My Grandfather's Secret Life in Music

Episode 7 – Keeping the Dream AliveAfter several years away, My Grandfather’s Secret Life in Music returns with a deeply personal and experimental episode. Host Jason Morris shares the heartbreaking news of the passing of his beloved grandmother, Denise—whose stories and support helped bring this family history to life.In the midst of that loss, Jason continues his mission to honor his late grandfather Tony’s dream of becoming a successful songwriter. Using new AI tools and modern audio technology, he revisits Tony’s 1975 demo of the song “I Remember In My Heart.” What might it sound like if his grandfather’s music had reached the right singer, the right band, and the right studio decades ago?By combining Tony’s original melody, lyrics, and demo recording with modern technology, Jason creates a full big band crooner-style version inspired by the classic sounds his grandfather loved. The episode also features a restored AI-enhanced version of Tony’s patriotic song “I’m The Soldier,” originally performed by the legendary West Point Band.This episode is about family, legacy, loss, and the power of technology to help unfinished dreams live on.Sometimes dreams don’t disappear—they just wait for the next generation to carry them forward.

This is a bonus clip. Way back in episode 2, I interviewed Steve Van Kirk about the day he recorded my grandfather performing his original song: I REMEMBER IN MY HEART. Steve also mentioned in his interview that he and his friend decided to cover grandpa's song many years later and gave it to him when he was very sick. Steve was told that my grandfather began crying when he first heard the recording because it meant so much to him. Apparently, my grandfather played it over and over again until the day he died.  Luckily, my mother recently found this cover song on an old cassette tape. I wanted to play it for you now. It features Steve Van Kirk on guitar and Dex on vocals. I believe they recorded it in 1992. I hope you enjoy it. It's very special to me, because it was very special to my grandfather.

This is a bonus clip. Way back in our first episode, I interviewed my cousin, Nicky Kerr. Nicky is a talented singer, songwriter and musician. I asked her to record our late grandfather's song I REMEMBER IN MY HEART. She did that in a professional studio and it sounded amazing. You've heard her studio version many times on this show (it's part of our intro and close), but before Nicky went into the studio, she sent me a rough version of our grandfather's song that she recorded using her memo app on her phone. Still, I felt like her "rough recording" was incredibly touching and intimate. I wanted to share this emotionally charged recording with you in this bonus episode.

This is a bonus clip. Way back in episode 3, I interviewed my mother, Pamela, about my grandfather. It was a very touching interview and she was very honest and open about her father’s complex personality. She also told a story about grandpa writing a patriotic song that he wanted the West Point Band to perform. In case you didn’t know, the West Point Band is the U.S. Army's oldest active band and the oldest unit at the United States Military Academy. The band was located in NY, fairly close to my grandfather. My mom found the recording of the song on an old cassette tape. The tape was labeled: I'M THE SOLDIER. This composition shows that my grandfather wrote music for multiple instruments, which shows complexity in his musical skills.

In this episode, I do something different. We take some time to focus on my grandmother. Unlike my grandfather, my grandmother has been a huge part of my life. She's also my connection to my family's history. Unfortunately, her body and mind are starting to fail and it's time to pay tribute to her. I will interview my brother about our grandmother's impact on our lives. We will also talk with my mother about my grandmother's amazing life -- including the time her country was invaded and occupied by the Germans. In addition, my grandmother shares her own thoughts on leaving her country after World War II and coming to America. It's a heartfelt episode that you don't want to miss.