Tunesmith Night, Saturday, January 8, 2022, 7pm PST – UPDATED 1/5/2022
Streaming live on wvmusicalliance.org
The Wallowa Valley Music Alliance continues their 16th season of Tunesmith Night – a showcase of original music, presenting three songwriters, sharing their original work in an intimate a round-robin format. We’re sad to report that we will be closing this event to in-person audience attendance due to the current spike in COVID-19 cases in our community, plus hazardous travel conditions. The program will be streamed live to WVMA’s YouTube channel and here on the Music Alliance website.
The January 8 show features songwriters Nevada Sowle, Heidi Muller, and MidLo.
More on the songwriters below:
Heidi Muller is an award-winning songwriter, guitarist and mountain dulcimer player from the Pacific Northwest. She travels the country giving concerts featuring her original songs and Appalachian traditional tunes, and is known for her crystalline alto voice and comfortable stage presence. She has performed at the Kerrville Folk Festival, Tumbleweed Music Festival, on NPR’s Mountain Stage radio show, and has opened for Nanci Griffith, Bill Staines, Ramblin’ Jack Elliott, and Jean Ritchie, among others. Muller has taught at dulcimer festivals nationwide including Kentucky Music Week and the Berkeley Dulcimer Gathering. She has recorded nine CDs and published numerous dulcimer songbooks, had two songs published in Rise Again, sequel to the legendary Rise Up Singing songbook, and her song “Good Road” was the theme song of the Inland Folk show on Northwest Public Radio for 30 years. Muller makes her home in Joseph, Oregon with her partner Bob and four cats.
You’d expect most musicians from Northern Idaho to be immovably rooted in folk, country, and Americana stylings, but Nevada Sowle doesn’t let that landlocked positioning define his sound. Constantly seeking to find new tones both acoustic & electronic, unique yet familiar, Sowle’s catalogue fits most snuggly into the category of Pop – but don’t let that word deter you if you’re a stickler for quality lyrical content and well-thought-out composition. Having spent the past few years recording and touring the west coast with acts like Bart Budwig, Desolation Horse, MAITA, Joseph Hein, and An American Forrest, Sowle has found time in between green rooms and sound booths to develop a style that will help define the sound and style of the Pacific Northwest.
Mike Midlo lives, walks around, and writes songs in Wallowa County. Sometimes he ventures out and sings them for people. His latest record “Two Steps & Waltzes” was recorded at the OK Theatre in Enterprise and turned out to be popular, notably with local legends Rich Shirley and Janie Tippett. This is the greatest compliment.
