As printed in October 2, 2003 The Town Charter

written by Joyce Harmon

At the upcoming Peanut Festival on Saturday, October 4th, a local songwriter will be the focus of one of the fundraisers presented. The United Methodist Church will be selling CD's, featuring songs written by Patty Brockett. The financial backing for this production was furnished by Shari Trusty and Joyce Harmon. The music was produced in the sound studio of Scott Moodyin Van Alstyne, Texas. Scott performed the vocals and music. He was assisted by L.Z. Harmon, Jr. on the banjo, and Milo Derring, along with other talented friends and performers. Patty said, "The title of a book by Hilary Clinton, "It Takes a Village to Raise A Child,' can be applied to my life, changing it slightly to "It takes a church to make a gospel CD." She goes on, "Each Sunday, the small but growing Methodist Church opens its doors to the community and its arms to me as I play new (to me) hymns and recall old ones, mixing them together in my own sort of unique style. It is this pattern of weekly inspirations from this church family that gives me the needed confidence to share the songs that are in my mind and in my heart. I have the security of knowing each member will give me support, kindness, and guidance. They sometimes change a word, the tempo, or just show their enjoyment and approval." Patty explains, " I believe that God changed situations and events in my life to allow me to write these songs. Each song on the CD was planted in my mind, developed, and finished in a time frame of 30 minutes to two hours. I believe that God sent each song for a purpose: each song contains a blessing, perhaps for one, perhaps for many."

" I could not have done this without my family and my friends. They were compelled to listen frequently to my words and my improvised musical accompaniments, as I tried to mimic drums, guitars, and other instruments to get my melody and words across. Sometimes, it was in the middle of the night,sometimes in a locked car, or wherever I could corner them." She gives special credit to Betty and her cafe employees, who graciously take time from their work to sell these CD's to their customers. Patty describes her first experience with the Methodist Church and what it meant to her: "I first visited the church with my mother. Our family has been involved with the Methodist Church for years. My great_great grandmother, Granny Booe and Uncle Roy Booe sang specials many years ago on Sunday mornings. I had never been to the church, and I did not realize what was ahead for me. There was a special feeling in that church that came across directly to me. The spirit of love, the presence of angels, the peace, and the feeling of being cared for came to me from the building itself. The minister, the small crowd, the individuals who made me welcome gave me a feeling that I was where I had always belonged."

One CD is on the market, and plans for others are on the drawing board. Patty says, "The songs are still coming. They come at odd hours of the day or night, often inspired by Sunday morning events. Hours later, certain words, a scripture, a rhythm pattern, or an image comes to my mind, and a new song is born. It gives a special purpose to my life, to play the music while others sing the words to hymns that fuse our lives together in a love for our people, our nation, and our God. The CD, "Songs By Patty Brockett" will be sold at the Methodist Booth at

the Peanut Festival. During the festival, a new song, " 'Cause Jesus Says So," will be sung by the Methodist Choir, featuring Shelley Torres West.