Music and Community: Carrie Newcomer

Music is an art which creates connections between people, across borders, through time and space. Creating music is at times solitary, at times collaborative; hearing music is at times solitary, at times collaborative. These are all aspects of community.

If you have walked the music road here for a while, you’ve met Indiana based songwriter Carrie Newcomer. Perhaps you remember her unexpected trip to India and the album which came out of that, a collaboration with The Khan Family, masters of the traditional Indian instrument the sarod. Could be you recall reading about her retrospective collection Kindred Spirits or her series of songs seeing the world through the comings and goings of folks at a roadside diner, or her album called Before & After looking and many aspects of change. Whatever she writes and sings, you will hear Newcomer looking for the sacred in the everyday, the many dimensions which go beyond what a thing may seem at first glance -- whether those things are the dusty rocks known as geodes, a flight of geese overhead, a sunset on the Arabian Sea, a ghost train in the night, or a person in muddy boots.

This time out, Newcomer has been back in her Indiana heartland, writing songs for her next album. This time out, too, she’s decided to seek community funding. The changes in the music industry being what they are, this is a path many artists are following. Newcomer, as ever with her music, has decided to see it as a way of involving and extending connections in the community her music creates.

Here is a video of Newcomer speaking about the project and why she is doing it

You can find out more about her plans and learn about rewards Newcomer has on offer for participation by going to her web site CarrieNewcomer.com.

Perhaps it’s the right time for you to contribute financially to Newcomer’s project. Perhaps it’s not for you. Two things you could do, though, that’ll cost you but a few seconds of time: you could invite people to learn more about the project (sharing a link to this story is one way to do that), and you could stop by and offer Newcomer a word or two of encouragement as she’s doing this -- you may find her on Facebook and Twitter as well as at her own site.

Here is one of the songs that at this writing she plans to include on the forthcoming album

You may also wish to see
India to Indiana: Everything Is Everywhere from Carrie Newcomer
season of change: Celtic and Americana music for autumn

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