Highlights
of Orlando Visit
Another Page In Laurel Jean’s Scrapbook
It really is a small world ...
In the summer
of 2001, while researching via the Internet, music for my revised "Mood
Swings" collection, I was referred by Milwaukee based artist Tom Brusky,
to Arleigh Baker, "a music historian in the Orlando area".
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Tom Brusky |
Arleigh Baker |
Arleigh and Laurel at Work
Circuit Rider CD
Christmas Gifts CD
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From
my first contact with Arleigh, he became an integral part of my music and
ministry, providing the information that I needed for the album project,
then helping me to make my music accessible over the Internet, designing
and maintaining my Web site, designing printed materials, editing sheet
music, and engineering audio for me. Thanks to the Internet, I continue
to be honored to call Arleigh my technical assistant, advisor, and friend.
Recently, in honor
of the tune that introduced Arleigh and "Music By Laurel Jean", we put
together a fun, jam-style arrangement of the Clarinet Polka, featuring
Arleigh and his Excelsior Accordion, with piano by "yours truly", accompanied
by our collaborated effort of brushes and bass guitar.
It has also been an
honor for me to contribute musically to a couple of more serious pieces
from Arleigh's collection.
| In October, 2003,
I made my first trip to the Orlando area, having scheduled a week of Music
Ministry presentations in various churches there. It was an awesome
time of music and fellowship.
Arleigh and I
met in person for the first time. When I wasn't presenting for Concert
Ministry, Arleigh and I were working in his studio, preparing music for
my albums, "Circuit Rider" and "Christmas Gifts". |
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| Arleigh
brought video and audio equipment to several of my engagements, obtaining
footage for demo and other related projects.
On October 16,
I was at Lockhart Baptist Church, where one of the church's "Sensational
Seniors", Paul Fender, happens to play a pretty mean fiddle. I introduced
Arleigh, and as it turns out, Paul recognized him. |
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Arleigh says,
"Paul and I worked together soon after I first arrived at Martin Marietta
in Orlando. We were part of a great team that designed the worlds first
message display pagers. Paul and I had lost track of each other after Paul's
retirement, about twelve years ago."
As the two, Arleigh
and Paul, were catching up on old times after my concert, I heard Paul
mention that he played bluegrass. Now, as I've said before, I do
love to play bluegrass on the piano, but ya just can't fit those pianos
under a shade tree, where most bluegrass jamming takes place. So,
I asked Paul if he'd play a tune with me. He kindly obliged, and
I sat down at the church grand piano with Paul standing beside me and Arleigh
rolling the tape. We had so much fun jamming, we just couldn't keep
it to ourselves, so here are a couple of downloads and an mpeg movie for
your enjoyment. |
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| My assistant,
Joan, and I feel like we met long lost family when we met Arleigh, and
his lovely wife Diane. |
Their four grandchildren
are absolutely precious, and I became fast friends with six-year-old Allison. |
The oranges were
just getting ripe in the Baker backyard, and I will never again be able
to enjoy a store-bought orange from the Midwest! |
| We
were too busy to make it to the beach, but I did get sand in my shoes.
I returned in the spring of 2004 to present for intercultural Palm
Sunday services in downtown Orlando, and for a spirited April Fools Day
hosted by several Orlando area Baptist churches, including my friends at
Lockhart.
More ministry
in the Orlando area has been scheduled for October, 2005! |
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copyright © 2001 - 2009
by Laurel Jean Walden - all rights reserved - last updated 10 June, 2009
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