Extravagant Ones:
For the past two years, I have had the privilege of serving as a board member on the now 75 year old Montana Wildlife Federation (see Der Blog for a link to MWF's website)--this is the premier Western United States organization dedicated exclusively to the preservation of and access to the wildlife that abounds Montana's hills and valleys. In May of 2008, as chair of MWF's Fundraising Committee, I divined the idea to broaden the federation's traditional outreach program through a more generic Montana Matters--a collaboration for conservation employing the arts to send out to the world the message that Montana's abundant beauty, flora, fauna and wildlife must be preserved.
As most of you are aware, part of this campaign involves a series of live concerts taking notice of the abundant number of (starving) Montana artists who are worthy of recognition and participation in this wonderful campaign. In addition to the original works of art that have been created for this campaign and the several bronze pieces cast for our exclusive distribution, we have also put together a concert series now known as "The Songs of Montana Fenceline Concert Series" headlined by MM's own Missoula-resident Shane Clouse (the Troubadour of Montana Matters whose written-for-us keynote song Montana Matters can be heard via Der Blog or on YouTube by typing in "Montana Matters") and the inimical Bob Wire (each of whom performed at the November 7th concert in Napa where we raised in excess of $20,000 for this great campaign).
Well, this past weekend, we took the MM Fenceline Concert Series on the road and, as depicted above, we played the state capital of Helena (where the audience included the MT governor's chief policy advisor, our great friend Hal Harper) as well as The Depot in Butte--the old Great Northern Railway Depot that has now been converted into a Buttesque concert hall. The first of the above pics shows Shane on the left crooning this past Saturday evening with his faithful MM sidekick Bob Wire at the Grant Street Theater in Helena; the second shows the stage in Butte. For each each of these two concerts we were blessed to have singing with and for us Nashville legendary songwriters and performers Sonny La Maire (of Exile fame) and [shown on the far right] Montana-born Tim Ryan whose mind-stopping song I Know The Sound A River Makes can be heard as Track 4 on our glorious Montana Matters Songs of Montana cd (available for purchase at www.montanamatters.com ).
Indeed, gang, Montana Matters!!
Best to all from the scene of it all,
Rock Creek Ron
No comments:
Post a Comment