There's a song by Boston (It's Been Such a Long Time), one of my favorites actually, that contains a line that rings true for dreamers and those of us with big plans. "I've got to keep on chasin' that dream, or I may never find it."

This completely rings true for a rising star that I went to High School with many years ago. Way back in 5th grade, or thereabouts, my sister got married and shortly thereafter a new girl joined our classroom. This girl happened to be my sisters niece, (on her husband's side). When we found this out, we sort of joked that I was her uncle through marriage as well...(it was funny for 5th grader...guess ya had to be there). Anyway I was there...and I was there the day she stood up in our music class and auditioned for the "select choir" if there can be such a thing in grade school. Needless to say she made it.

The years past and we eventually became just faces in the hall that would acknowledge each other as we passed etc, but we ran in different circles...(actually, I had no circles, but I digress). Anytime our school choir would perform, I'd look forward to hearing her. This girl could sing. I knew that someday she'd be performing for a living.

Somewhere during high school, she sorta fell off the face of the earth, but over the years, I've always tried to find out how things are going. I knew that she had been performing out in Vegas but Googling for her never helped. (I figured its because she got married and changed her name, etc because she was too good to not be known "somewhere."

My sister played me a recording of her singing "Oh Lord Won't You Buy Me a Mercedes Benz" so I knew she was still performing but that was all.

Just recently my sister sent me some good news, Christy Clayton (I've known her by her maiden name, but for privacy sake, I'm not mentioning it here) had just released her first album "Devil's Paradise" and she was sending me one.

I hadn't had the chance to really sit down and listen to it until just the other day, (while coding...but again, I digress). Let me tell you, she's still going strong and this album is damn good. It's hard to classify Christy's music...I'd say its closest to country, but its got more of an edgy bluesy feel to it. And since I'm someone with a broad taste in music, this one album covers alot of that base. If she was going for something different, she found it.

Christy tells me she's chasin' hard after that dream and folks, I believe she's going to catch that dream. So my hat's off to her, she's out there doing what so many of us only dream of doing...(guess that's why they're dreams eh?). Go Christy...you've got a dream to catch.

So we've had a few people come out of my High School follow a musical path:

• Several members of the now defunct "Lollipop Lustkill" (sorry not a big fan, but I did like their song "Everything I"
• Joe & Andy Wilson of Steppin' In It. (I try like hell to catch there show whenever they're in Wisconsin, which isn't nearly enough).