It was definitely exciting! But it was also exhausting. My life is entirely different now. I have a family, a home, and 2 small children ages 2 and 5. I think I am like most mothers in that I feel rewarded each day by my adorable and loving children. And the kids provide a routine and a rhythm to my life that I really enjoy. I like working hard while they're at school. I like picking up the kids from school and chatting with other moms on the playground. I no longer have the desire to live out of a suitcase, though I'm certainly glad I spent my 20s doing so. Though I tour less now, I am really enjoying the shows that I'm able to do. I'm also able to spend much more time songwriting and practicing, two things that keep me excited about music. And I also keep a weekly teaching schedule as well. I never had much time to teach in my twenties. I think my life might have a better balance now. Music is a wonderful thing, but music doesn't need to be the only thing.
You were the first woman to make the cover of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine. What was that like? Is the field so dominated by men? And do you see yourself as a role model or mentor for women in bluegrass?
First Woman to Grace Cover of Flatpicking Guitar Magazine
(Image by rebeccafrazier.com/presskit/) Details DMCA
This came as a big surprise. I received an e-mail from the editor of the magazine in the spring of 2006. He said he wanted to do the first-ever all woman issue of the magazine, and he would like to feature me on the cover. It's a very special issue, featuring all sorts of amazing women players, and it's the only issue that's ever sold out. That means it's now out of print! Yes bluegrass guitar is mostly men, but that's quickly changing. I don't really see myself as a role model. I feel more like everyone else--just trying to create art and get it out there.
Speaking of getting your art out there, your latest CD, When We Fall, came out following a personal tragedy. Are you comfortable talking about that a little? Was songwriting helpful in the grieving and healing process? And is it hard to perform those songs now in public?
No, I actually put the music out there because it is healing for me to share our story. When we lost our baby son, I found that talking about him was the only thing that seemed to help. I loved him so much, and it was hard to pretend he hadn't existed. By talking and singing about our tragedy, I felt I was honoring his short life. I was able to sing these songs that touch some people in a long-lost place. People in their sixties would come up to me after a show and tell me about a miscarriage or stillborn they had 30 years ago, and how the music helped them to connect to those conflicting emotions of pain and love again. And people who've never lost a child can still relate to the joy and love that children bring, and they can relate to our pain. We're all trudging through humanity with our strengths and weaknesses and dysfunctions. And folk audiences often love this music because it is so "real." We can connect with each other on so many levels with this music, and people are often touched by music in a more direct way than some kinds of therapy, talking, reading, or religious activities.
Yes, that's quite true. Thanks for sharing. Anything you'd like to add before we wrap this up?
I am grateful for the opportunity to answer your thoughtful questions about my work. It was an honor to be asked to participate. Thank you, Joan. And thanks to you, readers!
It was a thrill for me, Rebecca. I was smitten the moment you picked up your guitar and began to play that night in Evanston. Thanks so much for talking with me. It's been fun!
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