A graduate of Texas A & M Maritime Academy and a former Texas Game Warden, Lane Gosnay may have what some would consider odd credentials for the founder/operator of a music venue, but her background gives her the tools she needs to be serious about her business. In a world where many in the music business consider the term "music business" an oxymoron, Lane takes the business of music seriously. In just under one year, Lane elevated The Bugle Boy to "the best listening room" in the country according to the many touring musicians that performed there. Now into its sixth musical season, The Bugle Boy is touted as such not only by the performing musicians and the venue's patrons but also by many notables in both press and radio. Lane's passion and seriousness in presenting musicians in an "extreme listening" room environment hails from the palpable connection between the artist and the attentive audience.
A 5th generation Houstonian, David Vogel graduated from U.T Austin in 1971 with a BBA in Marketing. He's been a part-time resident of Fayette County since 1961, and has lived here full-time since 1978. He's worked in construction and real estate, and is now retired, manages "the farm", and serves with a number of organizations as a volunteer officer or board member.
"I grew up with parents who both loved good music, and who had beautiful singing voices. My mother took voice lessons, sang for weddings and other functions, and filled our home with her beautiful soprano, operatic voice. My father had a fine, deep baritone voice, and the two of them often sang duets. I took accordian lessons briefly as a kid, but baseball was of higher priority, and my talent in music developed as a listener, so The Bugle Boy is perfect for me."
Vogel amuses himself with very limited skill on his guitar, which impresses no one except his wife and devoted dogs.
Having been a music lover since childhood, Pat Settle gravitated to the Bugle Boy like a mouse to cheese. A native Houstonian, Pat grew up singing in church choirs, trios, quartets, and later musical theater. She has lived and worked in Fayette County since 1971, first in Flatonia for several years and in La Grange since 1975. She is involved in several non-profit organizations and enjoys working with each of them. Pat has missed very few performances since the opening of the Bugle Boy and has been a volunteer since the beginning.
"I have yearned for the live music scene since moving from Houston in the 1970's. I was, however, able to participate in several theater productions at Backstage, Inc. in Schulenburg. I am actually a 'ham' and love being before an audience. As my daughter always said, 'When Mother was young and the earth was cooling, she thought she was a star!'"
"I firmly believe that we need to support the songwriters and musicians who spend their lives providing us with inspiration and enjoyment. It is an honor to serve on the first board of directors of the Bugle Boy Foundation."
(photo by Kendall Larson)
Having grown up and lived in the big city of Houston, Kirk and wife, Kim, escaped to La Grange in 1990 and bought Covered Bridge Farm. The country life allows them time to smell the roses while continuing to design kitchens, baths and closets across the country.
Kirk's musical interests stem from childhood piano, accordion and clarinet lessons. He participated in high school bands and a mid-life band, The Rock 'N' Roll Retreads, in Houston prior to moving to La Grange. Their son, Ryan, is a musician living Austin and a drummer in the band, Sybil. Cooking, entertaining, farm-scaping and dogs are other interests allowed by the country life-style.
"Achieving the balance of a small, intimate listening room combined with exciting, talented artists and friendly motivated sponsors and audiences is our goal. As a Bugle Boy director, being able to help further this mission is a pleasure and challenge. We are fortunate to have a listening room of this caliber so close to home."
Alicia Butler was destined to enjoy music from the moment her father--a trumpet player in the UT Longhorn Band--set eyes on her mother, who sat across the room in the clarinet section. She picked up her first instrument, the flute, at age 9, and eventually joined a gang of self-taught acoustic guitar players who hung out in the lobby of her dormitory at Rice University. Twenty years later, she still loves to play guitar and sing for her family and friends.
Alicia’s musical background gives her a great appreciation for people with the grit and talent to make music their life’s work. Alicia first set foot in The Bugle Boy three years ago, and still regularly commutes from her home in Austin to enjoy shows. "It's like a church of music," she says. "At The Bugle Boy, there's a connection between the performer and audience that's hard to find in other settings."
A lawyer by profession, Alicia enjoys photography and computer programming and has spent hundreds of volunteer hours designing, programming, and maintaining The Bugle Boy's website and database systems.
Harold Huff was born in Ft Worth and raised in Austin and Houston. Harold and his wife Diane have lived in Cat Spring for the last thirty years. Harold has been everything from a dishwasher to Research Faculty at Texas A&M –Texas Engineering Experiment Station and Prairie View A&M/NASA–Center for Applied Radiation Research. Although Harold’s life has revolved around his Family, Science, Engineering and Craftsmanship he has always believed that Music, Art and Social involvement are crucial to a life of value. Harold has loved live music since attending an Eartha Kitt concert in Fort Worth at only a few weeks of age. Harold believes The Bugle Boy is a critical force in preserving and promoting the fine art of live music in Texas and encourages everyone to partake of the inspiring atmosphere that it offers.
When Connie Strong left the medical field to "retire" four years ago, she never dreamed that her passion for writing would become a second career; but it has, and she is enjoying every minute of it. Connie is a contributing writer for the Independent Music Awards as well as for "Texas LIVE," "Texas Animal Imprints," and "Horseback" magazine. She also pens the "Conversation with the Artist" column for The Bugle Boy and is an award-winning poet and member of The Poetry Society of Texas.
"I have loved music my entire life, but in the past years I've felt like there had to be something 'different' out there--something with more substance. Fortunately, I discovered The Bugle Boy. It's so refreshing to be able to experience meaningful lyrics and incredible talent in a venue that sets the highest standards for a listening-room environment. TBB is a wonderfully intimate setting that fosters mutual respect and appreciation between the artists and the audience. Thankfully, Lane continues to save original music in a unique way, one concert at a time."
Connie and her husband, Lanny, live in Chappell Hill and spend as much time as possible traveling.