It's pretty cool being mobile and having the "rolling office" come along with you. I live in my own purple haze of electronic wizardry. Think aircards and smartphones, and of course the right cords! That is always the key, can you make it work, do you have the right inputs? It is fun to work this way, except for when you wind up in a space where you have no connectivity, as was the case when we were at the Cherokee Creek Music Festival. Being without service for 4 days was really hard for me. I am sure some people take a deep breath when they can unplug. I am an addict. I admit it. I now try to put my phone out of site for meals, or the red flashing light beckons me, rudely.
Sometimes, though, it is a blessing of efficiency, as when Margo Valiante reached out to me as I was in transit last Saturday, flying home to Austin. Could we, she asked, ready the video of "First Born Son," as she had been accepted as a Regional Round Finalist of the Mountain Stage NewSong Contest. And yes, you can support Margo by voting. The 2010 contest winner will get the opportunity to record an EP with 2010 Grammy winning producer Jacquire King (Kings of Leon, Norah Jones) to be released on the NewSong Recordings label. In addition, the winner will get to perform on an internationally broadcast Mountain Stage (NPR) show. As we wish her luck, we also wanted to acknowledge her other recent accolades; 3rd place at the Rocky Mountain Folks Fest Songwriters Showcase in Lyons, CO August 13th, and 4th place at the Telluride Troubadour Competition. She also just made a pit stop to play for the movers and shakers at the Triple A Radio Conference in Boulder, CO last week.
We invited Margo Valiante to our stage at Threadgill's in Austin, during SXSW 2010, and she brought Matt Meyer with. This one is just beautiful, "First Born Son," from her EP I Can't Pray.
- Jessie Scott
