Category Archives: Articles

The Post-Newport Earthquake: Watkins Family Hour

Did you feel it? That’s what everybody in Los Angeles asks each other whenever a shake or quake rattles and rolls through the valleys and flatlands. Sometimes there’s just a release of pressure beneath the crust, and other times it’s an up and down jolt that lasts only a second. And then you forget about it. Until the next time.

Sunday night there was a seismic shift. A movement of the tectonic plates. A tilting of the axis. Not in California, but here in Rhode Island.

Just hours after the 55th Newport Folk Festival had ended, several hundred people gathered together and laid witness to a roots music earthquake of significant proportion. A rolling thunder of music that may one day be noted as the moment when the old folk memories of the ’60s stepped aside and a new paradigm emerged.

Bringing their LA-based monthly residency Watkins Family Hour to Newport for an after-festival party, brother-sister duo Sean and Sara Watkins invited some friends to share the stage and create the most unanticipated and joyous musical experience that added three exclamation points to an already stellar weekend at Fort Adams.

WFH

Let’s see if we can get the order right:

Sean and Sara started it out with three songs, and then brought Willie Watson onstage for one together and two on his own, followed by…wait…damn. I’ll never get this right.

Let’s try it like this….here’s who else was performing as a single, duo, trio, or with a group, or in some cases just hanging out at the side, edge or behind whomever was at the mic:

Langhorne Slim

Willie Watson

Chris Funk

Aoife O’Donovan

Hurray For The Riff Raff’s Alynda Lee Segarra

Sam Doores from the Deslondes

John C. Reilly and Tom Brosseau

Milk Carton Kids

Pokey LaFarge

That’s the best that I can come up with for the moment, but there were even more. Pokey’s band, whose names I do not know, sizzled. Horn, clarinet, harp, percussion, guitarist, bass. And there was a piano player who sat in all throughout the night, who pumped the living daylight out of the house upright. Hot guitarists, clawhammer banjo, fiddle, slide, harmonious vocals.

Some musicians brought their own songs or favorite covers. But, running through it all were mostly old time classics pulled out of hats like magical rabbits. At the epicenter of the magic was Sean and Sara. The Watkins kids not only put this party together, they kept it rolling on the fly with enthusiasm and talent, well-learned skill sets, and deep musical knowledge; and a sense of humor, and a welcoming invitation to come on in and join in the fun.

A new Grand Ole Opry for the under-35 beard and flannel set.

I was just thirteen (you might say I was a musical proverbial knee-high) when Dylan came to Newport and shook it up by plugging in his Fender. Like you, I’ve heard this story many times as it was passed down, and it’s become one of the many Newport legends. This festival is just full of ghosts and spooky stories runnin’ around.

The Watkins Family Hour? Seems like I’ve been waiting all my life to see and hear something like this. Pete can rest easy…the kids did more than alright in Newport this year. They stole it back from the ghosts.

The finale…you might hear my voice deep in the background.

Instrumentally Speaking…Woodstock Gets Hungry For Music

In 1992, while he was enrolled at George Washington University, Jeff Campbell had an idea that initially was inspired by a class project. The concept was to bring street musicians and other D.C. music talent together for a concert called Hungry for Music, that would benefit the Coalition Against Homelessness.

These concerts were held in 1992 and 1993, and included a food drive. Two years later, Hungry for Music became a tax-exempt non-profit charity, with the purpose of supporting music education and bringing the positive qualities of music to others through concerts and workshops at schools, church programs, retirement homes, and homeless shelters.

Twenty years later, HFM has evolved into an organization that “supports music education & cultural enrichment by acquiring and distributing quality musical instruments to underserved children with willing instructors and a hunger to play.” Explained best on their website: “We serve children who demonstrate a desire to learn music as well as teachers who have students willing to learn.”

By holding events and benefits, community drives to collect musical instruments, and releasing CD compilations to raise awareness and funds, HFM has been able to donate over 7,000 musical instruments in 41 states and 11 countries.

From what I recall, I think my most successful class project was growing a bean plant in a Dixie cup.

This past Father’s Day weekend, the Bearsville Theater (which might be located in the hamlet of Bearsville, but has a Woodstock address) presented an HFM benefit called A Tribute to Harry Smith’s Anthology of Folk Music, featuring some of the area’s residents. This concert culminated a month-long Hudson Valley music instrument drive sponsored by Radio Woodstock.

MMJH Supporting this great charity by lending their time and talent were John Sebastian, Happy Traum, Jay Ungar and Molly Mason, Steve Katz, Ed Sanders, Mikhail Horowitz and Gilles Malkine, Charlie Knicely, Bill and Livia Vanaver, The Saturday Night Bluegrass Band (with Bill Keith and Eric Weisberg), Professor Louie & the Crowmatix, Women of the World, Michael Eck, and the Rosendale Improvement Association Marching Band and Social Club. There may have been a few more; forgive me if I missed someone.

It would be fruitless for me to even try to explain how magical the music and performances were, but I’ll tell you something…it sure was a night to remember. The old time folk, blues and roots music was presented as an Our Gang-style revue, with each performer doing a couple of songs before turning it over to the next act. Jay, Molly, Sebastian and Traum (above photo) kept popping up to support other musicians as well as doing songs of their own.

In what for me was probably one of the most interesting moments of the night, Ed Sanders spoke eloquently about his friendship with Harry Smith; and told stories about his life and times in the East Village, the bookstore he ran, and recording with the Fugs. (That’s Ed on the right, playing a song about nothing.)

As I was thinking about how I could best talk about the mission of Hungry for Music, and also share the evening’s sparkle and shine, I discovered that photographer Mike Melnyk was in the house and he’s given me permission to share his work. Check out his website for some great galleries of roots music events he’s covered over the years.

There’s a lot of organizations that do great work and ask for our time and money. Hungry for Music does the same, but it also offers musicians and collectors something different. By turning over our unwanted or unused instruments, we can experience and contribute to changing and transforming our big old planet just a tiny bit…one note at a time.

Went to Beacon…Saw a Show…Bought a Banjo

Last time I was in Beacon, N.Y., just an hour or so north of the lower Hudson Valley, was this past January on MLK Day. Pete was going to lead us around the block where the church sits and we were gonna sing the same songs he sang with Dr. King on the Selma-to-Montgomery march. He felt ill in the car as he made his way to where we sat waiting and had to turn back home, so we marched and sang extra loud. Just a week later we lost him.

A few Sundays ago, we drove up the Taconic for dinner and a show at the Towne Crier Cafe, the club Phil Ciganer founded in 1972. It was located first in Beekman, then moved to Pawling for a couple of decades, and last summer relocated to the brand new beautiful space on Beacon’s Main Street. Sitting on the river that Pete loved and worked so hard to clean up with the Clearwater organization, the town appears to be thriving and bustling with activity from art galleries, craft stores, restaurants and, right across the street from the club, we wandered into Jake’s Main Street Music.

Seeing that the lights were on inside, and being hardly ever able to pass by an indie music store without going in, we went through the door and met Jake’s dad David Bernz. I fiddled around a little with the banjos and guitars, and we all played a game of Six Degrees of Pete Seeger. David knew my friends Joe and Clare, and while I didn’t at first notice the award sitting in the case, it turns out that he produced the last four of Pete’s albums — two of which were Grammy winners. He is an amazing musician in his own right, currently playing banjo and recording with the band Work O’ The Weavers.

Listening to him play, hearing some great stories, feeling the spirit of Pete and all the other musicians who’ve travelled up and down the path along the Hudson, put me in the mood to learn the five string. But we were hungry, for food and music, so off to the Towne Crier Cafe we went.

It was a last minute schedule change that brought us up to Beacon. Somebody had cancelled a gig, and were replaced by the Shovel Ready String Band and the almost-local trio Tall County. Both bands played great sets, with the string band opening the night by delivering old time music that was both polished and authentic. They have a new album they’re mixing (which features original music as well) and I’ll be looking forward to it. Tall County is a younger band, who take the old traditional sounds and styles, and apply them to new material. Unlike many of the current favorites, I don’t recall hearing any ‘hey…ho’s’ or 2/2 strumming.

Over the next few days I got the fever and chills. Visited the doctor and was told I had caught banjoitus. No known cure, but I called David, placed an order and picked one up on Father’s Day. Barely able to play the damn thing, but it sure is nice to look at. I feel a whole lot better too.

Here’s a little Shovel Ready for you.

Will The Circle Be (Triple Word Score)

We were looking at an old Scrabble game the other night, one that was handed down through the years. The plain brown box was in pretty good shape, with hardly any rips or tears, and the glue that they used to hold it all together hadn’t come undone. It appeared from the markings to be at least 50 or maybe even 60 years old, and the colorful board was clean and crisp, the tiles and wood holders were spotless. I was told it was well used, but it obviously was also well made. It was a lot of fun for families and friends to play Scrabble together in the dining room or kitchen, but the board game business has likely taken a hit. Like music and video and books, and games and newspapers and magazines, we simply use apps these days. Staring at our little cell phone screens and electronic tablets, we either play against the processor chip or some faceless opponent on the internet.

Last month I went to the library. I still read books made of paper. My last holdout to the digital world. Everything else can reside on my hard drive, but I still like a book. I was there to pick up the latest mystery from Stephen White, the 20th and final novel in a series that takes place in Boulder. As I got ready to check it out (they scan barcodes these days–no more pockets in the front or rubber stamps that notate the due date), my eyes caught sight of an oversized book which I usually don’t ever read. They call them coffee table books. Being hard to hold and all, usually we think of them at Christmastime because they can be a cooler gift to give than a tie or pair of slippers. You leaf through them and look at the pictures. Hardly anyone ever reads them.

Will The Circle Be Unbroken: Country Music In America is different. Published back in 2006 by the Country Music Hall of Fame, our co-founder and former co-Editor Grant Alden wrote the review for No Depression in issue #65, and he liked it. Which, if you know him or have read Grant’s words in the past, is not a low bar to easily jump over. Edited by Paul Kingsbury and Alanna Nash, it is a series of essays and incredible visual representations. Grant noted that it was “written by some of the most respected scholars of country music, several of whom can be credited with creating the field: Bill C. Malone, Charles K. Wolfe, Ronnie Pugh, and Rich Kienzle among them. Other chapters come from comparatively younger pens, including Jon Weisberger and Peter Cooper. (And, yes, all those—save the late Professor Wolfe—have written for ND over the years.)”

While I have studied and read extensively about the history of music in America, I found myself thouroughly enthralled by the chronological details and stories that takes the reader all over the radar from minstrel shows to Tin Pan Alley to the Child and Broadside ballads to the Skillet Lickers and Plow Boys and Patsy Montana and the National Barn Dance and Louisiana Hayride and the Carters and Delmore Brothers and Hank and singin’ cowboys and Buck and Merle and Willie and Waylon and Elvis and Cash and Gram and Earle and Dylan, and on and on and on. A bonus that Grant points out: the modern day “hat acts” and “Garth era” take up barely thirty pages at the end. In addition to the interesting essays, photos, handbills and drawings, there are first person pieces from Mary Chapin Carpenter, Rosanne Cash and many others that really add perspective. The phrase “treasure trove” comes to mind.

The music.

After taking my ol’ sweet time to cradle and read this beauty, I went out to find the music. While I have a ton of audio files and all, what I wanted was to see and watch and experience the performances . Thankfully, we have You Tube. And sadly, we have You Tube. For every great show or clip you can find, there are others so laden with banner ads that it makes them unbearable. And so much is missing. Or never existed in the first place.

But we should be thankful for what we’ve got, and I’d challenge you to surf the search bar and see what you can come up with. The Grand Ole Opry has done a great job is preserving much from the early sixties, and you can watch many films of the era, including the full National Barn Dance release. There’s some great things found from the Johnny Cash Show, and many of the early variety shows from folks like Kate Smith and Tennessee Ernie Ford. I’ll drop in a few that I’ve found for you to check out below.

As the board games of our youth such as Scrabble slip away to the world of apps, the book world will eventually be completely digitized…and obviously its well on it’s way. Bookstores are few and far between these days. (Last time we checked in with Grant, I believe he was running one in Kentucky.) While it might be possible that this book is already out of print, I’ve found a few for sale and you will too if you just look around the interwebs. Better get it while you can.

Hangin’ Out With Jules Shear and Pal Shazar

Last night I greeted musician, artist and my internet friend Pal Shazar the same way I did the first time we met a little over a year ago: with a big hug. As those who read my posts know, and those who don’t will…me and Pal became pen pals since I began writing about her and her husband at the end of the year before last. And she and I share something in common in addition of a fondness for dogs. We both love the music written and sung by her husband Jules Mark Shear.

When the two of them decided to join creative forces and record an album together for the first time, Shear/Shazar, it coincided with my furious search for the ‘hiding in plain sight’ Shear that found me looking far and wide. I tracked him from Woodstock to Ojai, to North Carolina and back to the Empire State…never thinking to look in South America, and if I can be honest it was just a half hearted attempt at best. I do not stalk, but it was driving me a little crazy that here was a man in this day and age without an internet footprint. At the time there was no presence on Facebook, Twitter, a website, an email address, local clippings, tours or gigs. Even his last known label, and he has recorded for what seems like dozens of labels, only had some peripheral information on a static page.

Pal has always been out there though. As half the band Slow Children, an occasional solo foray, and with her beautiful and glorious art…she could be found with very little effort. But I kept myself at bay and just waited. And waited. And waited. When one morning Pal created a Shear/Shazar Facebook Page, I think I was one of the first visitors. And so began the beginning of this small community of fans from around the world who are entranced by the words, music and unique sound that this family has been generously sprinkling into our world once again. And with a vengeance it seems. For in addition to the first duo, there is a second on the way. And in the middle of last year, Jules released another brilliant solo album…Longer To Get To Yesterday…which was his first in five years.

Back when I was still living in California and beginning to make plans for a move to the lower Hudson Valley just north of the Bronx, I shopped on the web for a new Unitarian congregation that my youngest son and I could join. Note that I do not use the word ‘church’…as most ‘congregations’ are called simply that, or possibly a simple generic “fellowship’ or ‘society’. That I refer to our spiritual path as the “Church of Long Haired Women and Bearded Men’, which often gets me called into the minister’s office, we are a liberal and humanist breed of folks and there often is a musical component or connection. Hardly any acoustic musician these days within the roots music community doesn’t miss a chance of performing when they can in a Unitarian building, along with usual suspects of house concert, coffee house, small club and festival date.

And so it was that we found the First Unitarian Society of Westchester in the town of Hastings-On -Hudson. FUSW is the name we call it. (Our past congregation was called PUUF. A separate story could be written about these little alpha-hybrid names.) And the reason we chose this as our Sunday home base, (besides that it’s close to home, has a great minister, strong youth group and a thriving membership), was in large part because of Carter Smith. He produces the amazing long-running Common Ground Community Concert series, which is based in our building and sometimes uses other venues in the area. As one scans the list of artists who have graced this stage(s), it becomes clear that this is one of the pre-emininet stops on the road for great roots music. In January of 2013 I encouraged Pal to email Carter, and fourteen months later, in the early Spring on a quiet night by the river, the Shear/Shazar show came to town.

This could be a review of the night, and maybe it will be. Here’s what I’ve written before about Jules’ last album, and I might as well use it again for the show because it’s the same thing I heard last night, with the addition of Pal’s special presence onstage and in the room: “An acoustic bedrock layered with woodsy tones and touches of tasteful amplification, country twang, almost classical-like strings (note: forget that part…there were no strings other than .12-.53), warm earthy vocals, harmonies that don’t sound like harmonies, lyrics of intelligence and humor, music for grown ups and for those who sometimes wish they were.” Quoting myself does seem redundant. but accurate and on the money. So be it. I’m recycling words to save the world.

I will share that while at The Living Room show in Manhattan, almost a year ago to the day, which was an all Shear/Shazar bill, last night was half duo and half Jules. Performing together, the two are a delight to watch and listen to. Voices blend with ease, and they have a soft and gentle manner, with both pointed and loving banter. It’s clear to see that they amuse each other, and the romance drips from the stage and envelopes the audience. You’d have to have a heart of stone not to be enchanted and encouraged by these two.

With occasional heckling, comments, direction, jokes and clarification from the wife who left the stage and stood in the back of the room, Jules gently guided and took the audience through a generation of words and music that he has been bringing to us from the first 1976 Funky Kings’ album up to Jules and the Polar Bears, the Lauper, Bangles and Moyet hit singles, the duet and cover albums, his short stint with The Band, almost a dozen solo albums and the unrecorded song that sits on the shelf waiting. It was indeed a special night for those of us who witnessed it.

Which now brings me to Andy LaValle. Like myself, an old veteran of the Great Record Distribution Company Wars of days gone by, he has had a similar journey with Jules’ music. The difference being, he’ll be bringing that experience to life in a movie called Chasing Jules that will end with an all-star concert. The premise is this:

“One fan’s journey as he backtracks through a musician’s history to rediscover the art inside the artist that changed his life. Andy LaValle was stunned. While browsing through the internet he discovered that one of his idols was performing in town; a musician that had been virtually forgotten about. A cascade of memories followed and he was transported to a simpler time in his life. A time when the rules weren’t so strict, when his responsibilities weren’t so great. And in the modern age of point and click, he purchased a ticket, “for twenty bucks.” Within the day he received an email from Jules’ wife, Pal Shazar. Pal was curious, “how did Andy know about Jules?” Andy replied, “Jules and the Polar Bears changed my life.” Just like that, his journey of rediscovery began.”

Andy was at the show last night, and he and I and Jules spent a few minutes chatting about the old days. Guys we knew, places we’ve been. Pittsburgh. Florida. Philly. Growing up. Shopping at National Record Mart. Lenny Silver from Buffalo. Jack Tempchin. Frank. Greg. Eric. Rob. The Hooters. Germantown and Hecate’s Circle. I’ll tell you, this is going to be one hell of a film.

Sarah Jarosz Reconceptualizes The House Concert

This is a tale with two moving parts. First, a twenty-two year old young woman becomes so good, so fast…and delivers two sets of impeccable and improbable American roots music last night that it just might be as good as it gets. And for the second part of this story, she performs this magical musical feat at a simple house concert with two old friends from four years of summer music camp. Well, maybe not quite your usual house concert, but by description and definition a house concert nevertheless.

Katonah is officially classified as a hamlet, although the 1,679 residents prefer to call it a village. Located in New York about a good hour (without traffic) north of Manhattan, it’s the residential destination of more than several celebrities, has a private day school where Doonesbury creator Garry Trudeau attended and was once home to Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill W. For such a relatively tiny space of incredibly beautiful countryside, they have three public schools, two private ones, a hardware store, an annual carnival, a parade and a Chili Night, which I suspect has little to do with the weather of late.

Rosen House Of more importance to you and me, is that Katonah is home to Caramoor, the ninety-acre summer home and country estate purchased by Walter and Lucie Rosen in 1928. The rambling stucco home, which at 26,000 square feet is slightly larger than my apartment, took a decade to build and was filled with their vast collection of European and Asian art and furnishings. In 1945, the Rosens bequeathed the Caramoor estate and the contents as a center for music and art, in memory of their son who was killed in the second World War. The next year the Music Room was opened to the public for three summer concerts. Not just a beautiful venue surrounded by priceless art, this room is finely tuned for the most natural acoustical sound that has yet to grace these old ears. And from those intimate concerts that the Rosens shared with their friends when they lived there, it has “evolved into a non-profit foundation to serve the public as a venue for year-round concerts, and as an engaging learning environment for the more than 5,000 local school children who take part in Caramoor’s arts-in-education programs each year”. (From the Caramoor website.)

While some may imagine a program of strictly classical music, you might be surprised to know that they have been presenting an American Roots Music series, with concerts in the exquisitely appointed Music Room, and also outdoor in various settings and locations on the estate. With ninety acres, there’s room to breath and enjoy the landscaped grounds. Artists who have visited, or are planning to, include Emmylou Harris, Richard Thompson, Aoife O’Donovan, Del McCoury, the Stray Birds and Rosanne Cash…the latter will be headlining the annual American Roots Music Festival on June 28th, which is an all-day event.

Bones Last night, which would be March 8th if I get this written and published before midnight, Sarah Jarosz performed to a sellout crowd. Showing poise, personality and professionalism that astound given her young age, she played songs drawn from her three albums and live EP, some favorites from friends and mentors Tim O’Brien and Darrell Scott, two Dylan covers and the Paul McCartney tune “On The Wings of A Nightingale” which was written for the Everly Brothers’ comeback concert in the 1980’s.

Accompanied by cellist Nathaniel “Old Smitty” Smith and Alex Hargreaves on fiddle (or violin…your choice), Sarah alternated between clawhammer banjo and guitar, but stayed mostly with the beautiful sounding octave mandolin. She handled all the lead vocals with a range and projection that reminded me of both Joni Mitchell and Nora Jones, with a sprinkle of Gillian Welch. Her melody lines, especially on songs from the new album Build Me Up From Bones, can be traced back to a bluegrass tradition, but also effortlessly slide back and forth to jazz and classical scales and modalities. (The pic here is from the Grammys this year.)

Born in Austin, she started learning mandolin at age ten, attended and graduated college at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston, and now calls New York her home. As we have come to expect these days at roots music concerts, whether in a home or a hall, the audience was mostly older…they could be her parents or more likely grandparents. I sat near a young couple who were friends of violinist Hargreaves, and they too were thinking the same thoughts as I: how do we fill the seats with younger people? While certain hubs from Portland to Brooklyn offer affordable and attractive options and scenes that cater to a more age-appropriate crowd, other genres such as jazz, classical and blues are also experiencing an audience that is turning grey. It is a challenge we face as the boomers go bust.

Those of you who read my posts know that I usually like to drop in music, and for this one I’ve found something special. Sarah and the guys did an NPR Tiny Desk Concert just a few months ago, and it captures much of what last night’s show offered. So here you go…and make sure you visit her website and continue to support live shows and buy some music. And here is the website for Caramoor too.

Sandra Louise Dyas Storms The Big Apple (ton)

For a visual artist a show at a gallery is the equivalent of a musician grabbing a killer gig at that special venue. Back in January 2014, a friend of mine got her moment, and I chronicled and published the story over at the No Depression site. Thought I’d bring it back home, because it’s a great story about a special person.

January 19, 2014- On my map, Appleton Wisconsin is about a half inch north of Milwaukee, and maybe slightly less than two inches to the right of Minneapolis. My friend Sandy Dyas was worried needlessly last night about driving back home to Iowa City this morning, because there might have been a storm coming in. But I can report that she is home safe and sound. Sipping wine on her couch and resting.

She wrote to me: “After seven hours of driving (not always such great roads…) I am now HOME! and so happy to be here. This is the BEST show I have ever made. It is due to a lot of things, but the gallery really helped me create an interesting and connective space. And i also used three video monitors with pieces i have made – they formed sort of a triangle in the circular room.”

This show she speaks of is as important to a photographer as to what a night at the Whiskey or Bottom Line means to a musician. A chance to show off your best stuff, get recognition and acknowledgment for your hard work from both fans and peers, maybe sell some of the books you’ve published. It comes after she Kickstarter-ed a new book of her work titled “my eyes are not shut” which she published two years ago this week. (Available here.)

Lawrence University, which was founded in 1847, is a small but prestigious institution and uniquely integrates a college of liberal arts and sciences with a nationally recognized conservatory of music, reached out to Sandy with a pretty sweet deal. At the Kohler Gallery inside the Wriston Art Center, her large exhibition opened the other night with a lecture and reception and will be on display to the public through March 16th, 2014.

Those of you who have been reading my articles at No Depression these past five years probably are well aware of Sandy’s story and incredible images. For those who are not, I’ll tell you that Grant Alden would sometimes pluck her work out of the piles he’d receive from artists, managers and record labels, and feature them for stories in the magazine…back in the day. I can tell you she is a major music junkie and being based in Iowa City, she’s tight with everyone in that scene.

Her official bio reads like this: Sandra Louise Dyas is a visual artist and a Lecturer in the Art Department at Cornell College. She received her MFA in Intermedia at the University of Iowa in 1998. Her first book of photographs entitled “Down to the River; Portraits of Iowa Musicians” was published by the University of Iowa Press in June 2007.

About the new book, Sandy says “Drawn to people and environments and especially light, my camera is a way of recording life as I see it. I strive to create a collaborative and authentic portrait of the ever-changing, strange and beautiful world we live in. This book is a collection of people, places and things I want to hold on to and remember.”

She’s put together a short video where she speaks about how she developed a passion for taking pictures, and how she chooses the best of the bunch. And below a little bit we’ll show you the final selection. The voice of Sandy is layered here, so don’t think it isn’t streaming properly. You know…artsy effects.

The young woman is Caroline Louise, and this was shot in Andrew Iowa for the 2013 project “Lost In The Midwest”.

The very best way to share my feeling about the work that Sandy does is to share it with you. In a world where everyone has a great camera built into their phones, where you can edit on Instagram and publish to thousands of eyes on social media in minutes, I imagine that the life of a professional artist is not very different from a musician. You Tube, Spotify, Pandora and the handful of downloading sites still out there make it tough to derive a revenue stream. Sandy is one of the lucky ones who has a ‘day job’ at a college, and is in demand for her incredible portrature abilities.

Take a look at some of her work…I’ve posted some below.

Visit her official site.

Her personal blog.

Buy her books.

And maybe if the spirit moves you, take a trip to Appleton.

The Real Easy Ed

Americana and Roots Music Broadside