Louisa Branscomb‘s 2019 release is a contender in the first round of voting for a Grammy. She is nominated in two catagories, Best Bluegrass Album and Best American Roots Performance. This is a spectacular recording which is currently at the top of the bluegrass and roots music charts. I’m really proud to have one of […]
I met Louisa Branscomb at a festival a few years back, and we’ve been friends and co-writers ever since. I’m so thrilled to have our song “End Of The Line” included on Louisa’s new CD release, “Gonna Love Anyway”. Bluegrass fans will surely know the song, “Steel Rails”, recorded by Alison Krauss in 1990 which […]
From the moment I set foot on Quiet Valley Ranch, I knew I was in for a truly rare and exceptional weekend. At the Kerrville Folk Festival registration building, I was given a special button that said, “Performer”, and among festival goers, the prestige of being a “NEW FOLK ARTIST” was the equivalent of […]
The Kerrville Folk Festival is held at the Quiet Valley Ranch in the beautiful Texas Hill Country and is celebrated by a community who considers itself family, returning year after year since 1972. During the 18-day Festival, as many as 30,000 guests come from all over the world to experience the magic we simply call […]
I feel so fortunate to be a creativity coach and I have the most amazing clients. Recently I had an opportunity to produce an EP for one such client, Jan. Our collaboration has been going on for a few years now, and Jan’s songs are so great we knew the next step was to book […]
I’ve been part of the South East Regional Folk Alliance family for a few years now, and so I’m honored to have been selected for an OFFICIAL SHOWCASE this year. As such, I’ll play a few of my songs for the entire conference on Saturday, May 18th in Chattanooga, TN. I’ll also be performing a […]
Staying Creative I’d like to do morning pages every day, but I’ve never been that disciplined. Object writing is a fabulous practice, and I do this often, but not daily. I love stream-writing, but I have to be in a particular mood. In the Artist’s Estate, (chapter three of our book), Laura and I talk about […]
The third weekend in April 2019, on Saturday the 20th, Seven Bridge Writers’ Collaborative will host its first fundraiser, where Canadian songwriter and musician, Nancy Beaudette will perform in the evening after facilitating a workshop in songwriting during the day. SBWC’s Paula Castner spoke with Nancy to talk about her experiences in music and about […]
March 2nd, 2019 – 12 pm to 4 pmShirley Center Town Hall – 4 Parker Road, Shirley, MACost: $30. Handmade paper is a great example of recycling at work. Besides being eco-friendly, it’s fun to make, and a fabulous way to explore your creativity. Flower petals, jute, wool, grass, and many other things, can be […]
A few years ago I invited a small group of women to my home to play with some of my art supplies. I love to teach, and I wanted to share some of the techniques I learned in college way back when. We created handmade paper and we bound books. We tried block printing and […]