From Lawrence Pevec:

Subud Rocky Mountain Creatives, Episode 4, Eli Dokson; Singer/Songwriter

I drove to the small mountain town of Crestone in the San Luis Valley of Southern Colorado over Labor Day weekend to interview Eli Dokson for the fourth installment of the Subud Rocky Mountain Region Creatives video project. While there I shadowed Eli as he attended to stable and garden chores including watering the Atalanta gardens and feeding horses, goats and chickens.

Eli’s interest in music and songwriting has developed over sixty years. He grew up in Miami Beach, Florida, played trumpet in his middle school band and discovered the guitar in the early ‘60s.

“I have to say the strongest influence on my early music life was the Beatles. I listened to my parents records of Frank Sinatra and Judy Garland and a we had a little bit of Elvis in the house. My sister introduced me to folk musicians like Bob Dylan, Joan Baez and Simon and Garfunkel in the early days, but when the Beatles hit, that was it for me. That was what set me on the path . . .  I really wanted to learn to play the guitar.”

Eli played the guitar and sang in several bands since Heavenly Days, his first group in Palo Alto. Most were made up wholly or partly with other Subud musicians. He is currently playing with two groups that gig around Southern Colorado. Subud members across the country have heard Eli play solo and with pick-up bands at dozens of national and regional gatherings. In 1983 The Inner Voices made up entirely of Subud members, played the Seventh International congress at Anugraha in England.

Speaking of his love for performing and the joy it brings others:

“So, I kind of feel like it, it’s not just the selfish experience, that it actually not only helps me but helps others and that’s very gratifying to hear and I’m just, you know, if, if that’s due to the latihan and somehow connected, all I know is I’m very grateful to God. “

Lawrence Pevec

October, 2020