
AS LUCK HAS IT ... The owner of the local music store delayed Marcy so that she could meet Lou. He was late for lessons, and Betsey kept begging Marcy, "Wait, don't go, you gotta meet Lou!" Marcy waited, they met, Lou scratched his number onto a scrap of paper and raced into his lesson.
Marcy spent the next year checking things off of her Bucket List, just having survived a bone marrow transplant for advanced breast cancer. When she got home to find Lou’s number in her backpack, she called him anddthey got together at his house on a damp winter night in the practice garage. The musical connection was warm and wonderful. But the next night there was another spark in the room. Lou went to Marcy’s house and while the music kept emerging, so did their romance. Lou never left, they got married (Lou proposed onstage), moved from Kitty Hawk to Ocracoke and made a music career together.
They toured nationally with Molasses Creek folk group for a long while and played with all of the local bands (especially with Martin Garrish, Ocracoke Rockers and Rayun Ruby.) They teamed up to share music and inspiration for Marcy's cancer advocate speaking appearances in US and Canada.
As house musicians for Soundside Studio, they gained valuable experience sharing their talents on dozens of recording projects. They are still principal players in the Ocrafolk Opry, Ocrafolk Festival, Ocracoke Rockers and Ocracoke Fig Festival.
Their crowning glory on Ocracoke was the Coyote Music Den where they created a 40-seat listening room downstairs, with the lesson and writing rooms upstairs. Their favorite creation is Coyote Plus One. On Tuesday nights, they would play a concert with an invited musician for "well-crafted spontaneity" that was always magic. They plan to bring back the house concerts with videos and live-streams featuring their new musician friends.
Hurricane Dorian (2019) changed everything; flooding their home, rental cottage, both vans and the Coyote Music Den. Six months later Covid came to take the rest of their musical life on Ocracoke. It was a cosmic eviction. They moved to the the Space Coast of central Florida where they have found a loving, generous and talented "tribe" of musicians and songwriters.
Stay tuned.
Marcy and Lou are passionate about how music and words have the power to connect people. Marcy has been writing all of her life but the pro journey began in 1997, when Marcy studied with famed producer Nik Venet, and committed to songwriting and a dream of a book about her family's bakeries. Always a book lover, songwriter, reader, Marcy created MRB Publishing LLC with a vision to create multiple platforms which celebrate the art of storytelling.
Lou was happy to jump on board in 2001. He knows music both intellectually and intuitively, has a music degree from Berkeley School of Music and has endless musical ideas. He especially enjoyed the writing of A BAKER'S DAUGHTER because Marcy baked every day for 2 years.
They are always at work on new publications of music, words and live/artistic videos. Future publications may include Lou's Lessons content.
We have relocated to the "space coast" of Florida!
We will still be all about OUR MUSIC - THE BOOK - CANCER ADVOCACY
Live and streamed performances, videos, and zoom music lessons from our new home area and from our travels and happening!
Follow us here on our website or on our "socials" - be sure to follow/like us so you don't miss a thing. We will post everything on our Facebook and Instagram pages and original material on our YouTube channel.
To Our Ocracoke Community of 20 years, we are writing a love letter to you but right now, believe it or not, we have no words. Leaving was hard. Timing is everything. We are over the moon about our new chapter.
With deep and resounding gratitude,
Marcy & Lou
7755 Merritt Island, FL 32953-6510, United States
Marcy Brenner (252) 256-2081 info@coyotemusic.net Lou Castro (252) 256-0327 lou@coyotemusic.net For National/International Public Speaking Booking: Speak Well Being Barbara Christenson, agent barbara@speakwellbeing.com www.speakwellbeing.com
Photos:
Brenner Family Collection
Ann Ehringhaus
Connie Leinbach
Adrian Legg
Jessie Morrissey
Shane Moore
Daniel Pullen
Peter Vankevich
Carol Woolgar
Linda Brenner
Ginny Foard (illustrations)
Rory Kelleher (house video)
Gary Mitchell (music video)
(forgive me anyone who I don't have listed)