RUSSELL MOORE
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I had to take a note pad and a pen around with me to communicate. It was six weeks of silence,” Moore said. “The first performance after vocal rest was like having to learn all over again. My control was not there, my pitch was not there and my tone was not like it had been, and I thought, is this it? Is this as good as it is going to be? It just took a little time. After a couple weeks it was back to normal. But now, I am very cautious going out to perform when I am having any problems. I used to go and fill the engagement. Now, I just pull the plug and say I am sorry.” Moore recognizes that he and his band members got into the business to have fun, please themselves and influence others. “There aren’t a lot of gold and platinum records being given out in bluegrass music. It goes back to the old adage: find something you like, do it for a living and you’ll never work a day in your life. There is a lot of truth in that,” Moore affirmed. “I’ve been awarded, and rewarded, several times over from different organizations for our music,” Moore said humbly. “I am thankful for each and every one of them, but that’s not what it is about. That wasn’t a goal, never has been and still isn’t now. They are just byproducts of doing what I love to do. I am fortunate to be the recipient of those, but I think there are many in this business that still need to be recognized. My ability, first and foremost, is God given. My passion for this music is what drives me to be better or at least maintain some of what I’ve got now. “That doesn’t mean that there aren’t setbacks and hard times, and negatives within the business itself, but there is no better feeling than doing something musically where you can say that it felt so good, that it sounded so good and that I am really pleased what I was able to contribute. That gets passed along to someone out there who is listening, and they let you know they really enjoyed it. That’s the biggest compliment you can get as an artist.” And it doesn’t matter if it’s in Kentucky, or in your own hometown. PN iiirdtymeout.com
September 2017 | PointsNorthAtlanta.com | 13