A little Encouragement

PineCone Down Home Concert Series 2025. To the kind person that took this photo secretly and sent it to me, thanks!

I am forever grateful for the encouragement that I have received in my life.  Again and Again I'm chirping in interviews and in shows, "encourage  people when they are starting something, even if they have a long way to go, because you never know where they might end up."  I'm a good example of this, because when I first took a serious notion to learn to play fiddle (and a bunch of other string-ed things), I had no aspirations to go anywhere with music except my own living room.  I was content to sing away boredom from the saddle of a lawnmower.  But I kept at it because I enjoyed it, and it brought my ADHD and Depression pressured brain some simple peace and joy.  I also kept at it because kind soul after kind soul kept encouraging me.  Kind soul after kind soul opened doors for me, or showed me a "lick" on an instrument, or connected me with someone who would change my life.  
This morning I was surprised to learn that a picture of me (heck a picture I took) was in Rolling Stone Magazine in a little article about ballad singing and climate change.  Just a few days ago I was in Raleigh in a big theatre opening for iconic and grammy award winning Cajun band BeauSoleil (Thanks PineCone! Links Below). All this was on the heels of going up to Montreal with a few wonderful ladies to sing ballads from our neck of the woods.  Fifteen or so years ago, if you'd told me I would be doing things like that, I would have rolled my eyes and laughed.  (Actually I think that's still how I react.)
None of that would be going on without encouragement, and generosity, and also a little bit of stick-to-it-ness.  It absolutely wouldn't be happening without community.  To have people that advocate for you and want to see you succeed is a very precious thing--never take that for granted no matter what kind of skill or talent you might have (and I don't claim to have either in great measure.) 
Here's my little mini set at PineCone this weekend.  I hope it, and especially the song at the end, give you some encouragement.  You can do this--we can do this.  Give you friends and neighbors a lift.  We'll land on the shore.  

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