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Dawn Davis has captured the essence of the lofty, cool, quiet majesty of the Rocky Mountains and the hardness and sacrifice of the Old West in her collection of piano solos called "What I see From Here, Images of the West Portrayed in Music".
In her words:
The music, written by the traditional method of pencil and manuscript paper: erase, crumple, or keep, has evolved over the span of fourteen years. As a personal journey, it has been influenced by the life that my husband and I have made in Western Wyoming, by the challenges and rewards we have experienced through our work with horses, and by our concern for the environment.
You may hear it echo the tune of an old-time piano which once enlivened a now-deserted dancehall or accompany the wingbeats and footfalls of migrating geese and elk. It runs the pattern of a reining horse as he performs intricate maneuvers in complete harmony with his rider, and it rolls in the ruts left by passage over an unforgiving mountain range into an abundant valley. It visits one of the several graves lying along the Lander Cutoff of the Oregon Trail, in particular that of a young woman who died in childbirth.  It acknowledges the legacy of a beloved Irish grandfather, whose employment with the railroad took him to Wyoming, and recognizes that "cowboy music", as we know it today, has strong roots in Celtic song and dance. It tells of a legend claiming that wild herds of horses established themselves froma few animals lost in a snowstorm by exploring Conquistadores, to then be redomesticated and embraced by Native Americans. It holds precious the moment that a troubled horse begins to trust a human. It peers through the glass of a museum case and considers how a moth-eaten buffalo skin could represent the near-annihilation of a species and a civilization. It is not only an expression of what I see from here, but what I imagine I could have seen hundreds and even thousands of years ago. It pleads to be seen in a way that would insure the sanctity and preservation of what remains.
We at Star Valey Artisans are pleased to offer you this stirring yet healing CD on our web site. We have a taste of her music - her favorite on the CD - "Migrations by Moonlight", in WAV format (700K file), MP3 format (3.7MB file), and WMA (3.8MB file), for you to enjoy. Please purchase this CD and take yourself back in time...
Migrations by Moonlight (WAV) Migrations by Moonlight (MP3) Migrations by Moonlight (WMA)
Other songs on the CD are as follows: High Ridge Rain, Hawk's View, Star Trails, Legends, Sun on Ice, Cowtown Waltz, The Reiner, Salt River Shade, Bridge to McGrews/Jig of the Quakies, Canyon Colors, Gentling the Mare, The Price of a Buffalo Robe, Wagon Tracks, Epitaph, and Birth of the Tetons.
One of the pieces on Dawn's CD was recently featured in the opening scene of a film documentary by J&S Productions, as part of their Vaquero Series about the history of the Vaquero and the people who live the life today. The film entitled Houlihan, as well as others in the series, may be purchased at http://www.tapadero.com.
Dawn Davis originally hails from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Georgia, but has lived the last 10 years on a beautiful ranch in Star Valley, Wyoming. She and her husband Gary also run Davis Horse Handling where they train both horses and their owners in the fine art of horse handling. Their motto is "Teaching People / Helping Horses". They can be contacted through Star Valley Artisans by E-mailing us or fill out our on-line form, or directly at DawnDavisWY@gmail.com. Pictures by Robert Forsyth, Gary Davis, and Dawn Davis.
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