Norman Coyer
Singer - Songwriter
and "Builder of Music"
The Back Stories Behind the Songs
With Your Home
The Bus Fair, presented by Bus Life Adventure happened for the first time in Oakridge, Oregon in June of 2019. Created by my friend, Brock Butterfield with help from his friends and family, it was a huge success. It showcased school bus conversions and was attended by about 1,200 people, several Oregon and local musicians and bands and over thirty school bus conversions from all over the country. I was stoked to be asked to play a musical set at the outdoor stage in the middle of Greenwaters Park in the beautiful riverside setting.
There was such an amazing energy to the festival that I was inspired to write a song about it. Not long after the fair Brock showed me a draft of a video being created about the fair. The video producer had used a popular song, which Brock mentioned was probably a copyright infringement. Later that night, when I should have been sleeping, I was awake thinking about it. I finally got to sleep about 4 in the morning, then woke up at daylight with a song in my head. Thank goodness I had the freedom that morning to pick up my guitar and capture the song that was in my head. Sometimes songwriting takes time and work. Not this time. It was already composed, lyrics, music, arrangement, every little detail in my pre-dawn short sleep. I recorded the first draft on my mac, then made a couple of changes before sharing it with Brock that day. He liked it.
The song was not only about the nomadic lifestyle and bus life, it was about a recent huge change in my life. I had recently sold my house, one that I had built and lived in for 22 years near Oakridge. I was then, and still am as I write this, living in a pull behind RV. When my five year old son heard the song, and the line that says "Why not pull your home behind a pick-up truck" He said, "That's what we are doing!"
Fifty Years
Stay tuned for more stories, check back in a few days as I write these.
And when Norman was swinging a hammer... a few creations of wood and stone.
Custom Timber Framed using onsite logs and stone. Environmentally Responsible Materials and Design. Completed in 2008
Natural driftwood and custom carpentry creates a welcoming and beautiful Waldorf themed play space for children.
Completed in 2003, Timber framed covered entry to a private residence built to enhance Madrone trees and native vegetation.
2012 Custom designed addition replaced wasted space and poorly designed deck. Passive solar and natural light throughout.
Major renovation of historical cabin features new floor plan and interior wall remodeling, transforming old doorway into bookcase.
Removing an unattractive roof dormer and old roof framing transforms St Johns Craftsman into a appealing showpiece.
An extensive remodel to this lakefront cabin provided opportunity for a new fireplace with re-use of the historic log mantle.
Passive solar and super energy efficient interior also features low and 0-VOC finishes, super high indoor air quality.
A fallen tree structural repair provided an opportunity to upgrade the fireplace with new log mantle, stone and hearth.