Gigs, the Arts, and Us

Dear Friends,
It's a sunny Monday morning here in the heart of the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia and, as we make our plans for this weekend's gigs, the power of the arts communities throughout the country is on our minds.

This weekend we're playing a couple of shows in venues whose mere existence showcases that power, the Barns of Rose Hill, and the Highland County Arts Center. These are venues which would not exist were it not for the efforts of ordinary people who realized the necessity for the arts and have gone to extraordinary lengths to provide them to their communities.

The Barns of Rose Hill, in Berryville, VA, a venue which has been on our wish list for quite a while, was originally two dairy barns, built over 120 years ago. The Highland County Arts Center was a schoolhouse built over 100 years ago. Rather than having been torn down in the name of progress, each has been renovated, at the cost of millions of dollars raised by their communities and are now successful centers of cultural activity.

We have experienced on our own the inspiration and joy the arts provide, and we are proud and grateful to be considered part of this world. But we don't take it for granted and realize that we are no more special than anyone who buys a ticket to a show or to an exhibit, or who takes a class, or who merely walks through the doors of an arts center to see what it's like. We try to remain cognizant that to receive the benefits of the arts, we must give.

I'd like to think as I go through life, I'll end up like Robin and Linda Williams - curious ramblers with a sense of humor. . . I am quite fond of "Maybelle's Guitar and Monroe's Mandolin, "an upbeat tune about a breathtaking visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame." Craig Shelburne, Music Row Magazine.

Life is good for Robin and Linda. We're working hard on some new music, both our own songs and others. We're taking care of an old, sick cat. We're getting a kick out of college basketball. We'll be voting tomorrow in the Virginia primary. We're still enjoying our music and our lives together, which, after 50 years, is NOT nothing. And, because we have the best audiences in the history of the music business, we're looking forward to getting back out in front of people this weekend.

Bumper Sticker of the Month: Sometimes you get, and sometimes you get got.

Go out and see some live music. We hear it makes you smarter.

Your pals,
Robin and Linda