Music News and Upcoming Events

"NEWS!"

FEBRUARY '07 - ETOWAH JUNCTION IS FORMED!!

Olivia has formed a band with friend Peyden Henderson on bass and talented singer EB Reece on vocals and guitar! Their first date is March 31st! For more, see Olivia's website at www.laughitupolivia.com !!

FEBRUARY '07 - DAUGHTERS OF BLUEGRASS

Daughters of Bluegrass performed all three days at SPBGMA, including at the Awards Show on Sunday, as nominees for Album of the Year!

FEBRUARY '07 - LOUISA PERFORMED AT "LIVE AT THE FIREHOUSE,"

A concert featuring regional and national songwriters in Dalton, Georgia. Olivia sat in on the set, and friend Kathy Reed did a great job of singing lead on Louisa's songs!

JANUARY - FEBRUARY, '07

Louisa has had the honor of co-writing with Lisa Aschgmann and with Irene Kelley, two of Nashville's finest writers. Some great songs have already come out of these collaborations.

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DAUGHTERS OF BLUEGRASS, "BACK TO THE WELL" WINS RECORDED EVENT OF THE YEAR!
Louisa and Daughters of Bluegrass are featured on XM Satellite Radio live! Hear Fool's Gold performed live! (Track 14, September 2006). Louisa and Daughters of Bluegrass performed live at the Station Inn at the CD release party for "Back to the Well" on August 31st! Fool's Gold was performed by the daughters, with Louisa accompanying Frances Mooney and Mindy Rakestraw on vocals and guitar at showcases at the main stage, Blue Circle Records, and got "pin drop" responses from the audience, and rave responses. Also performing on Fool's Gold were Megan McCormick, Betty Buller, and Deeny Richardson (fine fiddle player who works with Patty Loveless). www.daughtersofbluegrass.com

Congratulations to Lorraine Jordan for putting together a great project!

Just a note to say it was tons of fun and a great honor to share a corner of the stage with ya'll--
If the pics are published, they were taken by Olivia B.
Another big hand for Lorraine for making an awesome thing happen!!
Louisa

BLUEGRASS SONGWRITING ASSOCIATION IS BORN!
Louisa coordinated a networking effort to start a bluegrass songwriting organization this year, a dream for over a decade. This initiative came to life at the 2006 IBMA, where Louisa and several other writers, including Lisa Aschmann, Mark Simos, and Tony Rackley hosted open songwriter circles and held the first business meeting of the new group. There was lots of buzz about the excitement and new opportunities for songwriters and the chance for all to hear each others' work. It was truly inspiring! (For more information, see Bluegrass Songwriter Association)

LOUISA INDUCTED INTO GEORGIA COUNTRY MUSIC HALL OF FAME
Louisa was inducted into the Georgia Country Music Hall of Fame, on November 26! Congratulations to her for her two and a half decades of playing and writing music in Georgia, so much of which has been performed by Georgia bands, including Broad River, Fontanna Sunset, Gypsy Heart, and Born Gypsy, not to mention bands across the country.

OLIVIA STARTED DARLINGTON SCHOOL IN 8th GRADE IN SEPTEMBER, 2006
"GO TIGERS!!"

OLIVIA'S ARTICLE
"From a Kid's Point of View: Cordova Music Camp." Published in Cordova News (2006) and SEBA Newsletter (2006)!!

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OLIVIA AND LOUISA AT CORDOVA MUSIC CAMP
Louisa and Olivia had a great time at Cordova Old Time and Bluegrass Camp in July, 2006, where Louisa taught songwriting and Olivia took dobro, mandolin, and helped out with photography and writing a review of the camp. For pictures, see "Olivia's Page", also see www.laughitupolivia.com.. They highly recommend the camp to any youth wishing to take singing, songwriting, or a musical instrument - from age 7 up!

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LOUISA PERFORMED ORIGINAL SONGS WITH THE NEW MEXICO BAND, "FOXFIRE BLUEGRASS" IN ALASKA WITH HELP FROM OLIVIA See photos on "Olivia's Page" and www.laughitupolivia.com.

OLIVIA AND LOUISA PUBLISH POETRY CHAPBOOK (2002) "79 POEMS": A BOOK OF POETRY

2001 TRIBUTE TO WOMEN IN BLUEGRASS WINS RECORDED EVENT OF THE YEAR
Louisa assisted in the production of Mark Newton's CD: "Follow Me Back to the Fold: A Tribute to Women in Bluegrass," writing the liner notes, and singing on the title cut, "Follow Me Back to the Fold." On May 9, Louisa, Claire Lynch, Missy Raines, Kristin Scott, Sharon and Cheryl White, Dixie Hall (songwriter), Valerie Smith and others headed to the Birchmere, where they joined Lynn Morris, Rhonda Vincent, Gloria Belle, Laurie Lewis, Kathy Chiavola, Tony Rice, Mark, and others for the sold-out release party. Several songs from "Fold" are already getting major radio and press attention. For a copy of the CD, contact Rebel Records.

"FOOL'S GOLD" CD RELEASED BY LOUISA 2001

The album features prominent Georgia musicians Bill Everett, Jane Baxter, Nancy Pate, Mark Squires, as well as several songs not previously released on her last CD with Georgia's beloved Randy Howard on fiddle. Louisa shares some of the duties on guitar, mandolin, and banjo, and sings "the songs that have less than a 5 note range," and is arranging and producing the tunes.

VALERIE SMITH PERFORMING SONGS BY LOUISA
Nashville recording artist Valerie Smith is currently performing "Feels So Good" (from Louisa's 1994 CD) across the country and getting "rave reviews!"

WOODSONG FARM FEATURED IN SEBA NEWSLETTER
The (May, 2001) edition of the Southeastern Bluegrass Association Newsletter features an interview with Louisa by Joe Whelchel about Woodsong Farm Retreat. Here's an excerpt (Joe is a seminar participant): He was a participant in a songwriting workshop. "I found that Louisa's exercises and concepts gave me a much needed sense of framework and discipline in how I approach it. One of her dimensions is her training and practice in the field of psychology. I could see some of those influences as well as down and dirty experience in songwriting."

LOUISA EARNS TWO FINALIST POSITIONS IN GMAI SONGWRITING CONTEST (2002)
Louisa's two songs, "Last Rose for Grandpa," and "Stormy Night," were among 15 final selections out of about 300 entries in this year's Georgia Musicians Industry Ass. songwriting contest. Louisa will perform these songs at Swallow in the Hollow in Roswell in the finalist competition May 10. Call for reservations.

LOUISA ATTENDS BLUEGRASS LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE (2001)
In March Louisa attended the invitational Bluegrass Leadership Conference in Nashville for Bluegrass industry leaders, sponsored by IBMA. This was an information-packed advanced industry workshop and a chance to network with some of the wonderful folks in the bluegrass industry.

ALBUM RECORDED AT WOODSONG
In June, 2001, Louisa produced an album for Chordwood, a bluegrass band with members from Missouri, West Virginia, and the Southeast, and Atlanta fiddler Mark Squires. Stay tuned for the release of Chordwood's album, with the title cut by Louisa: "In Tall Timber."

LOUISA HOSTS IBMA WORKSHOP: WOMEN'S STORIES, WOMEN'S SONGS (2000)
October 20, 2000: Louisa will be hosting a workshop titled "Women's Stories, Women's Songs" on October 20, 2000 at the International Bluegrass Assoc. meeting. Artists will include Ramona Jones and daughter Alisa, Ginger Boatright (Red, White, and Bluegrass, the Dillards), Dale Anne Bradley and Vicki Simmons (Coon Creek), Kathy Chiavola, Songwriter Dixie Hall and more!!!

STEEL RAILS IN TOP 11 SONGS OF DECADE
A published article in Bluegrass Unlimited cited Steel Rails as song #11 among bluegrass songs for the 1990's. The article used chart position and other dimensions to establish the list.