Britt in the Alaska Music Spotlight on KNBA Radio

On August 6, 2010, I had the pleasure of meeting Loren Dixon for an on-air interview and sing-and-tell. He’s the smart and mellow Program Director for Koahnic Broadcast Corporation and KNBA 90.3 FM,  a well-loved public radio station in Anchorage. We all especially appreciate local programs like the Alaska Music Spotlight, which airs Fridays at 5:35pm. I was as excited as a little kid to be Loren’s guest in the station’s new digs. I love his soothing radio voice and he’s even nicer in person. Loren’s questions took me all the way back to the  music teacher at Mendenhall River Community School in Juneau who started it all. Even to the kids who booed at us at the talent show.

You asked for it! 907Britt on Guitar

For years friends and family have been bugging me to play guitar in front of the mic and make a CD of the perfect background music for a rainy day dinner, tea at the coffeeshop, or feel-good PSA. Last night I finally just did it. By the time I had edited out the water sips and capo changes between songs, I had 16 tracks totaling 38 minutes and 42 seconds (hence the $3.84 suggested donation for downloads). That’ll do for this go ’round, but I’m thinking of releasing new guitar fun every so often. Playing beautiful music is the easy part. I play guitar like this every day. Dealing with gear, software, files, and uploading is what I don’t do every day.

This young man from Yemen was having the time of his life in Montana. He was a student of the Middle East Partnership Initiative (MEPI) at Montana State University (MSU) in Bozeman. I played for him and the rest of Bozeman at the Gallatin Valley Farmer's Market in July 2010.

1 To the Sea 2:26
2 Cinderella 1:51
3 Okay 3:57
4 Layover 1:51
5 Memorial Day On Cattle Point Road 1:57
6 Jolie 2:25
7 Sing It Away
8 My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean 1:24
9 Untitled Guitar Ditty 1:41 FREE!
10 Farther Away 2:56
11 Antonin Dvorak’s New World Symphony Theme (aka Going Home)    2:26 FREE!
12 Untitled Guitar Waltz 3:57
13 October 2:05
14 Back to Me 3:24
15 Slightly Down 1:41
16 Just the Same 2:03

Livingston Roundup – My 1st Rodeo

So there’s an expression I often heard in Montana, that one might say in response to a statement questioning the circumstances, “This ain’t my first rodeo.” Well, for Independence Day in Livingston, it really was my first rodeo. I joined 10,000 other people for a Montana-Americana weekend at the Livingston Roundup.

907Britt live on KGLT

On June 22, 2010, I had the pleasure of performing live on KGLT radio in Bozeman, Montana. DJ and bassman Bob Butts got me talking. Here is a transcript of the entire interview along with photos and audio files of each song I played (audio files open in a new window). You can listen to the interview in its entirety by clicking on Segment 1 or Segment 2. I have made Layover a free download. Enjoy!

Relaxing in the morning sun on the deck of the Love Shack in Paradise Valley, Montana --- this is the place that inspired the Montana part of my song Continental Divide..."'Cause there's a bigger sky out on his side...it's a Paradise out on his side of the Continental Divide."

Under the Big Sky

I’m having the most amazing time in Montana. Even getting here was fun. I challenged myself to earn my way across I-90 by busking for gas money. It didn’t take long, and I relished the opportunity to provide a fresh CD for the highway to travelers.

907Britt Busking at the Columbia Gorge - Photo by Canyon

Memorial Day on Cattle Point Road

A week from my departure to Montana, I had hoped to be writing about that. But something else is on my heart right now.

I left my heart in Montana

I can’t wait to get to Butte, Montana to sing for the locals the title track to my debut CD, Continental Divide.

I can’t remember which note or phrase started it, but I knew immediately when I began writing Continental Divide that it was the kind of song that would change everything. Sleepless in Edmonds, north of Seattle, in a cold and quiet basement guest room on October 24, 2009, I was whispering lyrics and brushing muffled chords with the skin of my thumb while the family slept.

“No Man’s Land” by Eric Bogle

Update on June 8, 2010: I realize two Memorial Day songs back to back might be confusing. While I was in the middle of writing this original post, a young man across the island lost his life in a car wreck. When I learned about it June 3, the news devastated me, and I wrote a brand new song, Memorial Day on Cattle Point Road. Now onto Eric Bogle’s memorial waltz and my original post. -Britt

Well, how do you do, Private William McBride?
Do you mind if I sit here down by your graveside?

So begins one of my favorite waltzes, “No Man’s Land” by Eric Bogle (of Waltzing Matilda fame). On Memorial Day 2010, I’m sharing what this beautiful song has taught me about songwriting, history, and even compassion.

New mp3 download “Still Hurts”

In advance of my Montana tour, I registered on MontanaMusicians.com. Richie Reinholdt of Missoula was the first to “friend” me and I am so thankful. When I posted a rough draft of this waltz the following week, Richie offered to play mandolin on it. He did a beautiful job, and so did Cecil DeMeerleer, whose upright bass I recorded in Friday Harbor, Washington.

Where’s Wayne?

Sometimes a whole song comes out of me all at once, from a single chord or phrase. Where’s Wayne was like that. On May 6, 2010, I recorded the first draft out on the deck in the morning sun.