Can’t stop the music

By David Maurer

Published: July 10, 2008

A little before 1 p.m. on a recent Saturday, David H. Ferrall steered his black 1988 Cadillac limo into the gravel parking lot at Starr Hill Brewery on the outskirts of Crozet.

His passenger, David Bailey, was in high spirits and as usual dealing with pre-performance jitters.

Mercifully, the singer-guitarist’s inherent shyness and pangs of stage fright have lessened somewhat since he and Ferrall landed the monthly gig last November.

Because of his muscular dystrophy, Bailey wasn’t able to help Ferrall lug the Marshall AS 100D amplifier and other musical equipment into the cavernous room where Starr Hill beer is brewed, bottled and tasted. As his guitar buddy set things up, the lanky living-room musician tried to balance the joy and jangled nerves he was feeling.

“I’m as nervous as can be right now,” Bailey said as he smiled and fidgeted in the wheelchair that he has used for the past 10 years. “My shyness was the big thing that really kept me from doing something like this.

“Before David and I started playing here, it was mainly my cats that heard me. So this is like the dream I thought would never come true.

“Everybody has their dreams growing up, and I idolized musicians. David has helped me do something I thought would never happen.”

Bailey, who worked for The Daily Progress for 13 years, was diagnosed with MD in the late 1980s. Since then the incurable degenerative disease that attacks muscles has been slowly robbing him of his strength, but it hasn’t been able to stop the music.

It was the mutual love of guitars and song that established the initial bond between Bailey and Ferrall about five years ago. Ferrall has been a Meals on Wheels volunteer for the past 12 years, and that’s what brought the two together.

“David was on my Meals on Wheels route, and I noticed the guitars lying around when I dropped by to deliver his meals,” said Ferrall, who is a Realtor for Summit Realty and a private investor. “We started talking guitars, and that led to playing together.

“When Mark Thompson, the owner of Starr Hill Brewery, opened this place, I talked to him about us coming here on Saturdays to play. He was incredibly supportive of the idea.

“The nice thing about this setting is that people are coming here to see the brewery and taste-test beer, so the focus isn’t necessarily on us. And this gives David something to look forward to, and it’s a way to get him out of the house.”

At precisely 1 p.m. Bailey opened the two-hour concert with Neil Young’s “Hey, Hey, My My.” He had to compete with the hum of exhaust fans and the rumble from a passing train, but it hardly seemed to matter.

For the next few hours the two Davids sang for themselves and for whomever dropped in for the weekly tour and tasting. The music was good enough to prompt applause after each song.

“No clapping, just throw money,” Bailey shouted out cheerfully at one point.

Earlier, the 48-year-old guitarist talked about the role music plays in helping him cope with his disease. As they did for many others, the Beatles and the Rolling Stones inspired Bailey to learn how to play a guitar, and now the instrument is a vital part of his life.

“It was very difficult for me to learn how to play,” Bailey said. “It was just sitting around and doing it over and over, and it has to stick at some point.

“I think it has been the biggest help for me in dealing with MD. If I’m sad or depressed, I just pick up the guitar.

“I’ll sit there and play, just making up stuff as I go. I’ve done that here. I don’t know where I’m going in the next measure, but it’s neat, because it doesn’t sound too bad.”

Ferrall said his friend is a better singer and guitar player than he gives himself credit for. He has noticed both a marked elevation in his guitar skills, and his singing voice since they started performing in public.

This was evident when Bailey offered up Eric Clapton’s classic love ballad “Wonderful Tonight.” Immersed in the song, he didn’t notice visitors at the tasting bar exchange glances and nods of approval.

“David is modest when he talks about his playing,” Ferrall said when his partner was out of earshot. “I mean, all things considered, he has a terrible disease, but he plays pretty damn well considering he doesn’t have 100 percent use of his fingers and wrists.

“He has already done a job on his own after someone heard him perform here and hired him. Doing this really means a lot to him, and it gives him something to look forward to.

“Since we started doing this, I can see a difference in him. He’s more positive thinking now. I know this is important for him, and it’s fun for me.”

Bailey’s concert fee is a case of Starr Hill beer of his choice and any money that finds its way into his open guitar case. He couldn’t be happier.

“It’s delicious beer, but I can’t finish a case in a month,” Bailey laughed. “One of the really nice things about this is that it has given purpose to my playing.

“MD has affected my playing in a lot of ways, but I’ve adjusted. I have a little trouble going up and down the neck of the guitar, so I tend to play more chords toward the bottom of the neck.

“When I started struggling with my full-size guitar, David let me play his parlor guitar, which is smaller. I had never heard of a parlor guitar, but it fit me perfectly, and now that’s what I play.”

One of the songs Bailey performed during his first set was “I’m Your Captain” by Grand Funk Railroad. The lyrics tell about a sea captain lost and adrift and yearning for home.

It’s a song Bailey can likely identify with. In his case it was a thoughtful volunteer whose friendship helped him find an unlikely anchorage where he now realizes a long deferred dream.

“A lot of days go by when the only person David sees during the day is the Meals on Wheels driver,” said Ferrall, who lives in Batesville. “So it’s nice to come here once a month, and I know David looks forward to it.

“I usually just play for my kids, so this is new for me as well. But as you can see it’s very causal. I can’t say enough about Starr Hill and its support of local musicians. This is one case where it has really made a difference in a person’s life.”

Bailey and Ferrall perform from 1 to 3 p.m. on the second Saturday of the month.

Starr Hill Brewery

5931 Three Notched Road

823-5671

visit www. starrhill.com

Tours and tastings are noon to 5 p.m. Saturdays.

Tours start at 1 and 3 p.m., and last about 20 minutes.