By Allen and Chris

Sometimes a moment that seems insignificant turns into a memory that affects you for life.  The following is one such moment that was shared by Allen and Chris, father and son.

That One Sweet Note – Allen

 My mom, Chris’s grandmother, had just gotten out of the hospital. The stomach cancer she had when she was in her twenties had come back, although in a different spot. The cancer was too advanced, so she was sent home with no hope of recovering. Chris and I were visiting my mom and at this point she was still able to walk and move around the house on her own. Mom came from a musical family, her father played almost all the horns, and her grandfather played banjo and fiddle. She played piano and trumpet and although she’d only had about six months of lessons on the piano, she played her entire life. For as long as I can remember she was the organist in the Methodist Church we attended. 

Out of the blue she said, “I’ll be right back, I want to get something for Chris” and she went into the small music room and came back with her trumpet. Although she could move around and still walk at this point, she didn’t have much energy and had difficulty breathing. Within another week she would be bedridden and wouldn’t be able to walk again. She opened up the case, pulled her trumpet out, put the mouthpiece on and blew the sweetest note I ever heard her play. It was a surreal moment because Chris also played trumpet and piano. Some people believe talent jumps generations, I’m not sure about that, but it was as if she handed Chris the gift of music when she blew that one sweet note. 

 

That One Sweet Note – Chris

My Grandmother, Allen’s Mom, was looking for something when I got to her house. Our family home was an old farmhouse that had been added on to over the years. It was both old and new with wood and a stone hearth cooking fireplace. It always reminded me of those houses you see in the civil war, even though I am not sure when it was built. I loved her. My grandmother and I were always tied together at an almost subconscious level.

That day, I knew something was different, even as a young kid.  I didn’t know why or what was happening. At least I don’t remember being told she was sick, but I remember it being exceptionally warm and inviting at her house that day. In hindsight, her kindness and life-soft-touch shone through even more as her health continued to diminish.   

I had already come to love music even as a young kid. When I walked into the house, she hugged me and said, “Come over here, I want to show you something.” She pulled out a trumpet and blew a note. At that moment, and in the beauty of that note, life transcended place and emotion. It’s purity showed me the power that music can have over all of us. It was not that it was a trumpet, but for the first time in my life, I experienced one of those elusive moments where everything unites. We are all able at times to produce a feeling so pure that everything else fades into obscurity. She had done that.

It is from that moment that I realized the path I wanted to take. Those beautiful notes can heal, connect, and provide clarity for both the artist and the listener. It was her last gift to me and something I cherish and draw confidence from every day. I am chasing, finding, and creating, regardless of medium, a connection to the meaning she gave me at that moment. Her last gift is what led me to music, songwriting, and a belief that we are at our core all trying just to build a better life for our family and ourselves.

Our Sweet Note

From the time we started “Folks Like Them”, we knew how much Allen’s mom, Chris’s grandmother, would have loved what we were doing together. She would have been thrilled that her love of music had been passed down through two more generations. We continue to write songs together that pay tribute to the family and the places that helped shape us. We are sure she would be happy to know that we are still chasing that “One Sweet Note”.

 

To learn more about Allen and Chris and their band Folks Like Them check out https://www.folkslikethem.com/