Doug Geeting: Story of Michael Hedges' "Because Its There"

I'd like to share this brief story that harp guitar fan and occasional player Doug Geeting recently shared with me. -GM DG: I bought an old 10 sub-bass string Gibson harp guitar some 20 years ago, after seeing Robbie Robertson in the Last Waltz. Soon after, I discovered Michael Hedges, who wrote a harp guitar tune called "Because It's There." That song was written for Naomi Uemura who disappeared on Denali, Mt McKinley in 1982. I was Naomi's pilot and was the last one to see him alive on top of the mountain before he started his descent. Anyway, Michael wrote that for the soundtrack of the movie about Naomi Uemura. I have a cameo appearance in the movie after being asked to do it by Naomi's widow Kimiko. Anyway, I heard that song on a PBS Windam Hill special, and watched Michael come on stage with that Dyer of his. It blew me away totally and I've been hooked ever since. Michael and I were pen pals for a while - I know that sounds funny. Never met him and never got to see him live.
	Doug Geeting is a singer, guitarist, and wilderness pilot in Talkeetna, Alaska. He bought an old Gibson harp guitar, more than 20 years ago, after seeing Robbie Robertson play one in the film “The Last Waltz”. Doug became firmly hooked on harp guitar after seeing Michael Hedges perform on a PBS/Windham Hill program. The Gibson was used for two tracks on Doug’s second CD “The Alaskan Mile”. Another track on that same CD received Alaska Public Radio’s 2001 award for instrumental song of the year. Doug is now working with a Merrill Brothers harp guitar. He is finding it to be good company when the Alaska winter keeps him indoors. -FD (Reprinted from the Players page)

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