A goal I did not know I had was achieved last night – I had a song dedicated to me during a concert.

Let me start this story from the beginning to show why my eyes watered at the kind words spoken at the Czech Hall in Yukon last night. Over the summer, I have interned with the Yukon Progress, a local newspaper, and in late June I interviewed a world-famous fiddle player named Kyle Dillingham.

To set the stage for last night, let me share a few brief details about the first time I met Kyle. It was in a back table at Primo’s, a local Italian restaurant, at a table with four other people. Everyone – but me – was eating lunch and sharing tales from either their travels or growing up or any other number of things. My job was to learn about Kyle and the fundraising event he was playing at the Czech Hall later in the month.

My allotted time for the interview was 30 minutes, but as more stories flowed around the table that time quickly doubled. Kyle shared about his relations with China and how he has played in over 40 countries. It was evident that Kyle was a storyteller and entertainer at heart, especially as he stood at the end of the interview to serenade the table with short bits from his songs.

Flashforward nine days to the Czech Hall event. My family and boyfriend attended the event with me, mostly because I raved about Kyle’s skills after the interview. I had never heard live fiddle playing before and felt like this was a once in a lifetime opportunity.

To start the show, Kyle rode in on a skateboard, just like he did at the Grade Ole Opry, and started an impressive set of music. His band, Horseshow Road, was also present. The two-and-a-half-hour event was full of different sounds and cultures. Kyle picked up many cultural influences over his travels as he weaved in traditional American fiddle songs, like “The Devil Went Down to Georgia” and “Orange Blossom Special,” with Czech, French, and Russian songs. Towards the end of the set, Kyle even rapped in French, a skill he picked up after living in France for six months.

Original songs from both Kyle and his band were weaved into the set as well. One of those songs – and my favorite of the night – was “Homa.” This is an original song by Kyle, which he said is a love song to his home state. Before the event, Kyle had sent me a copy of the song and I loved it. Which is why my eyes teared up as he dedicated the song to me and thanked me for the article we published in the media. I cannot find the words to express how much his dedication meant to me.

Sometimes it is easy to forget that the articles I write are read – or make an impact on someone. So, to hear and see the impact in person, at an event that is fundraising for a good cause, it was extremely rewarding.

Emily Loughridge is a third-year Communication major at the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma.