Sorcha-glad to hear a musical Nebraska story!
I was in Lincoln working on the program for a
memorial for both of my parents who had died a
few weeks before. I got up the nerve to contact
a philosphy professor who was still teaching at
the same university i went to 30 years ago. He
hosted a coffee house in the student union base-
ment. I played there. He has since become quite
well-known and I caught up with him between gigs,
one was a performance in honor of a poet who had
just published a book, or been granted some award,
or both, and the other was on the front steps of
a fraternity house in his neighborhood. I was
welcomed to join him on the steps and we played
for quite a while. I was inspired to play some
tunes at the momorial the next day. He retired
a few weeks later, and I might not have located
him at another time. I was able to let him know
how much his music meant to me. I also had the
opportunity a few years before to play music with
a mandolin player that i admired for the occasion
of my parents' fiftieth wedding anniversary .