Katie's Free Range Music Project

October 19, 2024 When I wrote last it was just before Hurricane Helene hit Western North Carolina. I left for home the day before she hit. It hurts my heart to see what people are going through. Gonna be a long road back to anything approaching normal. My friend Jeff, who lived in Lahaina and lost almost everything in the fire last August, is still suffering and is heading to India to get healed. My publisher, the Sculpted Word, is in Tampa where Milton hit, and I haven't heard from her yet.

Here is a quote that I believe sums it up. This is from Ryan Hurd at Dreamstudies.org.

"One town at a time destroyed by extreme climate events, and the attention span moves on while it takes years for folks to pick up the pieces, and rebuild, if they choose to rebuild. If they have the resources to rebuild. Meanwhile, our friends are left with the infuriating task of trying to figure out how to literally find shelter, water and electricity again, while still making their rent payments on time, while still paying this month’s insurance premium.

That’s how the climate apocalypse is going to go: not all at once, heralded by trumpets, but one community at a time."

He has, for a dreamer, exceptional insight into reality. Check out his books and his blog.

I have an interest in dreams because almost all of my short stories started out as a dream. Of course, I embellish them, but I love getting the inspiration from wherever dreams originate, which I think is pretty cosmic. My second story is now up on the Sculpted Word website, so please read "The Waterfall" and write in the comment section so I'll know you read it. It costs less than $2, and it is not apocalyptic at all, but very hopeful.

September 24, 2024 I just published on a start-up online website. I am happy to give entrepreneurs a chance to make money from my work if they are willing to do what I don't want to do, which is publishing and marketing. It costs less that $2 to read my story, less than what you would tip a waitress. I get 70 percent and the Sculpted Word gets 30 percent. Seems fair to me. I have 26 other stories ready to publish. Click the link to see my first published story, titled "Jaguar Maiden". It is part of a sci-fi novel that I am doing a final edit on now. I took the opportunity to cat-sit in Asheville so I could work with no distractions, and I have 27 titles almost ready to publish.

April 26, 2024 I had too much to do at home so I quit working at RBW, but I may play music there on Sunday afternoons if the weather is good. I played last weekend for a tour of historic buildings in Lincoln County. One of the houses where I played was built by my 5th (I think) great grandfather. I also played at Machpelah Church where Stonewall Jackson's widow is buried. It has great acoustics.

March 8, 2024 I have decided to book more performances this summer. Guess I can work for tips since I am basically starting over after the "years the locust hath eaten" because of the plague. Gotta spread the joy, right? If you know of any places I can play, please let me know. Booking events is the part I don't like.

February 23, 2024 Still working at Redbone Willy's Trading Company and loving it! Planning for the festival in October is going well- we have about 30 percent of the previous vendors returning, and will be opening up for applications in March, so if you know any artisans who like to do festivals, pass the word. It is only one day, October 12, so that makes it easy for people who have other obligations.

December 7, 2023 I have been working at Redbone Willy's Trading Company for a couple of months, selling super-trendy European-style clothes and helping organize a festival for next fall. Not playing much music but learning more bawdy Celtic songs like "The Bothy Boys" and "We'll Go No More A-Roving". I am saddened to learn of Shane McGowan's death. Guess he's up in heaven playing with Sinead.

July 1, 2023
I will be at the Hickory Farmers' Market this Saturday from 8:00 am until noon. Going to do mostly original songs because of Neptune or something. I may try to learn Shakey Graves' song, "Late July" just for fun. Wish me luck.

Happy New Year!

January 21, 2022

I've been snowed in for almost a week, sort of. I can get out but have to park my car somewhere nearby because I can't drive up my ice-covered hill. No problem. I am enjoying the quiet and have plenty of cat food. Hope you are warm and also have everything you need.

Happy Sosltice!

December 20, 2021

I have not played in public for a couple years due to the bleeping plague, except for a couple times at Hickory Farmer's Market. Tomorrow I'm going to be on a podcast that Sandy Carlton does from the Earl Scruggs Center in Shelby, NC. https://bigsoundsmalltown.com/katie-henderson-folk-artist-songwriter-singer-mandolinist-artist-and-poet/

What? No posts since 2019? I wonder why?

January 2019

Happy New Year everyone! Made it this far!

December 2018

Mt. Holly- Friday December 15 at 7:00pm - opening for Tokyo Rosenthal RESCHEDULED for Friday, February 8th- House Concert with Tokyo Rosenthal- December 16 at 2:00pm

May 2018 PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Redbone Willy's Traading Post- Saturdays from 2-4pm, May 12 and June 9

Hippie Fest in Statesville May 20

Conover Farmer's Market- Saturday, May 26

Private House Concert-Sunday, June 10

April 2018

Playing some old folk songs from the 60s for a local event. One of the musicians has bought one of those fancy metal drums that have incredible harmonics. It only plays in D minor, so I've been gathering all my D minor songs. I can now play "Star of the County Down" in that key!

March 2018

Looking forward to playing at Hippie Fest in May- opening for Tokyo Rosenthal.

December 2017

Had a house concert with Americana recording artist, Tokyo Rosenthal. Brought down the house. Well, not really. House is still standing after a standing ovation.

September 2017

Songs are not all I write. I have 3 novels and over a dozen short stories completed, and a screenplay in progress.

August 2017

The fan experiment is working! Made it through the summer cooling the house with only electric fans.

July 2017

I love fans. Old fashioned electric fans. I took out the AC units and put a fan in every room so everywhere I go there's a cool breeze blowin'. Still have the hottest month to go...

June 2017

Playing at Redbone Willy's Trading Post on Saturday, June 10th from 2:00 until 4:30. Weather is supposed to be nice- sunny but not too hot. I'll be soloing this time. May bring the keyboard!!!

May 2017

Playing at Redbone Willy's Trading Post on Saturday, May 13 from 2:00 until 4:30. Will Wilson will be joining me for part of it. Going to do lots of interesting songs: some Celtic, Gospel, Oldtime, Classic Country, and originals. I have written a song for every letter of the alphabet except X and Z. Working on those...

April 2017

I went to a week-long retreat at Wildacres and had a lovely time. It was the Spring Gathering, where you can go and do whatever project you want- no instruction, just free time. I spent most of it in their acoustically perfect auditorium, and collaborated with Will Wilson, whom I had met at Solatido a couple years ago.

March 2017

We had to cancel the house concert with Tokyo- I was called elsewhere and Tokyo was kind enough to offer to reschedule. We rescheduled for December! I'll keep you posted.

February 2017

Booked another house concert with Tokyo. If you're my FaceBook Friend you already know about it. It will be sort of a St. Patrick's celebration. I learned "Foggy Dew" from Cathy Jordan of the Irish band Dervish at the Swannanoa Gathering last summer, so I want to share that. I learned a lot about the struggle for Irish independence in her class.

December 2016

I haven't been playing much lately. Got busy remodeling my bathroom. I can report that I have kept my New Year's resolution to use more paper towels. I "friended" more than ten people, but I unfriended some too because, you know, because of politics. I can be candid because I don't think anybody reads this. But if you are reading it, I would really like to know.

January 2016

My new years resolution is to "friend" ten more people. Thanks to FaceBook for making a verb out of the word "Friend". Now we have the option of FIGHT, FLIGHT, or FRIEND! So enlightened! Also, I resolve to use more paper towels in the new year.

DECEMBER 2015

WRITE A SONG RIGHT NOW!

Katie's Free Range Songwriting hints...

1. Go to your Happy Place to connect with the Spirit of Song or whatever works for you-- meditation, booze, petting dogs... but not marijuana. It’s not legal here (yet).

2. Keep the energy flowing. If you get stuck on the lyrics, switch to working on the melody and vice versa, back and forth, forth and back like alternating current thank you Nicola Tesla.

3. To develop your melody, you can start with a chord progression that you like from a song you already know. Then alter the tempo, the mode (from major to minor, etc.), the mood (sad to happy), or the beat pattern or time signature to make it unique.

3. If you have an inspiration for a song, just write stream-of-consciousness/free-verse to tell the story and get down the basic ideas. Don’t worry about rhyming, you can go back and do that later. Rhyming is the grunt work we all have to do, unless we’re Michael Stipe.

4. If you’re REALLY stuck, try a “cut-up”. You write a bunch of words on a piece of paper, cut it up and tape it back together randomly. It may trigger something you never dreamed of.

5. Speaking of dreams, before you go to sleep, program yourself to make up a song in your dreams. Works for me, good people.

6. All Western music ever written is based on only seven notes in the major scale, plus the sharps and flats. Isn't that enough to deal with? If it's not enough for you, explore Indian or Middle Eastern scales and then you can tell me how it works.

7. ROLL MY SOUL IN A BOWL! What a wonder to behold, when the truth is finally told! Tell the truth. Or lie big-time with style and wit.