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News
April 2008 |
In This Issue:
- Go Short, Win Big with Claire!
- Festival Season Begins
- MerleFest
- Gigs
- I've Been Out of This World
- Charts
Well, hello folks! The big news this month is my contest: "Write your life in six words!" So be sure and read on.
~Claire
Go Short, Win Big with Claire!
Sometimes the best things do come in small packages, as my spring creative writing contest aims to prove. It's deceptively simple: Write your life in six words! If I pick your six-word biography as the best, you'll win a choice morsel of a prize: an iPod Shuffle, pre-loaded with all six of my Rounder releases.
As a songwriter, I'm convinced that we all have stories worth telling. Last year, I encouraged you all to write a "bluegrass haiku", distilling creativity into just 17 syllables. This year, I've been inspired by an even smaller framework: SMITH Magazine's call for people to write their lives in just six words. SMITH published almost 1,000 of the resulting six-word bios in Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure (check it out here: www.smithmag.net/sixwords).
Inspired to give it a go?
Here are the rules:
- No more than two entries per person
- Submit your six-word bio to clairelynchband@gmail.com
- Include your name, email address, city and state
- Deadline for entry: May 31, 2008.
I'll pick the winner based on a "blind judging" (without your identifying info visible). The winner will receive:
A 1GB iPod Shuffle, pre-loaded with all of my Rounder releases:
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We'll announce the results in my June e-newsletter.
The most important thing? Heed the moral of CLB guitarist Jim Hurst's six-word bio: "Procrastination keeps me from completing my". Pick up your pen and
get creative - you may find it's worth your while!
Festival Season Begins 
Fortunately for me, it's already begun. The last weekend of March, we had the pleasure of playing at Suwannee Springfest in Live Oak, FL . . . that's one place I've wanted to play for a long time. It was a treat for me to see The Waybacks, Donna the Buffalo and the Red Stick Ramblers for the first time. Nothing like diversifying your musical interest. Loved it, except for those darned mosquitoes! I'm still itching in spots.
MerleFest
Later this month, I'll have the pleasure of returning to the gig of all gigs, MerleFest. I'm honored to be appearing there with the CLB on Saturday and Sunday. In addition, I'll be participating in a special appearance of "Girls for Merle" also featuring Alison Brown, Laurie Lewis, Missy Raines, Sally Van Meter and Rhonda Vincent. We hope to have Doc Watson up for a song, and our special guest, Sierra Hull, will join us too.
Gigs
Back to Georgia
Last time we played in Atlanta, we had to turn 'em away. I'm truly sorry for that! But maybe we can try again. Windstorm Productions presents CLB at the Red Light Café on Saturday, May 31st. Hope to see our Atlanta buddies there.
Tryin' my hand at a solo gig
Sure, I'm a "bluegrasser", but at the heart of it, I guess I'm also a "singer/songwriter". The proof will be in the puddin' - May 2nd in Normandy TN.
Texas! . . . Here we come! Montgomery TX near Houston May 17th and a first-time appearance at Poor David's Pub in Dallas on May 18th.
Home again . . .
to Huntsville, Alabama at a new, exciting venue on Friday May 30th - the Merrimack Hall Performing Arts Center. Can't wait to see all my friends!
All our upcoming gigs
can be viewed on the Schedule page. Please come support our grocery bills and mortgage payments . . . and thanks!
Photo credit: James Madison Thomas
I've Been Out of This World!
Back in 2005, I heard the rumors . . . one of my recordings had been played in space for the astronauts of the Space Shuttle. Only 3 years later (!), I've found the proof.
This is a special honor for me, having grown up in "Rocket City" (Huntsville, AL). My dad and my father-in-law both worked in the space industry. Heck, I even lived down the street from Werner Von Braun when I was in high school!
If you want to hear "I'm Going Up" played as the Shuttle crew wake up call on 7/30/05, followed by CAPCOM Shannon Lucid's morning chat with Mission Specialist Wendy Lawrence, click here and scroll to Flight Day 6.
Photo courtesy of NASA
. . . and Jim is out of this world, too!
The WWB - World Wide Bluegrass has named Jim Hurst April's "Artist Of The Month"! How cool is that?!?
Charts!
The National Bluegrass Survey
continues to astound me with their reports. "The Day that Lester Died" is number 8 this month! Woo hoo we're in the top ten! Now I shall make those tens of dollars (which I'm earnestly grateful for!) Thanks all you dj's out there who play my music. I love you for it.
BMP's April Hot Singles List - Bluegrass Music Profile Magazine lists "The Day that Lester Died" as one of the Barn Burners - More Hot Singles. Thanks BMP!
I'd like to say a big THANK YOU to Betty Wheeler who not only assists me with the CLB Newsletter, but has been the brain behind both my contests - bluegrass haiku (last year) and the current "Write Your Life in Six Words". Also a special thanks to publicist and friend Patti Petow for brainstorming the "iPod with Claire's music on it" prize. What a team we make!
Here's a little video created by Patti of some of the contest entries from the CLB team. Of course, none of the CLB team are eligible to win anything, but that doesn't mean we aren't having fun with it!
Now get out there and boil your life, dreams and hopes (dashed or realized) down into six words and send me an email! I can't wait to hear what you have to say!
Have fun this Spring,
~ Claire
Suwannnee Springfest Photo: Frank Serio
Gigs photo- Photo: James Madison Thomas
Jim photo- Photo: James Madison Thomas
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