Ric Masten's Weekly - Words and One-Liner

Let It Be A Dance

Let it be a dance we do. May I have this dance with you. Through the good times And the bad times too. Let it be a dance Let a dancing song be heard. Play the music, say the words And fill the sky with sailing birds And let it be a dance. Learn to follow learn to lead. Feel the rhythm, fill the need. To reap the harvest plant the seed And let it be a dance

Chorus Everybody turn and spin. Let your body learn to bend And like a willow with the wind Let it be a dance. A child is born the old must die. A time for joy a time to cry, So take it as it passes by And let it be a dance Chorus The morning star comes out at night. Without the dark there is no light And if nothing's wrong then nothing's right So let it be a dance. Let the sun shine, let it rain. Share the laughter, bare the pain And round and round we go again So let it be a dance Chorus We Do.

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This song has been put into a number of Hymnals. Many different denominations. Over time it has become a wedding song but is also used at memorial services and christenings. LET IT BE A DANCE turns out to be a song for all seasons, that will certainly live a lot longer than I will. The new book was originally going to be called WORDS & ONE-LINERS but because it will probably be my last book, the publisher decided to entitle it LET IT BE A DANCE -- Words & One-liners. Those of you who ordered the fancy, boxed, signed and numbered $100 "special edition" to help raise money for my prostate cancer medications -- know this -- 569 of you ordered and paid for the "special edition" so 600 were published. I can't thank you all enough for this gift, it has already helped a great deal with my, so far, successful treatments. The "special edition" will begin shipping this August

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It was one of those horrendous tragedies that happen in the American High School every 4 or 5 years. This incident occurred 31 years ago in Carmel High. A first year teacher offered a course in modern dance and had 14 young women dancing like professionals. My two oldest daughters took the class and were part of the troop.

During Christmas vacation the teacher saw where a famous ensemble out of New York was performing in San Jose. She called up all of her girls announcing that if they were willing to crowd into her VW bus they could drive up San Jose together and catch the last performance. My daughters wanted to go in the worst way but had other engagements scheduled. Late that evening driving back in a rainstorm, a drunk going a hundred miles an hour, crossed the center dividing line and crashed head on into the teacher's VW. She and the two girls in the front seat were killed outright and a number of the young women in the back were critically injured.

Barbara Brussel, my eldest daughter's best friend and older sister to one of the girls in the front seat had her knee cap so badly damaged the doctor doubted she would ever walk, let alone dance again. My family and I visited Barbara in the hospital where I made a wager with her. Betting that she would come dancing up our Sur country road exactly one year from that day. And what's more, I would write the song for her to interpret. Next week, the lyric for that song which is the title of my most recent book LET IT BE A DANCE -- Words & One-liners due to be released July 18th.

So exactly one year to the day Barbara Brussel did come dancing up our dusty mountain road. Limping, it's true, but you never saw anything quite as beautiful. I wrote the song LET IT BE A DANCE for this grand event. I was about to record a new LP featuring the song and was looking for a cover photo. What could be more perfect than Barbara dancing in the Big Sur sunshine. Three photographers took pictures that day. All three rolls came out blank or over exposed. I'm not a spooky kind of guy so I simply marked this weird happenstance up to this — Some things are too special to be caught on film. Barbara today? 31 years later? She is a fantastic Club Singer who lives and works in New York City area. And by the way her CD Patterns is exquisite! Barbara's web-site http://www.barbarabrussell.com/

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