Falling Water River -- The Orchestral Debut

In a few days we will be performing what is probably going to be one of the most important concerts of our careers.   We will be debuting Falling Water River with the Grand Pops Orchestra and Chorus of Dubuque.  The dates are Saturday, September 8 at 7:30 p.m. and Sunday, September 9 at 2 p.m.

This concert is important because it marks a dramatic shift in our playing.  We have come a long way from bars and are about to present an interpretation of our original music that we want to be repeated by symphonies throughout the United States and Canada. This music is touching something that continues to be very real, and that is the ongoing war in Afghanistan and the sacrifices it takes.  That the date of the debut falls close to the anniversary of 9/11 is no coincidence.

We have received some wonderful endorsements for the project.  Rick Kogan of WGN Radio, whose program reaches some 8 million listeners, interviewed us and has told his listening audience as well as his readers that this will be "a stunning and remarkable achievement. Not only does Falling Water River tell a sweeping and moving musical tale, it touches the heart and mind and soul in ways that are real and unforgettable."

This album more than any of our others was influenced by friends and especially by those in our WayGood family who had members serving in the armed forces.  Brian's nephew was in the Special Forces early on in Iraq and was involved in the Jessica Lynch rescue. Jayn Lando's son-in-law Rodney was also in Iraq with Special Forces.  Diane Vance's son Will wrote us a beautiful letter from Iraq, telling us how much of an impact Falling Water River had on him and wondering if we were veterans.   Col. Cameron Ross of the Canadian Armed Forces had two sons deployed in Afghanistan and served there himself as well.  And there are many others, such as the elderly man who came up to us in Fort Madison after hearing Falling Water River and said that his grandson was in Iraq and thanking us for the song, tears in his eyes.  It has been a powerful album that endures beyond any release date.  We are realizing that it is a timeless album, something many artists only dream of making.