By Kim SchneiderEAST LIVERPOOL -- Inside Coffee Fusion and Tea early Friday evening Doug and Dave Smith enjoyed the company of more than just family and friends and brought a community together. These moonlighting musicians played smiles into memories.
The couple not only shared the company of patrons but of local KSU professors as well. Later in the evening, our very own Dr. Bob Walker, KSU-EL psychology instructor, showed off his picking and singing skills.
Early in the evening, Dr. Burns came to listen to the harmonic sounds of the duo with her son, and Professor Stewart and Dr. Swartz showed. This clearly shows the professors you know do have a life outside of school and do have an interest in our community. Stewart commented on his blog, Ohio River Life, that he "just has to laugh every time he hears people complain there's nothing to do in East Liverpool."
Doug and Dave Smith are a local band within the East Liverpool area and have dedicated themselves to more than their name. They are a group who has been involved in local activities since the 1980s, probably even longer--but let’s not speak of age. Age has no barrier when it comes to the music they perform. It is a dedication to their appreciation of the art itself. They are a couple of guys who enjoy music and what it can bring to society. Their voices carry like no other in the sleepy town of East Liverpool.
This group holds a special part in history for me. Their magic warmth shed a light on me when I was looking for a band to play for my mother’s benefit when she was battling cancer. They had no clue who I was but were willing to share their spirit of life. Later, they played in an old creaky barn with hay straggling between floorboards in Rogers, Ohio, harmoniously with another East Liverpool singer, Dave Morgan. We had another band that night, but Doug and Dave Smith and Dave Morgan were the highlight of the evening.
I passed a hat around for donations, and later when I gave it to them it to them, they met a woman with her "hair" on crooked and handed it to her, telling her to have a great trip. They made my mother smile. It was the first time in forever that I could recall her smiling in true happiness. If I couldn’t have ever given her happiness I know she was happy at that point; music was in her heart and they spoke all the words I never could.
If we'd known Dr. Walker at the time, I know she really would have loved him just as much. His voice carried more emotion than the words itself.
I guess the point I am getting at is that you don’t have to pay a fortune to hear your favorite old tunes; all you have to do is look for it in your own backyard. Support your local bands, you never know who you will find there, and you might find that you share the same interest as your professors, friends, and neighbors.
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Photo is Bob Walker (left) and Doug Smith. (Kim Schneider)
