Houston, we have a concert...

Mr. Miner & I trekked over to Houston last weekend so that he could do a gig with Daniel Wheeler & Ben Sims. I enjoyed their set, especially the surprise Britney Spears medley!

















We stopped at a truck stop on the way home to get an apple juice, and as a bonus, found this t-shirt:

You + Me = Russ

Joe & Becky McColley invited us down to San Antonio for a Russ Barenberg house concert. It was more like a mansion concert...I'm pretty sure their kitchen was the size of our whole condo!

Russ was nominated for a Grammy in 2008 for his instrumental "Little Monk".




















I like boys with magic fingers. I also like to say suggestive things.













Carl & Russ got to play together afterwards...turns out Russ is in a band with a fiddle player that Carl grew up with in Oregon!

Go This Alone...

I wrote this chorus back in December after visiting my Mom & Step-Dad, Rick, in Missouri. Rick has some health problems and was laying in bed feeling really ill. I looked in at one point and my Mom was spooning him and telling him everything was going to be ok. It was one of those moments where you don't know if you should feel happy or sad. Maybe just thankful for unconditional love.

After I wrote the chorus, I started in on the verses after reading journal updates for Ty Dahlstrom. Ty is amazing. His family is amazing. What they are going through right now is life-altering, but they stay strong together.



Inspired by two precious boys, Rick Baldwin & Ty Dahlstrom, who are not going this alone.

HOW, HOW CAN I HELP YOU NOW
HOW DO I BREAK YOU
FREE FROM THIS BURDEN
FREE FROM YOUR HURTIN'
I'D DO ANYTHING AND I'M PROMISING

YOU WON'T GO THIS ALONE
NO YOU WON'T BE ON YOUR OWN
I'LL HOLD YOUR WEARY BONES
NO YOU WON'T GO THIS ALONE

SHAME, SHAME ON THIS ARMY OF PAIN
FOR HURTING MY DARLING
WELL NOTHING SHOULD MESS WITH
SOMEONE SO PRECIOUS
IF WE SOLDIER ON WE WILL OVERCOME

THERE WILL BE DAYS WHEN YOU ARE STRONG
BUT EVEN WHEN THE NIGHTS ARE LONG
I'LL BE HERE WITH YOU

Written by Beth Miner, Sweetestday Music Publishing (ASCAP)

Guitar & Feather...

Daniel Wheeler, Me, Joe Smart, and Carl!














Before Carl & Joe's Guitar Workshop:














At the boys' concert with Maddy. We accept credit cards:















Joe & Daniel playing at Ventana Del Soul:














Joe & Carl at a Ventana Del Soul fundraiser:














"I have the power":

Bluegrass/Guitar Fans...

Our friend, Joe Smart, is flying to Austin from Washington to put on a flatpicking concert and workshop with Carl! They both won the Nat'l Flatpicking Championships in the past and have some awesome music planned for you...please join us!

Street Corner Symphony...

We went to a guitar "social" kind of thing tonight at a fancy little music shop here in town called Quincy's. A bunch of Collings Guitar fans from all over the country came to town to have a jam together, and a friend from Oregon came for it so we went to go see him!

I got to sing a song, and afterwards as we were leaving, a man came up to me and asked what my name is. He told me that he was standing in the back of the room, but when I started to sing, he was drawn to the front. He said, "I don't know what you're doing with your life right now, but you need to be doing this". He stood there and encouraged me for about 3 minutes straight!

It's amazing the impact someone can have on you just by offering their support and approval. Sometimes trying to be an artist can feel like you're trying to give a speech on a busy street corner where it seems no one is stopping to listen. I'm not looking for any sympathy here, because I'm so thankful for the people that do lend an ear. It was just really nice for a random person to appreciate my voice. :)

Guitarmageddon...

I'll have more details very soon, but I wanted to let you know that Carl will be doing a flatpicking workshop and concert coming up in a couple of weeks with another former National Flatpicking Champion, Joe Smart!

It will be badass, I assure you.

:)

In my heart there rings a melody...

My monkey & I went to see his favorite guitar player, Tommy Emmanuel, at the Texas Union Ballroom on Sunday!
























The concert was beautiful and inspiring. Even though I'm not a guitar player, I feel like Tommy & Carl both write "soul melodies". And I'm not talkin' 'bout James Brown! More like this:

Great Guitar...

This makes me feel melancholy, but Carl is selling one of his guitars. :( If you know anyone who might be interested, please pass along this info.

My Guitar Hero...

As previously mentioned, my sweetheart won the TX State Guitar Championship last weekend! He brought home a Gibson Advanced Jumbo guitar and a trophy that I can only describe as being straight out of the Hannah Montana collection. I asked him if he stopped by Libby Lu's on the way home...



www.youtube.com/carlminer

Bursting My Buttons...

My darlin' Husby won the Texas State Guitar Championship on Saturday!! I'm so proud. :) I'll post more details soon...