Page 179 - Reason To Sing by Kelita Haverland

Chapter Thirty-One

Secret Love

It’s such a relief to be out on the road. Without Hudson.
Much of the time, travelling with my own band feels like
I’m traveling with children; like I’m more glorified babysitter
than boss and entertainer. Some musicians sleep all day and
then show up for the gig at night. That’s it. I have to ensure
they’re rounded up for mid-week rehearsals and our nightly
sets. It can be a bit of pressure.
But Jake is different. He is my musical director which
means he handles charts and arrangements and communicates
with the others about availability and tour dates. Plus, he
handles all the rehearsals before and after I fly into town. I do
a lot of performing in Western Canada, so these guys are based
out of Calgary.
For this tour I’m travelling with four musicians and a
sound/light man. We rent two vans. One is for the musicians
and me. The other is for the sound gear, instruments and lights.
We have fondly named the latter Creamsicle. She’s a worn-
out piece of junk and barely survives the many miles we need
to cover. But she does come with her own air conditioning.
Yes, even in the winter. You can see the ground beneath the
floorboards!
Jake is an extremely talented guitar player. I’m fortunate to
have him play for me. He truly is one of the best. Oh, how he
loves to play his instrument. I think he lives for it. It’s a part of
him. An extension really. He always has a guitar in his lap. He
treats his guitars like friends. I swear he’d much rather hang out

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