I know how egotistical that question must sound, but I have a reason for asking it, as that exact thing happened to me recently.

I just finished cutting a Steel Guitar CD called "Footprints" at R. J. Buras’ “Silver Creek Studios” in Kiln, Mississippi just a dozen miles outside of Gulfport a few weeks ago. The last song on the CD is the Albert Malotte arrangement of “The Lord’s Prayer” where Hal Higgins sang one of the most inspired renditions of that wonderful prayer given to us by Christ Jesus that I have ever heard. We had laid down the rhythm tracks and the main steel track with all instruments plugged directly into the board, which R.J. was operating. Then, after we got all of the tracks the way we wanted them, Hal went into the isolation booth and laid down the vocal track. I was still sitting at the steel, and the further Hal got into the words, the more my eyes welled up with tears. When I later received the master, in listening to the final mix, I learned that I had been playing harmonic fills throughout the entire song, but I was so overwhelmed by Hal’s beautiful and powerful voice and the words of the prayer that I don’t even remember playing the harmonic fills. It turned out, however, that R.J. had picked them up on a separate track, and when he and Bill Stafford later did the final mix-down after Laurie and I had hit the road, they put that extra track of harmonic fills in over the main steel and vocal tracks. When Hal had finished the vocal track and the already-recorded ending steel tag had finished, I looked up at my wife, Laurie, and she was crying. I broke down and joined her in a crying jag of my own. Then R.J. joined in and Hal came out of the isolation booth and also joined in. The four of us just stood there in a giant four-person hug that must have looked like a senior version of the Dallas Cowboys in a huddle, while Hal said a beautiful prayer of thankfulness for the inspiration that had come over us. I feel that the Holy Spirit was there with his hand on us saying, “Well done, my good and faithful servants.”

Egotiscal? Yes, no doubt about it. But I felt it was appropriate to post – if for no reason but to demonstrate the power of music to touch the human soul.

Roy Ayres

[This message was edited by Roy Ayres on 19 April 2004 at 10:35 AM.]

We played a benefit one sunday afternoon at a nearby orphanage. A small boy, severely handicapped and in a wheel chair was placed to my front left. I noticed him become aggitated doing the Waters instrumental and again, later, when I played Danny Boy. Then I noticed the tears coming down his cheeks and realized that the music had moved him.

That realization and surely not my feeble efforts at pedal steel guitar brought the tears to my eyes as well. I tried to cover it up with a cough and almost choked on my efforts. That childishly honest review of my playing has never left me anything but very humble and thankful !!

When we finally get old and mature enough we do it to impress ourselves. Thats when we are doing it for the right reasons. If others are impressed, thats just icing on the cake.

Roy
If you were impressed with your own music, Then you have received a blessing,be thankful for it, Ego has nothing to do with it.

[This message was edited by John Floyd on 19 April 2004 at 05:11 PM.]

I don't call that "egotistical Mr Roy, I call that playing in the Holy Spirit!
If that's egotistical, then we Christian steel players, need more of it.
God bless, and thanks for sharing that.
Terry

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Be Blessed........HAL
'85 Emmons LeGrande D-10,(8 & 6) Hilton Vol. Pedal, BJS Birthstone bar, Rack w/Evans Pre-amp, Lexicon MPX100; (2)1501-4 BW's in custom built cabs by T.A. Gibson, & a Peavey DPC 1000 Power Amp.