WCMA's in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan

Well, here we are at the Temple Gardens in Moose Jaw for the 2007 Western Canadian Music Awards. It's been a steady going day to get this far, but it's nice to have arrived. Looking forward to connecting with some of the folks that we had the pleasure of meeting last year...and hopefully meet a few new folks.
Tomorrow we're planning to take in the seminars and session, then hopefully in the evening we'll venture over to listen to Kat Danser. We got the opportunity to meet Kat last year in Winnipeg (I believe she's out of Edmonton) and we had the chance to exchange CDs. Loved her tunes! This year she's been nominated for Blues album of the year, so way to go Kat!
We're still reeling from another awesome Home Routes house concert last night. We were honored to have the chance to host Chuck Suchy from North Dakota. He gave us all one unforgettable evening of entertainment! One of the greatest parts of the night was watching my Dad enjoy his songs about farming, life in the country, and the ordinary experiences that we all are sustained by. Thankyou Chuck!
Better hit the hay so tomorrow we can accomplish what we hope to!
Later,
Lynda
http://www.musicwriter.ca/

Children's Wish foundation 'Walk for Wishes'

It's my last night here in Toronto. The conference is over, and I'm antsy to be heading home...I'm such a homebody, and it's time to sleep in my own bed. I love my little world, and I miss it!
The CWF Walk for Wishes is coming up this Saturday. I've been happy to have had the opportunity to support the Wish Foundation on several occasions over the past couple of years, and will once again be playing at this years event. I'm really looking forward to this year's event, because it's given me a chance to reunite musically with Keith Haddad for this year's performance. Many people will remember Keith from his years playing with "Double Eagle", but for myself Keith is a longtime friend who was instrumental in both my learning to play the guitar (although I don't know how much he'd like to burden the blame for that, as even after all these years I'm a pretty limited guitar player) , but also in encouraging me always to continue with my writing. It's likely been a dozen years since we've had the opportunity to play together, but in practice, it all just came together as naturally as ever, and man, his picking skills make me sound so much better! It's been a great reminder of how wonderful it is to have gifted people in your life who are willing to share their gifts and talents to support you to pursue you're own passions. I'm looking forward to playing on the weekend, and who knows, maybe more opportunities will present themselves.
We're also going to be busy this week getting ready for the next Home Routes House Concert, which will be taking place next Thursday, October 18th. This month we'll be hosting Chuck Suchy, who I've heard nothing but good things about! We're really looking forward to the evening, and I think our first guests, John and Michelle Law, were such great ambassadors for the project, that everyone on the circuit is fired up for what's to come.
Better run. I'm off bed, because after the flight home, I'm off to school and exams! What a crazy, diverse life I have the pleasure of leading!!
Till next time
Lynda
www.musicwriter.ca

Home Routes with "The Laws"

Well, we had the privilege of hosting our first ever "Home Routes" concert on Wednesday night, and what a night it was! We were so honored to be able to spend the day with John and Michelle Law, prior to the evening's show! They are an amazing couple who, although Canadian, now reside in Nashville, where they are becoming very successful songwriters. They are an incredible, down to earth couple, who couldn't have made a hosts job easier.

The evening concert crowd was smaller than we would have liked to have seen for them, however, they understand everybody's commitments and obligations at this time of year, and recognize that although the audience was small, they made some lifelong fans from the group. I haven't heard an end to the compliments from folks around their performance and there wonderful interactions with everyone involved that evening. They have beautiful harmonies, wonderful songwriting skills, and incredible musicianship (if that's a word!). Our only hope after this weeks excitement, is that somewhere down the road we have the oppportunity to have our paths cross again! With that, I also need to say thankyou to the friends and neighbors that came out to make the evening all it was!

It's an amazing fall day here. The colors are at their most brilliant, and the day is so warm and fresh. It's also the day of the Lavenham Fall Supper, a tradition that thankfully continues, as it's always such a great gathering of neighbors! Its' great to have a day at home to putter....there's not a lot of those days right now. Don't know if I mentioned, but on top of everything I decided to go back to college this year....I'm 4 weeks into it now, and kinda wondering what the heck I was thinking. I love being in a position of learning again, and I love what I am learning and the folks I'm meeting, but boy it sure does add a new dimension to an already busy life. Guess I forgot that this was going to be my year to focus on music....thank goodness I live in next year country.

Better run. Shan and I have to get ready to head over to the feast at the hall. Till next time!

Lynda

http://www.musicwriter.ca/

Home Routes House concerts

Well, we're back to the real world, but it was one heck of a weekend in Regina! There were so many highlights for me, and so many great memories made as well as new friendships formed. Moments that stick out most for me were the opportunity to have a conversation with Valdy again (we had met 6 years ago at Winnipeg's Huron Carol) and he was just a gracious now as then. He was even sweet enough to ask me to autograph my cd for him! What a guy!
Another highlight was having the opportunity to chat with Sean Smith of the Poverty Plainsman about who the real heroes of the weekend were, and certainly he was one for me.
I also got to share conversations with some of the masters of the songwriting world...what gifts they give us all by sharing their craft. I can't say enough good about the weekend, the people or the job that Regina did in presenting the week.

Now we're home we're excitedly gearing up for our first Home Routes Concert. Home Routes is a new concept that is taking place across Western Canada in supporting travelling roots based artists by giving them an opportunity to put on a house concert in your home as they make their way across the country. For more information check out http://homeroutes.ca/ .We've started to familiarize ourselves with the artists we will be hosting and what wonderful talent we'll be experiencing! I can't wait! Next week is our first concert which will feature the husband and wife team, The Laws. I'll let you know when it's over!

On another front, I'm back in college, so that's been a new experience for me! Who'd have thought at this stage of m life, but it's been awesome. It takes a little juggling to put things mildly, but it's all going to be worth it I'm sure. It just adds one more dimension to an already full life!
Later,
Lynda
http://www.musicwriter.ca/

Canadian Country Music Week in Regina

Here we are at day 2 of CCMA celebrations in Regina. It's been wonderful so far. Had a chance to reconnect briefly with Steve Fox, after having met him and Jan in Nashville last year, so that was nice. Also got to meet Donny Parenteau, who is a nicer than nice guy, and heard him perform a new song dedicated to his late Father that is going to be his next release.
This afternoon I attended a songwriter's session that was awesome, and toured around the room with a group that included Gary Fjellgaard. It's so amazing to be so close to people who you've admired for years and years for their craft!
Cecil I appear to have lost at the moment....I stayed for the industry awards, and he had a chance to head to Fan Fest with a really nice couple we met from here in Saskatchewan...so I hope he doesn't get lost on me, because I just don't have time to go and find him!!
Better run ...just seemed important to do an update at this point. The adrenalin is high as are the spirits, so gotta go with it.
We're seeing so many big names in the country music industry everywhere we go, and there are so many nice people. It seems so easy to connect and strike up conversations and friendships when you have the love of music in common.
Well, will post more later....till then...
Lynda
www.musicwriter.ca

The view from here....

Jann Arden's Journal....

Today was one of those unique days where most of the 'have to do' list had been tended to, and the 'wanna do' list had a chance to get looked at. Gosh, there are just not enough of those days I'm afraid!!! Anyhow, I had the chance today to spend a little time catching up on what Jann Arden has been doing lately though her journal on her website, and I have to tell you, it turned into one of those days where you end up thanking God for unanswered prayers...I love her, more like I idolize her..but I don't think I could ever have kept up with her life. By the time I'd finished reading the last several posts that Jann had made, I had a knot in my stomach the size of a fist, and so I can only imagine what the knot in hers must feel like.  She is so strong to deal with all she does.

The road I've travelled has contained a lot of twists and turns, and all those detours have lead me to where I am today. So no, I'm not touring the country, opening for any big name acts. And no, I'm not wooing audiences throughout North America, sleeping in a different hotel, in a different town everynight...but you know...that's just fine, because my heart tells me I am where I'm meant to be..as different as this life is from the dreams of a young girl with a song in her heart!

At the end of my kinda boring, quiet day today, I spent some time filling up my bird feeders and watering the flowers on the deck. While doing that I sang "Won't say goodbye" at the top of my lungs to my dogs and the wild cats that would listen. I realized that that song, written to sing at the funeral of a family friend who passed away a couple of weeks ago (Olive Tunski), will not touch the hearts of millions of faceless, adoring fans around the world. But it deeply touched the hearts of a few dear friends who needed to hear their pain expressed in words that meant something to them, and with that it did exactly what it was meant to do.

After I got things settled for Shane, I took my daily walk, albeit later than usual. I headed up to the escarpment, and stood, drinking in the beauty of that wonderful place for moment. As it was my stage, I had 3/4s of a harvest moon shining in a hazy cloud to my left, and the most amazing sunset (the mixture of tangerine, violet, fusia and pinks cannot be adequately described I'm afraid) illuminated the sky to my right. The stage that I get to perform on cannot be topped, I don't care who's doing the lighting! It's days like this that remind me not to even venture into the land of what might have been, or what I'm not experiencing, but rather to immerse myself in the beauty of the life that is, and I realize that I do have it all, right here, right now....I truly am one of the lucky ones, and it's nice to have a chance to slow down enough to know that!
Take care you all!
Later,
Lynda
www.musicwriter.ca