In July I received a call from Tom Mullally in Le Mars, IA inquiring about singing a couple of songs to Country tracks. It turns out I likely was within just feet of Tom and/or his wife in Le Mars more than once when I ate at their Lally’s Eastside Restuarant while attending the National Traditional Country and Old Time Music festival when the late Bob Everhart was hosting it in that city.

One of the songs we recorded was The Family Bible. The track was well done and so it gave us a good palette for laying down his vocal takes. It didn’t take very many and the end result turned out quite well – so well that in September he earned Gold and Platinum Disc Awards from Airplay Express. I just recently heard about it from Tom. The award was given for Worldwide Radio Release through Airplay Express. You can view the promo here on youtube. Tom also released The Family Bible along with Music as an EP on CD. Congratulations Tom for a job well done and for sharing the important message of this song – we need more family Bibles reminding us how to live.

We are now beyond the Missouri Valley event (see prior post). I was able to attend Friday mid-afternoon into the evening. The attendance was low for that window of time, but the enjoyment was high by those performing and listening. I talked with Rayne Magill after the three day event, and she said the attendance was steady and many are looking forward to being there next year Labor Day weekend.

I reconnected with two past clients – one of which I haven’t seen for over 20 years. We pretty much picked up where we left off and it turns out he’ll likely be helping me with another project I’m planning to take on over the winter and next spring. It’s not studio related (although there is a link) and you’ll likely hear more about it later on. It was good to know he was still connected with music and to hear him perform.

The other client came over to me just as I was preparing to leave. He was part of a group that recorded their first CD here in 2010 (This Side of Sunday – “Crazy World”, available on Apple Music and Amazon). He immediately reiterated how much he still enjoys listening to that music, and how accurately we had captured the essence of the group. I told him that after building my new PC with my nephew about two years ago, the first thing I did was to play all the way through that CD. I told him how much I had thoroughly enjoyed hearing it again, and it lent itself to an uplifting and worshipful experience as well. The conversation was a big encouragement to me, and I deeply appreciated him making a special effort to reconnect.

I came away reminded to never underestimate the importance of relationships. Whether it’s family, friends, work, neighborhoods or any other connection, the value far exceeds the direct time spent and creates bridges we can cross down the road when the need and opportunities come our way. We also never know when a relationship may no longer be there – whether through a move, a life change, or even a passing on. Let’s cherish our connections.

As summer nears its end and cooler temperatures begin to settle in, the time to enjoy autumn’s outdoor music events is here again. One such destination is making its debut this year. Marcia Claesson and Rayne Magill have organized a three day event September 6 – 8 in Missouri Valley, IA. The open-air event will be held in the city park each day from 10am to 12 midnight. That’s a lot of music and a huge labor of love to promote Old Time and Country music while providing many opportunities to enjoy each other’s company. And of course, there’s always jams being sparked and encouraged wherever folks are gathered (and at whatever hour). If camping is your thing, you can do that as well. More information can be found on facebook here.

Rayne has been a client of Tesco Productions for a number of years and recorded multiple CDs. She’s made a request for more copies of Just Rayne and Thank You Lord to have on hand. I plan on making it up one of those days and touch bases with a number of clients/friends (I seem to have this habit of turning clients into friends) and give a High-Five to Marcia and Rayne for spending countless days on this offering. And speaking of “offering”, there’s no admission charge, but you’ll have a chance to support the event through raffle ticket purchases and donations which will be greatly appreciated. Hope to see you there!