| Greetings, friends and fellow music lovers, happy 2013!
What an exciting time it is…I love the clean slate that comes with a new year, so full of possibility! 2012 was full of highs and lows, and I think many of us were feeling like we could use a do-over. So I’m ready to fully embracing this new beginning! Here’s what’s happening in this month’s newsletter…
1. Call to Action
2. Gratitude and The News
3. Jan shows in Oakridge, OR and the DC area
4. The Future
1. CALL TO ACTION…I’m thrilled that I’ll get to play some shows with the great Dave Stoddard in March in MN & WI. Dave is one of the most musically gifted, funniest humans I have ever met, and we were both Kerrville New Folk winners in the same year. We are looking for a house concert in Duluth, MN or Rochester, MN on on Thurs, March 14, or anywhere within a 3 hour radius. Any adventurous souls out there in the great white north? Also, we have Sun, March 10 & Mon, March 11 open near Fargo, ND. Lemme know if you are interested in hosting! Otherwise we’ll just have to rent “Fargo” and have a Coen Brothers movie marathon.
Secondly, I could use some input y’all. I talked recently with the creative guys from Winogradsky/Sobel, the company that is pitching my songs to TV/Film. They asked me what current TV shows do I think my music would fit on? The problem is that I don’t really watch TV, except for cooking shows (Top Chef, yea!!). Are there any TV shows out right now that YOU think my music would be a good fit for? Help me out, I’m TV ignorant! 🙂 I’d love to hear your thoughts…bethwoodmusic [AT] hotmail.com
2. GRATITUDE AND THE NEWS…I have so much to be grateful for! Thank you to everyone who reads my musings, comes to live shows, shouts “woohoo” and spreads the word to friends. And thanks to the following for a great December…Uncle Calvin’s Coffeehouse and crew, Brazos Valley House Concert team, the White River Cabin girls, Mountain Home UU, Matt Hiland and crew at Open Ears Concerts, Jenny & Kerry & Maizey, Clint & Alan at Rear Window Listening Room, Dreamdog, Willie M & Michael KD,Tsunami Books, and the Caldera Songwriters Group. Special thanks to these fine musicians who inspired me so much and made it so much fun…Dirje & John Smith, Jenny Reynolds, RJ Cowdery, Kim Richardson, and Louise Mosrie!
A highlight for me in December was the gathering of kindred spirits in a cabin on the White River in Arkansas. Thanks to Kim Richardson and her masterful planning skills, I got to spend three wonderful days with Kim, RJ Cowdery, and Louise Mosrie. There was much cooking and eating, talking and drinking, singing and songwriting, all in a beautiful setting next to a river. We had to look no further than the back yard to be inspired by Bald Eagles, kingfishers, pileated woodpeckers, and old growth trees. Next year I’m bringing my fly rod! The Mountain Home UU Fellowship graciously hosted a concert for us again, and we hope to play and sing more together! There was even talk of recording so we’ll see… I hold these artists in the highest regard and it is so good for my spirit to commune with them. Here’s a video of a song we learned…
Another wonderful moment was the Caldera Songwriters Group concert and fundraiser for the Egan Warming Center here in Eugene! We had standing-room-only at Tsunami Books, stellar performances by 13 talented songwriters, and an extremely appreciative and generous audience! We were thrilled to raise $820 and two car-loads of warm things for the Egan Warming Center, and we’re intending to make this a yearly tradition. WOOHOO indeed!!
The mastering is done on my song “Whiskey”!! I worked on this with local phenom Tyler Fortier producing and local guitar hero Peter Perdichizzi. I’m so excited for you to hear it… I have put it up on my website here so you can take a listen. I’d love to know what you think! It harkens me back to my Atlanta days when I was writing for a band. Fun stuff! Next week,Tyler and Peter and I will begin working on another new song, “Broken Elevator Heart”. Who knows if and how these would all form into an album project, but I am having a great time working with these guys, and it is giving me much good energy.
Other awesome news….FINALLY, in the It’s-About-Time category, I am beginning a radio campaign for “The Weather Inside”! I am thrilled to be working with Hudson Harding Music, a radio promotion company founded by my friend and fellow Kerrville New Folk winner Erik Balkey! Starting at the end of January, Erik will be mailing out 250 CDs to folk and americana radio DJ’s. Erik has great relationships with these folks as he is an artist himself. As soon as I have it, I will make available to you the list of those stations and DJs so we can start calling and requesting my songs! At the end of January, I will also begin mailing out CDs to press for possible reviews. Lemme know if you have any suggestions or connections to magazines, blogs, newspapers that you think would be receptive to my work.
Part of the challenge of 2012 for me was all the waiting. The original plan for “The Weather Inside” didn’t come together, and there was lots of waiting associated with that. But the wait is over, I’m, back in the driver’s seat, and it’s time to give this album the push it deserves! (See below in “The Future” section for more about my New Years Resolution)…
Some fun pics…
Thanks Ira for the great shots of the Uncle Calvin’s show! Loved playing with Dirje and John…
I love this pic of Dirje… pure joy!
Check out the shirt Kim Richardson got for me!! She found it in a running store in Memphis…
Louise Mosrie’s cooking is half the reason we like going to the retreat…
This is a whiskey drink we invented. It’s called Bald Eagle’s Tears.
A snowy day in Eugene will not deter Marble!!
I love Tsunami Books in Eugene. This is a category of books there. New zombies are totally overrated.
I got to sing Willie McEachern’s song “Kickin’ In the Wet Snow” with Dreamdog at the Eugene Saturday Market! A lady on the dance floor got super excited because she thought she saw James Belushi dancing. It wasn’t him, but he gave her an autograph anyway.
This is the boatload of warm things we collected at the Caldera Songwriters Group concert/benefit for the Egan Warming Center!
3. JANUARY SHOWS…Life is so uncertain. Please call ahead.
Sat, Jan 19 – Brewer’s Union Public House – Oakridge, OR. 48329 E. 1st St. The Brewers Union Local 180 is a blend of the best of the British Public House, the American spirit of adventure, and the natural scenic beauty of Oregon’s Cascade Mountains. Situated in the center of Oakridge, which along with it’s neighboring city of Westfir are the only cities in Oregon completely surrounded by National Forest, you will find a throwback to when the community gathered regularly to share news, when beer was brewed in the back of the pub and pulled from the cellar out of a cask, and when the weary traveler found a cozy nook and a good meal. I’m so thrilled to be playing a living room concert in Oakridge’s favorite living room! 7 pm.
Tue, Jan 22 – Focus Concerts – Rockville, MD. 100 Welsh Park Drive, at the UU Congregation of Rockville. 301-275-7459. The mission of Focus is to bring folk and acoustic music to a growing audience through performance, education and participation in the musical folk arts. Focus concerts are open to all ages and are currently presented in intimate and comfortable spaces in order to foster a link between the musicians and the audience. Hosted by David Spitzer. Tickets $15 in advance (and for members) or $18 at the door. With Jesse Terry! 8 pm.
Sat, Jan 26 – Stone Room Concerts – Falls Church, VA. Stone Room House Concerts support independent, nationally and regionally known musicians and bring their music to our friends and acquaintances in an intimate setting. $20 suggested donation. For info, please visit www.stoneroomconcerts.com. 8 pm.
4. THE FUTURE…Well, I’ll go ahead and say it. One of my new years resolutions is to be my own hero. I hope to continue learning and growing, and that’s not always fun or easy. I’ve learned in the last year that there is no white horse. You have to be your own hero!! Being in the music business is not only about creativity on the music side, but it’s also about creating opportunities and experienes for yourself. Here’s my little new years poem…
No White Horse
There is, most likely,
no white horse
but on the thimble’s off chance
that there is, he’s
wild as the day he was born,
standing in the distance on top of
the heathered hill, closer
to sky, stamping and snorting
with a crazed look in his eye, just
daring you to not just stand there,
do something.
Thank you for reading and for reamining a vital part of my musical journey. As always, I always love hearing from ya. I’m grateful for you and wishing you a fabulous 2013!! Your fan,
BW
BethWoodMusic, PO Box 864, Eugene, OR, 97440
lemme hear from ya:bethwoodmusic [AT] hotmail.com
BW World Headquarters: www.bethwoodmusic.com
Check me out on Facebook, I go there sometimes.
Here I am on Myspace, I go there less but you know how it is.
I barely know how to use it, but here I am on Twitter
BOOKING:
Renee Gebhardt
Mountain Time Booking
406-587-9318 (Mountain Time)
mtntimerenee [AT] msn.com
point to ponder…and the new colors in my office
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