While I have not discussed it much on the blog, I have spent part of my life living as a semi-professional musician. In 2002, IÂ was in a guitar store trying out some Martin Guitars. There was a younger guy in the pickin’ room, and we played a few songs together. We seemed to click, and so we exchanged phone numbers. We ended up developing a great musical relationship which progressed from late night jams at home to gigs in bars in Richmond.
This fellows name is Kagey Parrish. He was in college when we met, and he became involved romantically with a girl named Laura Wortman. She sang like a bird and played guitar well, so they seemed a natural match. Plus, she was young and smart and easy on the eyes.
As time went on, we all played gigs together, and I made some recordings of them in my home studio. Their harmonies, musicianship, and song writing skills were developing at a rapid pace. It has always been a real pleasure to play with these folks. In order to find a town which is better sutied to their style of music, they recently moved from Richmond to Charlottesville. It has been tough on me because I miss them as friends and because it is hard to find people to play music with who possess their level of talent.
They recently entered Garrison Keillor’s Praire Home Companion Talented 20s contest. If you are not familiar with the radio show, which is syndicated nationally on National Public Radio, then you have been missing out on a true piece of Americana, the way it used to was. Kagey tells me that they sent Garrison one of the recordings I made of them in my home studio. They were one of six acts selected out of a thousand entries.
You can read about some of their competition here.
Kagey and Laura, now known as The Honey Dewdrops, played live on the radio show this evening, AND THEY WON THE CONTEST!!!
This is an enormous deal, and will likely open up many opportunities for them. I cannot tell you how thrilled I am for them as they are genuine, humble people who have truly earned this break. Not many people in this world get such an opportunity to fulfill their dreams.
Please take the time to stop by their myspace page The Honey Dewdrops to listen to their songs, tell them congratulations, and that Woodshedder sent you.
Thank you for taking some time out for culture.
hey, they are very very good, i like.
Nice story! IBC is becoming like the weekend WSJ or the weekend NYT, or the weekend fill-in-the-blank local rag.
Hello All
Im New…
Loved their music, beautiful. Reminded me somewhat of the sound track to Down in the Valley, a strange movie, but superb music.
Hello MegaZ- welcome.
Boca-I’ll have to look up Down in the Valley and see who did the soundtrack.
I’ll be passing on all the complements to them…
Shed, I wonder if you could read the comments on this thread and perhaps you could talk to Duc — I’m attempting to facilitate the IBC version of the Bear Stearns and JP Morgan deal.
I’m a hopeless marshmallow asking, “Can’t we all get along?”
http://www.ibankcoin.com/peanut_gallery/index.php/2008/03/16/a-perfect-storm-of-derivatives/
This is an interesting article. Stuff like this is why there is a growing fear of protectionist rhetoric from politicians. So the US government is bailing out broken down investment banks while SWF’s are bidding up commodities we need to function as a healthy economy. Interesting times we live in.
Shed, not bad. What’s with moving to Scottsville? How does that help one’s recording career? UVA proximity?
Jake, Charlottesville has a much better music scene for their type of music. Many more venues and ears that cater to their style. Plus, it is in the foothills, and the closer one gets to the mountains (to a certain extent) the closer one gets to a receptive audience for their style of bluegrass/country/folk music.