Meet the eddie ray band

 My Musical Journey In 2017, a young disabled man named Brandon Rummel needed some extra help in his life. Brandon’s mother searched for the right person–not just a caretaker but preferably someone who was into music as much as Brandon was. Luckily, she found musical impresario Phil Montfort. Brandon loves the Beatles and he had always wanted to be in a band. Being nonverbal, he also wanted to learn to sing so that he could belt out his favorite Beatles’ tunes. Phil and Brandon spent countless music lessons working on all things Beatles–as well as other classic rock songs. About that time, Nathan became Brandon’s new housemate, started taking lessons from Phil and voila–the band had added a darn good drummer. Then Nathan told his friend Ben about the band, and he joined up bringing his bongos, harmonica and percussive skills. And so on, and so on. The band continued to

grow by word of mouth due to a tightly knit group of determined parents helping young men and women with disabilities in the Dripping Springs area. Montfort is the band leader extraordinaire–teacher, player, singer, songwriter, creative genius, and the glue that holds this band together. Without Phil there is no Eddie Ray Band. Phil’s family has also been an integral part of the band with his musically talented kids singing and playing along with the

band since they were little. We are so glad to have them playing on this album since

everyone has pretty much grown up together.

● “I started playing guitar at 12 years old in Levelland, TX and began performing in

bands and teaching music lessons at 17, says the bandleader Phil. After I spent 12 years in Los Angeles playing in clubs, recording, and enjoying west coast life, I came

to Austin in 2012 with my wife and 3 kids. The entire family has performed with The

Eddie Ray Band. My son Frank was the original bass player at the age of 10.”

● “I love playing music with friends, singing, writing songs, reading, waking up my

teenage kids in the summer with drum practice, sunset walks with my girls and my

dog George, and evening TV with a cold beer and a hot wife. I believe love is the

answer to most problems.”

● “I have worked with members of the band to write all the songs with the exception

of the two songs Steve has written and one written by Danny. My favorite original

song is Daydreaming. It features lyrics which came from the mind of my young

son. With Frank’s lyrics, my daughter Chloe’s delicate lead vocals, Paige and Kate’s

beautiful background harmonies along with the Eddie Ray Band singers and Cole’s

ethereal keyboard ideas, the studio recording of this song seemed to capture the feel

of a childhood daydream.”

● “My favorite gig with the Eddie Ray Band was the fundraiser gig at Hudson’s on

Mercer. There’s nothing like being in the groove with 15 ecstatic band members. It

was a magical evening and we experienced true musical community. I was still

buzzing the next day!“

● Brandon Rummel is 31 years old and a founding member of the Eddie Ray Band.

Although Brandon has had many challenges with his health, communication, and

physical needs, that has not stopped him from forging ahead to live his best

life–focused on music (The Beatles above all), friends and family.

● Brandon works on a radio show called "Off the Beatle Path" and quotes, “I love going there

each week and helping the host Rush Evans with the show. On occasion I guest host

the show myself with interviews and music. I also look forward each week to playing in

my band. It has always been my dream to have my own band and now I do. I am

really lucky that I was chosen to work with Teen Cancer America’s Play it Back

program working with young adults who want to express themselves through music.

Each week I work with Kenli Mattus (producer) to write songs. Phil helps me. We have

written several songs through this program and I love it.”

● When Brandon was 8 yrs old he stopped talking in school, and to friends and family.

He had gone into his own world. One day his mom bought the Beatles 1 CD to play

while helping a friend move all weekend. The minute she played the music Brandon

started singing, laughing and interacting. That was the beginning of the love of music!

● Nathan is a true native Texan. He was born and raised in the Texas hill country and

has never wanted to leave. Nate Dog, as the guys call him, loves to BBQ and hanging

with his band friends. Nate Dog also loves his job at the Dripping Springs feed store

and is known for his heavy-lifting and going the extra mile to help everyone. “Nothing

comes before my family, friends and the band –and Mexican food. I also love to drive,

so I’m often hauling around the other band members and equipment in my truck.”

● Nate is also heavily involved in Special Olympics and often gives speeches about his

experiences participating in these competitions and large-scale gatherings.

● Phil has been teaching Nathan drums for about 8 years now. “I really look forward to

band practice each week and love hanging with the guys,” says Nate.” He has also

dabbled with writing music and wrote the band’s original song, Jesus at the Truckstop.

“It is a spiritual song and I am very spiritual in my life. I’d have to say my favorite

original Eddie Ray Band song is Eddie from Waco. It is about having and enjoying

good friends and we named the band after this song.”

• Will Ross was born and raised in Texas. He is the third child, the youngest one and he has a sister and a brother that love him very much.
• “I love going to band practice each week and living in Dripping Springs,” says Will. “I can't wait each week until after practice when many of the band members and I go to Flores to eat Mexican food. I also love to bowl with my friends and to visit with family. Oh, and my girlfriend’s name is Allison.“
• “Nothing comes before family, friends, the band and Mexican food,” says Will. He is known for having an amazing memory for birthdays and he never forgets someone’s birthday, even kids he knew long ago in school.
• Will loves his band members--especially Phil, Steve, and Danny—and he says he never wants to move away from them. “It has given me a purpose and I’m proud.”
• “My favorite gig was the Special Olympics fundraiser in Austin where we met Tim Shriver. Will helped write the original song Eddie from Waco with Phil, Nate, Ben and others. “It is about good friends and making memories.

• Steve is a versatile and talented musician and has been part of our family band for many years. “I’m 71, says Steve. “My wife Jody and I have 2 daughters and 5 grandchildren. In my career I was in real estate development and I am now retired. I enjoy playing music (guitar, mandolin and clarinet) with friends. My hobbies are scuba diving, golf, jogging and reading.“
• “My astrological sign is Libra so I strive for balance in my life and harmony with others. A personal highlight was that I once got to spend the day with John Lee Hooker at his home in Los Gatos, California.”
• “As a product of the musical explosion that was the 60’s I formed a high school rock n roll band with 3 classmates. Now, I feel joyous when I play with the Eddie Ray Band. I wrote 2 songs for this album by the Eddie Ray Band–Get out Front is a song about participation–now! And Passing Through Time – is a song about living in the moment, enjoying what you do and knowing that all is transitory.”
• “My favorite song is Country Fried Funk. I love the gritty blues and R&B. This fits that bill. Recording this record with the Eddie Ray Band’s songs was so satisfying. To hear the musicians all working tightly together and to realize the successful completion of such a long musical journey is fabulous!
• “I love this band and its mission. Hey, we’re all just passing through time and you've gotta get out front to get hit.”

• Danny suffered a traumatic brain injury in 2010 from a wake boarding accident. We call him Dr. Dan because he was previously a licensed physician. After the accident for 10-years he didn’t know who or where he was. Gradually he began to wake up and although Danny deals with short term memory loss he remembered his personality, his music and even all his medical training. Now he thrives playing music both at home and publicly once or twice a week.
• “A brain injury means different things for different people. It does not mean the end of everything,” says Danny.
• “I love music, photography, and writing poetry on my phone,” shares Danny. “I also was an avid unicycle rider from the age of 12, including riding on motorcycle trails and testing the limits of my unicycle riding ability.”
• “After high school I had a desire to play music other than high school band music and I began playing guitar and singing.”
• Dr. Dan is a songwriter as well. He wrote Super Grace and The Road Less Traveled. “The Road Less Traveled expresses how we all have a direction in life, but you don’t know that direction until life occurs. We learn gradually what that means. “
• “My favorite original Eddie Ray Band song is Country Fried Funk. Just the name is enough to choose it as my favorite. “Recording in the studio was really rewarding says Danny “because it was making a permanent record of my experiences and it gave me an opportunity for self-expression.”

• Kim is a professional musician who volunteers her time with the Eddie Ray Band. She is an Austin working musician playing bass for the last 20 years.
• “I love gigging, being in nature, animals, and helping those in need. I have been raising a child for the last 16 years as a single working parent which has been challenging but very rewarding,” says Kim. “Soon my kiddo will be on their own and with that time I would like to play a lot more.
• “Most people don’t know that I used to live in Australia. I started playing bass at the request of my best friend in college. He noticed I always worked in music related industries and was a DJ at my college radio station.”
• “I feel happy and proud when I work with the Eddie Ray Band. It’s a wake-up call that says loud and clear that we all can be happy and we all have gifts. The folks in the band with the disabilities are truly inspiring with their creativity, sense of humor, and confidence. I love the parents of them too, as I have never seen such a devoted group to their children’s current happiness and well-being in the future.”
• “Of course, at the beginning of my involvement I was Dr. Danny’s caregiver, but even after that I have spent considerable time with the band and hope to remain so even though I do not have a child or even a client in the band at this point. I love the relationships formed with this band. It’s not something everyone can relate to; wanting to volunteer in a situation like this–so it’s people with the same values and mindset that make me want to keep it in my life. And the music too.”
• “My favorite original is Sophia. It’s beautiful, simple, mysterious, with a bit of quirky thrown in with the bird calls. I also love Eddie from Waco for completely different reasons as just a fun and catchy Texas-y sing along.

● Brandon Neffendorf, better known as Big B, was born with cerebral palsy. A

hometown boy, he grew up in Dripping Springs, along with his younger brother.

Brandon has loved music from an early age and he especially loves to sing. In middle

and high school he sang in the choir and then he joined the Eddie Ray Band in 2020.

● “I love singing our original song Sophia which was written by a friend. The song makes

me feel better.”

● ‘I love watching sports and watching racecars,” says Brandon. “In fact, I have a

racecar book put together by my mom that I treasure and show to anyone who comes

into my home. I have been to the Texas Motor Speedway and the Pro Football Hall of

Fame in Canton, Ohio. I’ve also been to NASCAR races at the Circuit of Americas and

the Texas Motor Speedway.” His favorite driver is Kyle Busch. His favorite football and

baseball teams are the Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers and Houston Astros.

● Brandon loves to watch the Wheel of Fortune every day at 6:30 p.m. In fact he loves it

so much that his mom and brother took a trip to California to see the set where the

show is filmed. Brandon was very excited to win Homecoming King at the Dripping

Springs High School in 2015.

● What is Brandon’s favorite original Eddie Ray Band song? “I love Family Circle

because I get to sing with all my friends in the band.”

• Sam was born in San Francisco, California, and now lives in Wimberly, Texas.
• “I love all sports, swimming, basketball, flag football, powerlifting and track.  
• I LOVE music, hanging out with my friends and taking private music lessons with Phil, says Sam. “I am working on playing the guitar and on my singing.
• “I am a huge fan of the Wallflowers, the Eagles, Chris Isaak, and closer to home: the Lockhearts.
• “My favorite original Eddie Ray Band song is Country Fried Funk because I like the way the guitar beat sounds from Phil’s guitar. Recording the Eddie Ray Band songs felt awesome! It was a great way to feel like a real band member and it feels fantastic to have so many great friends in the band.”

• “I retired after working for the same company for 44 years,” says Tom. “We immediately moved to the Hill Country and love it here.”
• “I love life and have been blessed. I love music, traveling, and volunteering. I volunteer at several different local charities.”
• “As a kid I played trumpet. I took up the guitar about 5 years ago and am still learning. I can’t sing a lick, but it is awesome enjoying the various band members who do.”
• “My favorite original ERB song is Family Circle. I think it describes the way relationships should be--different branches from the same tree.
• I especially like the Red Arena gigs we have done as my son Jason rides horses there and I volunteer for them.

• Jason was born in the home of the Blues in Memphis, Tennessee--which must be where he got his musical roots. Jason loves being with his friends, and he has a lot of friends in the band. He also loves to dance.
• Jason loves life, family and friends, especially his brother who lives in Colorado.
• While he has always loved music, Jason never played an instrument or sang until the Eddie Ray Band. He loves the opportunity now.
• Jason loves being in the band, and he rocks to the music as he plays his tambourine. He will attempt to sing in his own tone and words when he gets ‘inspired’.
• “Family Circle is my favorite song,” says Jason. “I think it describes the way life should be--we are all from one ‘family tree’ and circle.”
• “Friends are what makes the band so great. All my best friends play in the band.”

• Ben was born in Austin, Texas and graduated from Bowie High School. “What makes me happy is my big family and all my friends–especially Nate Dog and Will,” says Ben. “I also love playing drums, jamming and doing gigs with the Eddie Ray Band. Basically, I am happy when I am doing good things with good people.
• “I also like to draw. I draw Jesus a lot because I love Him. But, I also love to draw horses and write music. Oh, I also LOVE to dance!”
• “I took guitar lessons with Philip Montfort. He’s great! I love that Phil always listened to me and helped me to believe in myself.
• “With his guidance I helped write, Eddie From Waco and Moonlight Horses. I just love playing music, writing music and gigging. When I play in the Eddie Ray Band it makes me feel like a rock star! And going to the studio was so cool! Now, I like to listen to our music with headphones just like I did in the recording studio.”
• “I just loved the Christmas gig at Hudson’s last year! We had a fundraiser where I got to sell lots of my art. We also got to Jam with other artists. People really got to see me and hear me. This band is a part of my family”.

• “I was born at home almost 35 years ago in Austin and have an older sister, 2 nieces, 2 cats and 2 dogs.” 
• “I love basketball, swimming, bowling and eating out.” 
• “Some people don’t know but I am always happy.”

• Born at just 23 weeks, Jon was one of the smallest premature babies to ever survive. During his 8 month stay in hospitals, his parents placed a small radio in his incubator. The music helped Jon survive many painful procedures, but sadly these measures to save his life left him totally blind.
• Jon’s life revolves around sports and music. He has excelled in nearly every sport he’s tried, even winning 1st place in a snow skiing event in Maine.
• “I’ve been singing along with the radio for 35 years or so, says Jon. “Country music is my favorite, though weekends are Hip Hop nights. My music therapist and family have also introduced me to Rock, Blues/Jazz, Classical and Texas Swing.“
• Jon has perfect pitch and an incredible memory that has allowed him to retain hundreds of songs. “Plus, I just love hangin’ and singin’ with these guys.”

• “Before retiring several years ago, I worked in a 35-year career in Advertising and Marketing,” says Paul. “I’m still questioning that decision.”
• “I delight in music, film and literature. Science tells us what we are; the Arts tell us who we are. I am also the 3rd generation of men in my family who write poetry. Beneath my cynical exterior beats a romantic heart.”
• “I have always sung, beginning in the Children’s Church Choir, then in a College Glee Club and Chorale, in various Church Choirs big and small, and on occasion Community Choral Groups.”
• “My son, Jon Eckholm was introduced to the band via his Music Therapist. I came along for the ride.”
• “Sophia is my favorite ERB original song. It combines a young woman’s thoughts and impressions of the world that surrounds her, carried by a beautiful melody.”
• “The Eddie Ray Band is a very welcoming and inclusive group. It is like a warm embrace. I often feel I leave with a little glow.”

• “I joined the ERB when I was in fifth grade,” says Frank. “My dad taught me how to play the bass starting when I was 9. I learned even more in school when I played upright bass in orchestra.”
• “My favorite things to do are hanging out with my friends, playing music with my family and I LOVE the sport of wrestling”, says Frank.
• “I like playing in the Eddie Ray Band because I can tell it brings real joy to the guys. We all just have a fun time making music and my friends in the band are the coolest guys ever!” 
• “Daydreaming is my favorite ERB song because it’s the song I helped write,” says Frank. “My favorite gig with the band was the one at The Special Olympics.”  “I joined the ERB when I was in fifth grade,” says Frank. “My dad taught me how to play the bass starting when I was 9. I learned even more in school when I played upright bass in orchestra.”
• “My favorite things to do are hanging out with my friends, playing music with my family and I LOVE the sport of wrestling”, says Frank.
• “I like playing in the Eddie Ray Band because I can tell it brings real joy to the guys. We all just have a fun time making music and my friends in the band are the coolest guys ever!” 

• Chloe started singing at the same time as she started talking—and she hasn’t stopped yet. “I love singing, drawing, reading and listening to music that matches my mood,” says Chloe. “And my favorite color is orange.”
• As for a little known fact that nobody really knows about her, Chloe shares.  “I love outer space and learning about the Universe. I’m especially fascinated by black holes.”
• “When I was very young my Dad and I would sing together while he played guitar.  And when I play with the Eddie Ray Band, I love how everyone comes together to make music and be happy,” says Chloe.
• “My favorite ERB song is Daydreaming because of the vibe and my family’s history with the song. I’ve been singing Daydreaming since I was in kindergarten.”
• “Recording with the Eddie Ray Band was really cool. It was fun and exciting to record in the studio. I felt like a professional musician and it was fascinating watching the songs come together layer by layer.”

• “I joined the ERB when I was about five,” says Marjorie.
• “My favorite things?” says Marjorie,  “are drawing, sculpting, cooking, eating, and I love being with my family!”
• A little known fact that nobody really knows about her is… “that I’m double jointed in both of my arms.”
• “My pa pa’ inspired me to start playing and singing music. Now, when I play in the Eddie Ray Band, it just feels right. I feel like I can be myself.”
• “During our time in the studio it was fun to watch my friends and family gain confidence as they heard the performance playbacks. I also really liked recording backup vocals.”
• “My favorite gig?” says Marjorie…  “I would have to say the nursing home one because it brought such joy to the residents.”