David Haerle – “To Dance on Sands (Ode to Marta Becket)”
Americana Highways brings you this video premiere of David Haerle’s song “To Dance on Sands (Ode to Marta Becket),” set for release on April 18. The song was produced by David Haerle, co-produced by Jose Salazar, with engineering by Jose at Edendale Studio in Los Angeles and additional engineering by Reade Pryor at Rocket Tones and Ken Belcher. It was mastered by Whynot Jansveld.
“To Dance on Sands (Ode to Marta Becket)” is David Haerle on lead vocals, electric and acoustic rhythm guitars; Carson Cohen on bass and backing vocals; Ken Belvher on electric and acoustic guitars and backing vocals; Reade Pryor on drums and percussion; and Jose Salazar on keyboards.
The opening scenes in this video of David Haerle were directed and shot by Michael Pottle. The video uses footage from Amargosa, a film about Marta Becket directed by Todd Robinson. The video was produced by David and edited by Michael Pottle.
In David’s words: “A source of inspiration to me is the late dancer, actor, choreographer and painter Marta Becket. Marta hailed from New York City and was born in 1924. She began taking ballet lessons at age 14, which would lead to professional performances. In 1967, she was touring with her husband presenting a one-woman show when she got a flat tire on a camping trip in Death Valley. While getting their tire repaired in Death Valley Junction (population 10 at the time), Marta spotted a long-abandoned theatre, formerly a community hall for a defunct borax mining company. As she peered into the building through a hole in the door, she said she saw the other half of her life.
“Marta and her husband would take residence in Death Valley Junction and rehabilitate the theatre. She renamed it the Amargosa Opera House after the valley it resided in. Marta began staging shows, sometimes with no one in attendance. She also would go on to paint murals on all the walls of the theatre, putting everything she had into her new building. Reporters from National Geographic happened upon her performing a show to no audience, and, with the help of a story in that publication and another in Life Magazine, Ms. Becket took on a degree of notoriety.
“Marta Becket lived in Death Valley Junction for the rest of her life. She gave her last performance in 2012, and passed away in 2017. Her autobiography is called To Dance On Sands. I had an awareness of Ms. Becket as I am a regular visitor to Death Valley, but it was upon reading her book and learning her story more fully that she became an artistic hero to me. Though her art was dance, choreography and painting and mine music, Ms. Becket represents a pinnacle of artistic courage to me. A true beacon and role model for what it can mean to follow, express and fulfill one’s artistic vision, impulses and ambitions.”
It’s quite something when someone who has already passed on can still inspire others who later learn about their focus and accomplishments. Marta Becket revived a theatre in Death Valley, California (population 10), and this song and its video pay moving homage to that vision and feat. David Haerle climbs a heady ascent to joyous heights in this song as his vocals burst out over the top, and the undeniable honor is bestowed. It’s a celebration of the one thing we all should hope for; that folks will someday say: “the way you lived lives on.”
You can find the music here: https://lnk.to/DanceOnSands
Enjoy our previous coverage here: REVIEW: David Haerle “El Camino Sierra”
