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A History of the Music of Pat and Tex LaMountain
We are finally documenting our music careers. Stay tuned this will be a long process and, hopefully, a lot of fun. "If it's not fun, don't do it." Quote for the day from Pat. (Tex includes himself in that too.)
We begin our history by proving that we both have music in our blood (who doesn't). This is a picture of Tex with his first guitar at age 14. He actually played back then (look at the 50's wallpaper) and practised with his Dalton, MA buddies getting songs off the air from Elvis and the Everly's. They would copy the licks they heard on the radio and and show them to each other. Nowadays kids take courses in ear training. Well they had ear training back then too, only for free, and called it "hanging out with Billy West".
Tex's parents loved music. They were wonderful dancers -- smooth and twinkly on their feet. Kay LaMountain loved family sing alongs. She grew up in the Eastern Townships of Quebec in a Scottish community. Her father was a story teller and everyone sang at every get together. Tex's house had a family piano and both of his parents encouraged Tex's playing at every turn. His younger brother Dennis was the first guitar player in the family, however. Dennis practiced in the room they shared and Tex suddenly picked up the guitar and played what he'd been listening to Dennis rehearse, over and over. I know what you mean, Dennis. He does it to me too. And he says, "Well, you played it so many times it was like you were spoon feeding it to me."
Pat's photos show that both her parents were into music. Her mom played piano. Here's Pat eating an apple from the apple farm she grew up on, waiting into the evening for cousins to arrive from far away. Her mom is playing their piano.
Pat took both piano and violin lessons from community teachers during grade school. The lone boy fiddler surrounded by all those big girls in the violin class is Pat's father, Andy McConaughey from Aurora, Nebraska (where Pat was born). She never met him because his US Army Air Corps plane went down in a training flight during WWII, five months before she was born. His sisters tell me he loved big band music and had a nice voice and used to sing with a dance band. Younger sisters always idolize their big brothers and they thought he was good. The photo was in the guitar case of that fiddle he was playing -- my grandfather gave it to me when I started playing violin in the fourth grade.
Anyway, the apple farmer was a step father who had no time for music or the arts, though he was a good farmer and a strong presence and otherwise, a good person. I'm not too judgmental here. He just didn't give a hoot about music. Try introducing this boyfriend to your father..."Daddy, this is Tex. He plays guitar and sings..." He actually had to bring up music business that first conversation to even get into the conversation. He did try. (And he ended up being quite appreciative of Tex, even his music.)
My mom and Tex and I spent many hours playing piano, guitar, and fiddle tunes together until she could no longer play. Did you know alzheimers actually helps you play with passion? My mom never sounded so good! All my life her piano playing was a deliberate, practiced, hesitant experience that could tense me up if I was in the same room. She loved to play but she wasn't fluid. In her later years, the inhibition somehow just melted away and it was delightful to enjoy the flow of her music.
So this is the start of our history -- a beginning. It may take months -- so keep looking in to see how we're doing.
Thanks,
P&T
For more info on our upcoming concerts visit this Calendar Page with the latest gig info.
Check out this page for photos of Pat and Tex Photos and for promotional graphics.
Check out this page for samples of Pat and Tex Recordings and a list of available songs.
Also check out this page on Bio Information and other promotional material
For more rambling and thoughts on deeper subjects be sure and visit our Links Page !
Check out our Home Page here Home Page and get a taste for why we even bother 'at our age.'
this page updated on May 11, 2009
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or write us at: info(at)patandtex(dot)com