On Sunday, August 17, 2014, 4:00 p.m. - 6:00 p.m., Laurie McClain, singer-songwriter from Nashville, Tennessee, will be performing at Harmony House Concerts.
"Laurie's songs explore themes of identity, growth, friendship and love in a way that always honors the fundamental mysteries of the human journey. She conveys the stubborn optimism of the experienced innocent. In this Mecca of songwriters, she is a gem of uniqueness and authenticity." -- JM Kearnsphoto by Wendy Sue Rosloff
Read more about Laurie below in her "bio" or visit her website, www.LaurieMcClain.com, to hear her songs and learn more about her musical journey. Researchers say that a child knows her/his vocation or "calling" in life by the age of five...this was true of Laurie! She's been following that dream, and now she has come to the attention of many throughout the USA with her extraordinary talent.
To make reservations, call 903/583-2661, leaving the number of seats desired and your contact information. The suggested donation is $15 per person. To prepay, make check to Laurie McClain and send to Faye Wedell; P.O. Box 812; Bonham, TX 75418, to be received my 8-13-'14. Refunds will be made for any cancellations made by that same date. Guests may opt to pay at the door. However, if you opt to pay at the door, please respect the artists and hosts and show up or plan to pay, if you do not cancel.
Laurie will play two 45-minute sets with a 30-minute break for guests to mingle and enjoy the "bottomless" cups of coffee, tea, or punches and other treats provided by hosts, Faye and Scott. There will be a basket on the breakfast room table for optional $1 per person cash donations to help defray expenses. Harmony House is located on Wildscape Acres, 10 miles north of Bonham, in a century-old reclaimed house that sits on a hilltop meadow surrounded by woodlands. Guests are always treated like "neighbors or family" and welcomed into a music-loving community. All concerts are held indoors. Visit out website, www.WildscapeAcres.com, for more info and the Harmony House schedule of concerts.
Following the concert, there will be an optional "Build Your Own" Taco Salad Potluck Dinner. When making reservations, please indicate whether you plan to stay. Faye will check back with you about what ingredient you might contribute to the buffet. She and Scott will provide Taco Seasoned Meat. If you play an instrument, bring it along. Sometimes, a Song Circle is held after the potluck dinner for those who want to pick & grin or sing-along or just listen.
Laurie's "Bio":
Born in southern California, a child of the sixties, Laurie announced to her family at age six she would be a singer when she grew up. The pop music radio of the late '60s carried a heavy dose of folk music, and Laurie gravitated to that sound.
Her family all moved from the San Fernando Valley back to her parents' birthplace of Lincoln, Nebraska when she was twelve. She heard a Joan Baez recording of the Leonard Cohen song, "Suzanne," and begged her father for a guitar so she could learn it. Soon after that Laurie began playing guitar and singing at junior high assemblies and friends' parties. At age 15 she began playing frequently at the local open stages, where she heard slightly older local performers singing songs by artists like Hank Williams and John Prine, which further fueled her love for folk and roots country music.
Taking the advice of a wise friend who told her she should compose her own songs, Laurie wrote her first song at age eighteen. She has now been writing and performing music for over twenty-five years, and for the past ten years she has been touring on the national folk circuit playing house concerts, festivals & coffeehouses. Laurie moved to Nashville, Tennessee in 1997. In 1999, she released her first CD, THE CHILD BEHIND MY EYES, containing thirteen originals and an a capella version of Gillian Welch's and David Rawlings' "ACONY BELL." Laurie's song, "ONLY FOUR," from THE CHILD BEHIND MY EYES, was chosen for the HOPE, MOTHERS HELPING MOTHERS CD, with proceeds going to a women's and children's shelter, Project Hope.
In January, 2003, Laurie released THE TRUMPET VINE, A TRIBUTE TO KATE WOLF. This 14-song CD has 13 Kate Wolf songs and one song, called "WE'VE LOVED AWAY THE NIGHT," that Laurie wrote music to some Kate Wolf lyrics.
Laurie's latest release is the 2009 14- song CD, "Ascend", containing all original music. Ascend recently was nominated for 4 awards, and took 3rd Place in the Just Plain Folks Awards Best New Folk Album for 2009. The JPF Awards, nicknamed the "grassroots grammys" is the largest music awards in history, as over 42,000 albums were submitted in over 50 genres.
"Laurie is a true artist. She opens hearts and sings from a place of depth and love. She held my tough NYC audience with her masterful storytelling, strong lyrics and vulnerable voice, moving them to tears and laughter. If she is performing anywhere near you, run to see her. You will not be disappointed; you will be transformed." -- Kathryn, Kathryn's House Concert Series, NYC (Aug. 30, 2010)