A “Sleep” Soundtrack
While I am busy everyday, doing the daily grind, waking up, making lunch, going to work, putting in the 8/9/10 hours a day at work, trying to grow my music and gig on the occasional weekends yet still have a life and be close with my family and friends… I sometimes get lost in all of it. My brain can forget what is really important and what path I’m really working towards. Lucky for me my positive attitude always beats my negative one and I end up just keepin’ on.
I got the below letter the other day and after reading, it was one of those stop-in-your-track moments. I sat there for a minute in awe, thinking is it possible? My music is going to Afghanistan?! Wow…
Music does make a difference whether I am seeing it on the daily or not. While I’m thankful for reassuring moments like this, I’m most thankful that I’m helping a person feel better - especially someone who is putting their life on the line for our country every day.
I wrote a letter to Alison Krauss in 2006 while I was in Iraq. I had been having trouble sleeping due to some things that were happening. The only thing that helped on ‘bad nights’ was listening to her sing “Baby Mine” the song from the movie ‘Dumbo’. I would turn it on repeat and go right to sleep. It calmed me down and helped me to forget. Since then I’ve found a few songs here and there that help on ‘bad nights’ that I still have sometimes (especially when I’m in the field training, which I am now) I wrote the letter to her just to say thanks for singing so beautifully and helping me go to sleep. I’m sure she never actually read the letter but someone responded for her I guess, it was pretty cool anyway.
The point of telling you that is that I just recently bought your newest album and found a couple songs that slow the heart rate and relax me when I’m ‘wound up’. I leave for my 4th combat tour sometime next month. I’ll be in Sangin Valley, Afghanistan and those songs will be on my ‘Sleep’ soundtrack with Alison Krauss and a few others. Thank you for singing so beautifully and helping me go to sleep. Keep up the good work.
I posted this anonymously, no identity is needed to get the point across.
Hope everyone sleeps well tonight. :)
