All from the Memory of a Song

By Scott Coner

Country Artist

         Hardly a waking hour goes by when music doesn’t cross my mind. It is entwined in nearly everything I do and everything I am. It has been there as I have worked through the years. It has been there during painful moments, as well as happy ones. And it has been there to simply color the days I have lived in.

         So, it has always struck me as a little bit odd when I talk with someone who doesn't pay attention to the music playing around them. Instead, their world centers on something else. They may be into NASCAR, or football, or golf, or whatever. I have been to gatherings with other parents. We might be sitting on a porch or near a pool, and I try to find something that we might have in common. As I listen to them talking, I find myself beginning to drift off as they talk about their latest conquest on a golf course somewhere. I do my best to stay engaged, but I’d be lying if I said I don’t hear white noise. 

Scott Coner (Photo by Cynnamae Media Productions)

         I don’t mean to sound judgmental. It’s just the difference in people. In truth, I probably should have bought some khakis and learned how to play golf, living vicariously through some overpriced pro football team. But that's not my thing. I would never want to waste a beautiful Sunday afternoon sitting inside somewhere watching a ball game when I could instead be outside in the sun or the shade laughing, reading, or relaxing. When I do, there will be a melody playing in the background somewhere close.

         I suppose I allowed music to attach itself to me because it was something I could enjoy alone or with others. It gives me something to appreciate. It allows me the opportunity to think, to write, to listen, and to remember. In truth, the classic music is like some kind of memory card I can bring out to think about moments that have long since past. I remember dancing with our oldest daughter when she was just a little bitty girl in our living room. She would put her little sock feet on top of mine and hold me so tight as we danced to “Rocket Man”. I also remember our youngest little girl sitting in her car seat mimicking “beat” noises to a Ben Harper song before she could even talk. Those songs, those memories are tucked away in my mind and my heart. I hope to always have them to re-live as the years go past me. 

         This seems odd to say, but I have written songs of my own that have memories attached to them. When I first met my wife, she was working at a label in Brentwood, Tennessee. She and I took a drive on our first evening together just outside of Nashville and listened to an album I had just completed. In doing this, the entire album took on a new and magical meaning to me. I remember being excited and a little bit nervous for her to hear the project. It was my second album, but this time it was my sound instead of some producer calling the shots. In a way, it was a deeply personal moment she and I were able to share very early on in our relationship. I remember driving away from her that night and feeling like I could fly. Those feelings are still in between all of the grooves of those old songs for me. Even today, when I hear “Taylorsville Angel”, I still think of that night. I think of her beauty and her sweetness.

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO SCOTT CONER'S SONG, 

TAYLORSVILLE ANGEL

 

         So, I suppose even though music is what I do, it’s also what holds my world together. It has been the backdrop of so much in my life there is no way I can cover it all. Some people remember what they were wearing on a certain important day. I will surely remember what song was being played. I’ll remember the joy or the sadness. I’ll remember the feeling of falling in love with my wife or how much I love my daughters. And I can do it all from the memory of a song. 

         Scott Coner is a country singer-songwriter who has worked in the studio with legendary artists such as Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown and Charlie Daniels. You can learn more about him and hear his music at www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, www.YouTube.com/user/ScottConer, and www.ScottConer.com. Follow Scott at www.Twitter.com/ScottConer.

What's That In Your Hand?

By Scott Coner
Country Artist

            So, at 80 years old, Moses is having a discussion with God. He is trying to convince God to use someone else.

            “I have other plans. I don’t talk well. People don’t listen to me. I’m too old.”

            To be honest, I wish I had the type of a relationship with God to actually have an open conversation like that. But God, being God, already had all of the answers. He told Moses to throw his staff to the ground. When he did, the staff turned into a snake. God told him to pick it up by the tale, and when he did, it turned back into a staff. 

            I believe most of us are a bit like old Moses. We have spent most of our lives being something that God can’t use. He wants us to change, but in order to truly transform, we are going to have to step out of our comfort zones a little bit.

I've recorded a cover of the classic rock tune "Locomotion"...

Let's get moving... Use your talents!

            I had spent the first half of my life doing what came natural to me. Construction had always been my primary involvement. I had moved away from the field and into the office side of things several years ago. I had a good job, I made great money, and I was comfortable. The problem was, this is not what my heart was called to do. It’s awfully hard to be content when you know you aren’t doing what you are called to do. I began to move more in the general direction of my purpose though, and I began to finally feel more at peace and less at war with myself.

            I want to be clear in saying that even though I do certain songs promoting my faith as well as family and commitment, I am involved in a broad range of music. But, I believe God has plans for me. I don’t know what they are. I don’t care what they are. I will do what God will have me to do when He gives me direction, and I look forward to the opportunity. It is a good feeling to know that God is control and that I am just along for the ride.

 

Scott Coner with his dog (Photo by Cynnamae Productions)

 

            I wonder where you stand with your own direction these days. What are you holding in your hand? Is it a simple staff, or is it the gift of baking? Do you seem to feel at your best when surrounded by people? Do you have the gift of designing? Can you take a simple little house and turn it into a beautiful home? Are you gifted on the computer? What is that you are holding in your hand? We all have God-given gifts, talents that allow us to feel alive when we use them. Maybe it’s time that you finally admit that you do have a skill that could and should be used. You might also want to remind yourself of the happiness and fulfillment that your gift actually gives you when you allow it to be brought to life.

            I am no preacher, but I am a believer. I believe that if we take a step in faith, God will be there to meet us and to support us. I think that taking these steps also has a way of strengthening our relationship with God. All I can tell you is that so far, my music has brought a lot of surprises to me. I have met some great and talented people. I have seen cities and towns I never would have been able to see. I have also been able to go to places in my mind through the process of writing that I wouldn’t have pursued had it not been for the opportunities to write and record with others.

            I am positive as you read this you have already let your mind jump once or twice to that shady little corner in your soul where you keep your talent. I hope you will get off your couch and just go for it. Nobody is asking you to part the Red Sea or pick up a snake. Just dust off your talent, and offer it up. Let it become part of you again. You never know where you will end up or what you might find. And aren’t you glad that God didn’t give you ultra small hands so you could be good at milking wild badgers? 

            Scott Coner is a country singer-songwriter who has worked in the studio with legendary artists such as Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown and Charlie Daniels. You can learn more about him and hear his music at www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, www.YouTube.com/user/ScottConer, and www.ScottConer.com. Follow Scott at www.Twitter.com/ScottConer.

A Shadow of Doubt

By Scott Coner

Country Artist

            It happened again to me today. Out of nowhere, a shadow of doubt grabbed hold of my mind. Shadows are sneaky in the way they fly around and show up uninvited and unannounced. I have always believed these pesky little varmints are sent up from the bowels of hell. They cause confusion and doubt. They too often cause us to challenge ourselves and sometimes even the ones we care about most. I’m not so sure that the best thing to do when this siege of darkness arrives isn’t to stop whatever it is we are doing and pray. Yeah, I know I’m a little bit old-school. But I believe in crying out to God. I believe that I am weak, possibly a little bit light-headed, and I know I need all of the help I can get from On High.

            So, there I was innocently sweeping out the barn near the horse stalls. I began to wonder what in the world it was I’m doing or trying to prove when it comes to my music. “You are such a fool. Nobody cares what you think, or write about. Nashville wants younger, good-looking people. You have already been told this by the professionals, and this is not new news.”

            I stopped sweeping for a minute and stared at the concrete floor. I leaned up against the back of the barn doorway leading out to the pasture and considered this for quite a while. I could see a hawk displaying his powerful wings at the bottom of the field near the creek. I could feel doubt begin to run through me like warm water. “Maybe I am crazy,” I thought to myself, “but I have put so much work and time into this. It’s what I am. It’s what I do. I didn’t choose this. It chose me.”

Scott Coner (Photo by Cynnamae Media Productions)

            I caught myself at that moment. I realized what had happened. I called on God to take care of those little doubts and went on with my business of cleaning out the barn. You see, I don’t play or write to impress people. I don’t live for something as fleeting as someone else endorsing what I do. Music and songwriting just happens to be what I do. By the very nature of itself, I find myself being put in front of people and allowing them to critique my every word. Every chord. Every song. But, as I gather my thoughts, I remember how this business of music makes me feel. The emotion that goes into writing a song can’t hardly be described. But, to me it is not unlike the moment you see the Grand Canyon or the ocean for the first time. It’s jubilant.

            As I write this blog, there is a teacher out there somewhere staring at an empty classroom wondering how in the world she can help her kids learn. She feels the shadow of doubt. Across that same town, there is a nurse compelled to crying all alone as she feels the hurt of some young family that just received the news about their ailing child. She wants to help. She wants to say something of value. But there are no words for this moment in time. She feels the shadow of doubt.

            Maybe you are the one that this article speaks to as the sun begins to fall and the day is nearly over. Maybe, you feel alone and doubtful. Maybe you wonder if the man you gave your heart to loves you as much as you love him. Maybe you looked in the mirror today and saw a slightly older face, or a little bit more gray in your hair. Just know that this is not what you really see. This is not what you really wonder. This is a full-frontal attack of doubt. Make no mistake about that. 

  Scott Coner's music video "Sanibel"

            We all walk the same roads I suppose. We all have so much to give, but often we don’t know how. We have something to say that someone else needs to hear, but we can’t find the words. We all have a song to write. Songs don’t always get written with guitars. They don’t always show up in perfect harmony. I know this because I have heard those types of songs before. I have heard my wife tell me she’ll love me until the end of time. I have heard my daughters tell me they love me. I have heard my mom tell me she loves me over the phone. There was no music when this happened. But, oddly enough, these have been the sweetest songs I have ever heard. Don’t allow the devil to stop you from what you need to do. You have something to offer. Tell the people you love just how much they mean to you. Allow your words to sound like a band of angels coming down. Grab your broom and sweep those doubts into the darkest closet you can find, and lock it with the promises of heaven.  Self-doubt has no power over you.       

         Scott Coner is a country singer-songwriter who has worked in the studio with legendary artists such as Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown and Charlie Daniels. You can learn more about him and hear his music at www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, www.YouTube.com/user/ScottConer, and www.ScottConer.com. Follow Scott at www.Twitter.com/ScottConer.

'Roll With The Changes...'

By Country Artist Scott Coner

“As soon as you are able, women I am willing

To make the break that we are on the brink of

My cup is on the table, my love is spilling

Waiting here for you to take and drink of...

So if you’re tired of the same old story

Oh, turn some pages

I will be here when you are ready

To roll with the changes…."

-- K. Cronin / R.E.O Speed Wagon

            It’s cold today here in Indiana. The water for my horses is frozen, I can’t get the barn any warmer than it is, and my hands hurt from being out in the weather. I picked my parents up at the airport early this morning when they came in from their home in Florida, and I could see the shock on their faces as the cold wind whipped around them. These are the days that I long to be anywhere else but where I’m from. I grew up outside of the town that I currently live outside of, and I have to tell you that I need to leave as soon as possible.

            When I grew up here, it was a much smaller, much more personal community than it is now. My friends were here, my family pretty much all lived on the same road, and I was comfortable. I figured things would always stay the same. Man, was that ever an oversight. I still have a handful of friends around here, but we don’t really have anything in common. We rarely even see each other, and there isn’t much to say.  One of my childhood friends sells cars, and the other sells insurance. They are great guys, and I care deeply about them, but it sure sounds like a John Prine song doesn’t it? We just drifted apart. Our values are different, the way we raise kids is different, and what we enjoy is different. Long story short is, I’m ready to get on out of here for good.

            The music is finally starting to get its own legs, my daughters are both pretty much raised, and my worst nightmare is that I don’t finally seek some change in my life. I stayed around to be with my parents if you want to know the truth, but they have moved on as well. They stay in Ft. Myers in the winter and travel most of the summer, and I am very happy for them. It’s me and my immediate family who need to move away. I just don’t have much to keep me here year-round anymore. I expect I’ll keep my house and farm. After all, it’s where my kids grew up. But I need to begin the process of looking around seriously for a different place to land when I'm in Nashville. I spend way too much time in hotels when I’m there, and I never feel fully relaxed. Life changes us in ways we never expected, doesn’t it?

Scott Coner ( Photo by Cynnamae Media Productions)

            When you are young, you think you have all of the time in the world. That big clock in the sky doesn’t even show itself until you begin to hear this very loud ticking, and you start to get things in perspective pretty quickly. There is so much I want to do. So many things I want to see with my wife and kids. I stand back these days and look at my music, listen to my songs, and I can’t always remember writing them all. There was a time I didn’t believe anything good was ever going to happen for me, and yet, finally things seem to have turned around. It leaves me with a warm, satisfied feeling in my heart. But I still feel detached where I’m at today, and I know it is close to time for me to move along. I don’t know why, but I expect that will be a sad, tearful day. I might just be relieved to be honest.

            I hope as you have read this you haven’t found yourself starting to think I am not appreciative for what I have. That’s not the case at all. Instead, I am truly grateful for all that has happened for me, and I always will be. What I hope you take away from this is something far more personal and real than my own complaints and ramblings. I hope you take a look at your life and your position, and do a self -check. Are you happy? Are you complete? Is there something missing that could actually be corrected? Don’t wait too long. Don’t put things off. Begin the process of change. Remember, it is a process and it doesn’t usually take place in one day.

            The things I need to do are scary for me. I get uncomfortable whenever things start to change. I’m a creature of habit. But change is usually good because it challenges us to be aware of things and allow for a new approach. I worry about being on the road with my music. I worry about being away from my family. I even worry about my farm and animals. But I have worked hard, and so has my wife. It is time to put all of our cards on the table and play the hand we have. And yes, it scares me quite a bit. I hope you will do the same thing. Place your bets people and believe in yourselves… and always "Keep Pushin’". (By the way, I sure miss Gary Richrath)

“Well, it’s coming together and I finally feel like a man

I never thought I’d be where I am

Every day I work a little bit harder

I keep pushing on.…"

-- K. Cronin / R.E.O Speed Wagon   

         Scott Coner is a country singer-songwriter who has worked in the studio with legendary artists such as Tanya Tucker, T. Graham Brown and Charlie Daniels. You can learn more about him and hear his music at www.Facebook.com/ScottConerMusic, www.YouTube.com/user/ScottConer, and www.ScottConer.com. Follow Scott at www.Twitter.com/ScottConer.