week in this short column. While attending a six-day seminar on brain-based learning in San Antonio, I also interviewed Tom Frost on his songwriting, I attended the Thursday night performance of Allen Damron and Carolyn Hester at the Kerrville Folk Festival, I heard the Limelighters sing "This Land is Your Land," at the KFF, I grooved with Terri Hendrix, Lloyd Maines, Glen Fuganaga and Paul Pearcy at their Friday night show, I discovered how much I like Carol Elliott, playing with Buddy Mondolock and Wayne Brown, and I witnessed a unique moment in music as David Broza performed his passionate display of love, music and the world. Each event a separate story!

I flew to Ft. Worth for a breakfast with my dad, celebrating his 78th birthday. Then I flew back for the grand finale of the 30th anniversary of the KFF. I asked Cindy Terry, working with the video crew, "Aren't you tired?" She smiled joyfully, saying, "I guess if we did this all the time we'd get used to it." She didn't look tired to me!

The special folk orchestra conducted by David Amram gave us the true finale. We heard soloists, we experienced the Amram magic, we held hands, singing "Heal in the Wisdom." What more could we ask for? The 30th anniversary ended with a large crowd of folk fanatics, music lovers, joining in song. I sat with the Wolfmueller's, Janice Kennemer (who's late husband, Wayne, was honored on the program along with others lost throughout the years), Bill Stacy (who kept the audio/video streaming through a KTC link), the Davis's, the Allen's, Charlie Gray and more. Our little group had gathered night after night under the same tree. Ritual and celebration are a significant aspect of this festival. Vaughan Hafner has made changes while respecting the inherent traditions. Good job.

Ahead, tonight, we have the opportunity to share the talent of a group of young men who call themselves Harris and Ryden (two of the members). They sing the songs of Texans we all love (Guy Clark, Townes Van Zandt, Willie Nelson, Ray Wylie Hubbard), and they perform their own original songs. Do NOT miss this opportunity to gather by the river, enjoy good food and be with this band on their own journey to stardom. No hill too high for this group. 

I'd like to close by sharing some magical moments: My heart sang with Tish Hinojosa as she sang "If we don't count our blessings, we're wasting our time." Agree? I do.

Janice Kennemer reported that Rudi Harst led a spiritual moment at Chapel Hill on Sunday morning, saying "There are clues everywhere on the spiritual nature of life. We take them where we see them."

The locusts/cicadas/katydids were singing in full force throughout this festival that occurred during a rare dry-spell. As sang the Bobby Bridger song, "Heal in the Wisdom," the insects were singing just as loud. Nature joins in the celebration.

Melissa Javors singing "Wild Horses," joined my memory of Peter, Paul and Mary singing her song. David Broza asked the audience to sing three different parts to the passionate song, "Not Different." The community that gets created each year at the Kerrville Folk Festival is a tribute to the family of man.

Taking my new friend, Linda Christian, to this event and sharing my own love for music with someone who listens carefully to music in Virgina reminded me how much I love sharing. She says she know a band that needs to play Kerrville. That may happen!

Shawn Phillips performance gave us another reminder of the cosmic nature of music. Since I was studying the way the brain learns all week, I was especially sensitized to the power of music on the brain. I noticed what was happening to me in the face of music. 

Carolyn Hester performed "Ascending Woman," at the end of a set that took us all back to the beginning. Allen Damron told the story of the Appaloosa in a song, and I was reminded that we could be adding these songs to our history lessons in school. I had ridden a motorcyle out to the festival that evening, and I wondered if the chemicals washing my brain (adrenalin!) were affecting how I heard the music.

I have returned for some slow processing; I'm on overload right now. By the time you read this, I'll have spent some slow mornings at my house, just letting the experience create those new neural pathways. I may actually be growing some new dendrites. E-mail me with your stories about the effect of music. Free Leonard and down the road. 

Kathleen
kat@maverickbbs.com

www.texasheritagemusic.org

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