It’s hard to hear much of the story of local singing duo Lake & Moore without reflecting on the unseen hand that has obviously guided them here. Ben Moore, 46, and Todd Lake, 42, who appear regularly at Stone Soup in Landrum, first met in the early ‘90s performing in musical groups at the University of Maine. Yep, Maine. Moore had studied music; Lake, PE and music. Both hoped to become teachers.

But they had lost touch as both started jobs, got married and had children. Moore, his wife and son moved here first, he recalled. His in-laws had identified Western North Carolina as a retirement destination, but when a music teacher job opened at West Marion Elementary in 2005, Moore’s family actually moved here before the in-laws.

 

Lifelong Mainers (or Maine-iacs, Moore quipped), “We fell in love with the climate, the people, the scenery, the school. Someone told me, ‘You’ve been Southern all your life. It just took you a while to get here.’” He added, “We couldn’t walk down the street without neighbors calling out ‘Hey, welcome’ or ‘Hello. Here’s some cornbread I just baked.’ We were blown away at the hospitality.”

 

Lake’s introduction to Western North Carolina came when he and his bride honeymooned at Ridgecrest in Black Mountain. They too responded to the scenery and hospitality. Plus they were all tired of the cold Maine winters.

 

Lake and Moore eventually caught up on Facebook, exchanged stories, and Moore encouraged Lake and his family, which now included a son and daughter, to look into Western North Carolina – most particularly at jobs in public school music and PE that had become available at Marion Elementary. Lake took the music job in 2012.

 

They now live one mile apart, as the crow flies, north of Rutherfordton, so it wasn’t long before the two began strumming and singing together.  They grew up with their parents’ music — Simon and Garfunkel, John Denver, Jim Croce.

“He heard more folk,” Lake said, pointing to Moore. “I got a strong dose of country.”

 

Those influences plus smooth harmonies and strong Christian faith define their music. The duo formed after Moore invited Lake to sing with him at a couple of weddings and funerals in 2013.

“Performing was always in the back of my mind,” Lake said, to which Moore responded, “I just liked making music together.”

 

It wasn’t long before Lake & Moore were being booked at restaurants and wineries throughout the region. The two just released their first CD, “Days to Remember” with 12 original songs.  “We both write songs,” Lake said, “and then work on them together.”

 

Lake & Moore next appear at Stone Soup in Landrum 6-8 pm Saturday, March 21. Additional performances are scheduled there in April and May. For more information, check out www.LakeAndMoore.com.

 

– Submitted by Nell Perry Bovender