Lost Tambourine
Sometimes friendships are formed when you go out of your way to help the people around you. Through the work I do, I’ve had the opportunity to help people along the way and Heather St. Marie and Mat Dauzat are two such people.
This husband and wife duo travel across the country to perform live music shows for a strong fan following. But don’t let the small town gigs fool you because they’re big time artists.
They call themselves Dauzat St. Marie (pronouced “dō-zaht saynt mah-ree”) they’ve toured as main support for Grammy Award winning heartthrob Rick Springfield’s “Stripped Down” solo acoustic show series and as support Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo, along with other artists such as The Marshall Tucker Band, Lindsay Ell, Schuyler Fisk / Sissy Spacek, and Rick Derringer.
Most recently, they were invited to record in collaboration with Zac Brown, Jason Mraz, KT Tunstall, Keith Goodwin (Good Old War), and other Taylor Guitars sponsored artists on the song “I Know What Love Is,” with all funds raised going to MusicCares to assist musicians struggling during the pandemic. The song has been streamed over 2.5 million times and raised over $12,000 for MusicCares.
I met Heather and Mat in the small town of Natchitoches, Louisiana during the 2014 Natchitoches Jazz and R&B Festival on the banks of Cane River Lake. I was covering the event for the town’s newspaper and had a VIP pass so I was excited to meet some of the artists that traveled to the City of Lights to jam out on the riverbank.
Shortly before it was time for Dauzat St. Marie to take the stage, they noticed a tambourine was missing. This might not have been an issue for a full band, but it was a crucial part of their performance when they focus mainly on strong, harmonizing vocals, letting the lyrics speak for themselves.
I immediately jumped into action and was able to convince another band to loan out their tambourine, as they didn’t have to be on stage until later in the day. The time spent on this side quest led to joining Heather and Mat after the end of the festival for some after hours music at a local restaurant. I’ll leave out some of the details from that night, which involved an unruly patron who was chased out of the bar area…We don’t have to get into the drama.
What really stood out to me was this couple’s performance, grace under pressure, and their authentic, down to earth vibe. Yes, they passed the vibe check!
I’ve been to several of their shows since, following their journey in California and throughout the music industry, rooting them on along the way. It’s the opportunity to see them in person again that’s been so magical for me. When they announce their tour dates in my neck of the woods I pull my calendar out and see if I can manage to drive to the venue, whether it’s an hour South or 4 hours away, one state over. I’ve met a lot of people who do the same. People who have known them longer than me, but everyone agrees that the loyalty of the fans is fed by the humble nature of the artists, who play their music from the depths of their souls.
I call them friends, even if it is more Facebook than IRL, but that’s okay. We can all use good friends in our lives and I count Heather and Mat among mine.
