State College area musician embarks on U.S. tour with pop musician Kat Edmonson

Local multi-instrumentalist Bob Hart has embarked on a cross-country tour with vintage pop musician Kat Edmonson, who recently released her fifth studio album, “Dreamers Do.” The 40-stop U.S. tour includes performances in Kennett Square and Pittsburgh on March 27 and March 30, respectively.

The idea to record “Dreamers Do” — a collection of two of Edmonson’s originals and nine Disney songs — began with Edmonson’s “Too Late to Dream,” an exploration of how long is appropriate for people to pursue their dreams. After she wrote “Too Late to Dream,” Edmonson began searching for music that would complement her exploration.

“I set out looking for answers in these beautiful old Disney songs that instructed me so early in my childhood,” Edmonson wrote in an email, “that if I followed my dreams, they would come true.”

At her shows, Edmonson hopes to connect to the audience in a way that exemplifies her sense of human connection and unity.

“I want the audience to recognize that the joy and inspiration that we have as performers is the same inspiration within themselves,” she wrote. “Inspiration flows through all of us. If someone comes to the show and they don’t recognize their own inspiration right away, my hope is that somehow they begin to recall what it feels like.”

This is not the first time Hart and Edmonson have worked together.

“Kat and I met a few times in NYC before I moved here,” Hart wrote. “I was playing regularly with friends whom she knew and played with, and when she needed to put together a band for her 2014 tour in support of her ‘The Big Picture’ album, she reached out to me.”

Hart is a consummate musician, playing locally with Raven and the Wren, Pure Cane Sugar, Adi Martinez and many other ensembles as needed. He also maintains a presence in the New York City music scene and has toured off and on for years in various ensembles. In light of his rich experiences, his praise for working with Edmonson is telling.

“I love playing music with Kat,” Hart said. “She always seems to have a clear vision of what she wants to put across, so much so that the music basically plays itself. The music can go seemingly anywhere, and all the other guys in the band can adapt and play something appropriate and meaningful.”

It’s easy to understand why Hart loves playing with Edmonson. In her own words, her approach to performing as both a musician and an actress is steeped in the essence of artistry and flow.

“It’s when you abandon whatever agenda you might be holding and what’s innate in you takes over and IT does the playing for you,” Edmonson wrote. “(It’s) what my record is about! There’s a quiet power in merely having a dream. We inherently know this when we are still and quiet. To allow the space for the dream is the most important thing.”

Hart’s love extends to our area as well, which is a stark change from New York City, but a place Hart is happy to call home.

“When I moved here in 2013, I was fortunate to meet so many musicians who welcomed me,” Hart wrote. “I’ve made friends here (musical and otherwise) that will be friends for the rest of my life. State College has been a great place to start a family, and I can still do what I love most, which is making music.”