From February of 1997 to February 2001 I wrote a total of 57 songs which we recorded with Greg Brayton at his studio in Coldwater, Michigan. Greg was a musical genius with a near lifetime of experience and an unbounded imagination. He always exceeded my wildest hopes. I would arrive promptly at 9 A.M. with my lyric sheet plus a melody in my head or sometimes captured on my little Casio Keyboard that I had purchased on the streets of Hong Kong from as young man for $20 US while in June of 1983. He demonstrated what it could do and I was so intrigued by its possibilities that I did not ask a lot of questions. It was a rather rapid purchase. Then some fourteen years later I actually found a use for that wonderful little Casio. I could pick out notes and capture them and play them back on one key for Greg. The only musical instrument I could play was my set of drums and I could not read or write music.
Sometimes, in my mind, I heard duets with different voices, maybe male and female. I brought Greg Comedy Songs, Love Songs, Folk, Spiritual, Blues, Jazz, Patriotic, Country, Latin, Beach, Rock, Children’s and no matter what I would walk into that studio with, about three hours later I would leave with a new cassette of a finished song blasting away on my radio and I bet you I was by far the happiest camper on that entire Interstate Highway.
Greg had a dozen different voices, male female. He often used two or more voices on a single taping. Greg had over 500 clients who had recorded at his studio.
With his synthesizers he could put together just about any type of musical organization I requested. He could provide church bells playing a melody, a full string section, a massive choir. And when he went to the wall where he had several guitars both electric and acoustic, a banjo, bass, he could play licks that enhanced any arrangement.
It would be nice now to find a publisher for our songs. Greg and I only performed together four times. He introduced one song at the Opera House in Coldwater, Michigan singing Yard Sailin’ and stopped the show. When we were doing something at the National Safety Congress in Los Angeles we did two original numbers together in 1998 and then we visited a Karaoke Bar and did two numbers each and it was wonderful. Later we did some videos for a corporate client but the last years of his life he was deeply involved in a Christian Ministry and did only Spiritual Songs.
Here is a bit of the lyric we recorded in July, 1999. That is just 20 years ago.
Let That Little Kid Come Out In Me
© Art Fettig 1999
art.fettig@gmail.com
919 732 6994
I get so serious sometimes, I get oh so stern. I get concentrating on just how much earn.
I get so mighty winded from being on the run that I forget just how to have some fun
Oh, Let that little kid come out in me, Help me chase a butter fly, help me climb a tree
Let me mess my hair up and giggle out with glee
Oh Lordy, let that little kid come out in me. Oh let that little kid come out in me!
Hi Art,
It was great talking to you a couple of weeks ago just before your 90th birthday. I hope you have a wonderful celebration and pray for many more healthy and productive years for you.
I love you Point to Ponder today as Golda Meir hit the nail on the head especially in today’s “politically correct” society. Just last week a School Board in northern California voted to cover up a mural of a scene with George Washington because it offended some people because George Washington owned slaves. It will cost the school district about $400,000 to cover it up, and in the same district, teachers are fighting for better pay and working conditions. What a shame. By the way, the name of the school is George Washington. i wonder how long before they will want to change the name of the school too.
I came across this quote that you may want to use in a future Monday Morning Memo:
“The secret to living well and living longer is …. eat half … walk double … laugh triple … and love without measure.” Tibetan proverb
Have a blessed day, Dennis and Daneen Pysz