A Banjo Player, a Giant Caterpillar and One Very Good Saturday

On a recent sunny Saturday morning, I drove my little golf cart down to the caterpillar to meet with content creator and banjo player, Phoebe Sanders. She and her friends were already there when I arrived and they greeted me enthusiastically.

It’s always fun to meet new people and talk about our mascot, Bruco, the Famous Texas-Italian Caterpillar, but I had no idea just how fun the next few hours were going to be.

A few weeks earlier, I had recieved an email from Phoebe which began:

Hello!

My name is Phoebe Sanders. I’m a banjo player/puppet maker, and lover of cool giant statues. I recently discovered your giant monolithic dome caterpillar and he is AWESOME! I was wondering if it would be possible for my friends and I to come see him, and maybe film a banjo video in front of him on Saturday the 15th? …

I watched one video of her serenading a giant chicken in the rain and fired back immediately that I couldn’t wait to meet her and that she and her friends were welcome to come film at the Research Park. I told her I’d meet them at the caterpillar and show them around.

After exchanging pleastantries that Saturday, Phoebe, her friends and I manuevered a small scaffold into position in the field between the caterpillar and I-35E. After deciding on the best spot, she and her team locked in and got the footage they came for. Phoebe had all the equipment for capturing the sounds of her banjo next to the busy freeway—it gets loud out there. She was prepared and professional.

Subscribe to Phoebe’s YouTube Channel, TikTok and Instagram for more cool stuff by Phoebe.

While outside filming, Phoebe’s friends asked me enthusiastic questions about our smiling caterpillar-shaped Monolithic Dome. We talked about manufacturing Airforms, the Monolithic Dome construction method, what domes are built for and for whom, as well as where they are found around the world (hint: everywhere). Their collective curiosity was contagious, and I was looking forward to seeing their reactions when I opened the caterpillar’s door and showed them inside.

Monolithic Domes, like the TARDIS, are bigger on the inside. Every time a person goes into a dome for the first time, they are amazed at how much bigger they are inside than what they appeared to be from the outside, and this time was no exception.

Watch Phoebe and one of her dancing puppets the artist calls Pebbies!

The group of friends swarmed through the interior of Bruco, asking questions, testing the echoing accoustics, and checking out our industrial sewing machines. Phoebe found the loudest spot at the center of the caterpillar to play a beautiful song written by Steve Martin for the banjo and the team recorded a video.

After spending a couple of hours with the group, we were best friends. I shared with them that I have a daughter with special needs whose favorite song in the world is The Crawdad Song. I asked if Phoebe knew how to play it. She started plucking out the notes and I began singing along. I asked her if she’d mind recording the song for my girl, and she and her friends insisted we record it together. It was more than I felt comfortable doing, but they were so encouraging and their enthusiasm so catching, I agreed.

Later, I gave them an abbreviated tour of my dome home and they asked if we had a place where they could shop for “dome merch.” I took them to our little marketplace and hooked them up with some swag. When they left, Phoebe promised to get me the video they took of us singing so I could share it with my little girl.

A few hours later, I received a link to the video and my daughter practically hugged the TV when I played it for her.

Thank you to Phoebe and friends for the fun Saturday morning and for sharing your fresh perspectives and zest for life with me. Bruco and I are your forever fans. In fact, when I told him I was writing this story today, he asked me to tell you to come back soon!