Tonight, Saturday, September 29, Cody Weidner is playing for a fund-raiser for the new Texas Ranger Museum that is being built in Kerrville. This event is an opportunity to announce and describe the new educational focus of the museum. We just finished a community educational program paying tribute to Jimmie Rodgers-an honorary Texas Ranger himself. Kerrville is rich with connections among our various arts organizations.

Ahead is a concert at the Waring General Store on Saturday, October 6, featuring Terri Hendrix. She in conducting a songwriters workshop (with Lloyd Maines) at Old Number Nine in Waring from Friday-Sunday. Terri defies classification-often dancing between folk and jazz, pop and blues. An excellent songwriter, Terri is also articulate on the writing process. She was featured on a showcase last year at the new Institute of the History of Texas Music in San Marcos, along with Ray Benson, Tish Hinojosa and Joel Guzman. She has visited my writing classes twice over the years, and just may be back for another visit this year. She's great in the classroom! Call Jenny Waggett at 830-995-5332 for information.

Hard choices on October 6. Robert Earl Keen's Texas Uprising begins at 3:00 p.m. at Quiet Valley Ranch on Highway 26 south of town. Tent camping and RV sites are available, and this ranch is perfect for a camping weekend. The Uprising brings Trish Murphy, BR5-49, Louden Wainwright III, Jack Intram, Todd Snider and Rodney Hayden to the Hill Country stage. What a bunch of songwriters. Keen's new album, Gravitational Forces, is intoducing a new group of fans to his music. He's donating a portion of the proceeds to the Disaster Relief Efforts. Call 800-435-8429 for advance tickets ($25).

The benefit for Travis Bohnert on Sunday, September 23, brought out the generosity (once again) of a community. Many musicians banded together to create a music festival while Travis, injured seriously in an accident, received his high school diploma.

The day was cool, the music was hot. We heard jazz and blues, country and folk. We heard from the famous and the not-so-famous. Freddy Powers brought us a medley of the hit songs he has written for Merle Haggard. I loved hearing Freddy alone, a man with his guitar and his words.

When Charlie Robison and Bruce Robison pulled up a couple of chairs for a performance of hits songs by each man, the crowd pulled up chairs closer to the stage and listened. When Jay Boy Adams, and his band of all-stars, started rocking, the chairs went back to the edge and dancers filled the concrete floor.

Travis Bohnert, the recipient of all this generosity, was injured in an accident last May and faced the possibility of never even breathing on his own again. Here he was, in September, riding his wheel chair around, breathing fine and even contemplating singing. It was truly a day of miracles as this community rallied around. Thousands of dollars were raised and more than a thousand people attended an afternoon of Hill Country Music.

Two American flags flanked the stage. Bill Smallwood Band was playing "Your Cheatin' Heart" when I arrived about 1:45. Rex Foster played a set of his originals, Regina Matthews gave a new twist to the "Orange Blossom Special" as she played her fiddle behind her back, in another's hands, and even exchanged fiddles while playing with her fiddling partner. She has one many a fiddling contest, one at our Jimmie Rodgers Jubilee about 7 years ago. She was a youngster then.

When Charlie and his wife, Emily, arrived, the crowd of young women wanting an autograph from a Dixie Chick surrounded them. Charlie looked around, saying, "Most of these people here are my family," and he started introducing them to Emily.

After the Robison set, a woman walked up, saying, "Hey, I know the history of that song you sang. I was in that story!" He laughed, nodding agreement.

Yes, the day was about love, generosity, family and community. As we gathered in Comfort, so gathers the nation in place after place. One woman said, "I don't know what I can do about New York, but I think being here and taking care of our own does something for the world." I agree.

Don't forget to mark October 13 on your calendar. Alvin Crow plays a fund-raiser for the Kerrville Public School Foundation. He's a fiddle player with a long history. Sunday, September 30, KPAS brings the Moscow Chamber Orchestra to town. This is the first performance in their annual series. Head out to Dietert Auditorium at 4:00 p.m. at Schreiner University for this rare opportunity. Aren't we lucky to be in a community with so many varied opportunities to experience and witness the arts?

Free Leonard and down the road.

Kathleen
kat@maverickbbs.com

www.texasheritagemusic.org

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