Katie Mariah's Blog

Kate Leary

Hey guys!

So, here's what's cookin' tomorrow night. My friend, Kate Leary is kicking of the release of her new album at Othello's in Norman! Myself, as well as Ashley Windham will be kicking off her big night and I couldn't be more happy to be there to support her. I think I'll start playing at 7pm. Come out and have a big time with us!

Charlie Rayl, the fine fellow and faithful friend that co-wrote "Beyond My Wildest Dreams" with me collaborated with Kate to produce her first record, Can't Stop Dreaming. You all must check her out. Kate is absolutely lovely inside and out. Come out to Othello's and you will see for yourself.

KM

Veteran's Day

Hi guys,

I've neglected you... seems like it's been forever since I sat down to write, but I think it's been less than a week. The terrible day at Fort Hood has happened since. When I was just a couple years old, my family lived in Temple, TX, less than half an hour from Fort Hood. My mom and I drove right past there on our way to Austin last month when I had a show. It's scary how close to home something like this can get. These were really good people. A man from Tipton, OK, was one of those killed last week. His name was Jason Hunt and he had gotten married just a few months ago. I'm so sad for his wife. This weekend my family got together for my great grandfather's 100 birthday. He died 16 years ago, but he and my great grandmother's amazing legacy will live on through me and my family. Jason Hunt's chance to have a family was taken away from him. So we must be his legacy, his and everyone that has served, fought or died in service of our country. It is Veteran's Day today. I taught the kids at school "America the Beautiful." It's funny to get to be the first person to explain what a veteran is to a bunch of impressionable kids. A big responsibility really.  Thank you to all of our service men and women.

Well, I didn't get done singing and playing music until 9pm tonight. Not a bad day. I started out when the kids all got to school at the gym at 7:50, we sang "America the Beautiful" together after the Flag Salute. I sang at the high school's Veteran's Day assembly. I sang and played until 4pm with the kids. Got home and shortly headed out for more meetings, then choir practice for a special midnight mass I'm excited to be a part of. I got home and I've still got to practice for a gig coming up tomorrow in Norman.

I shall leave you now my friends! Have a great day or night, whenever this may find you.

KM

AC/DC anyone?

It's about 3'o'clock yesterday afternoon. I get a text... "AC/DC tonight?" WHAT? What was that I just read... I started to ask a few predictable questions.... the kind that make you angry when you write them because you are thinking why didn't this obvious information come with the first message. I scrapped the questions and just said, "hell yes." I came to the obvious conclusion that when faced with the opportunity to see one's most favorite hard rock band (not to mention one of the most iconic bands of all time) you just say... yes.

I had to go straight from school... I really felt out of place when we got to the Ford Center in downtown OKC. I looked as about as main stream cheese ball as you can get, it was a rare moment I never thought I'd have but I was completely envying all the gals that had time to prepare in nasty high heels and leather everything. Saw a few tattoos that were down right sossy too. Don't worry pops... I'll stay clean of the ink (for now... ; )

We had a great time. The Answer was the opener did a great job, but of course when AC/DC got on stage they blew the roof off. Will just kept saying "this may be the last tour they ever do. I think he said it like 16 times."

I got some great pics.

   
    
 
 

Thank you BG for the tickets! We had a blast. It was a terribly long day at school today and now I'm off to practice and try to finish up a few songs. I feel miserable and happy all at the same time because I know it was totally worth it. I'll be able to tell my kids that I saw Angus Young live and he ripped off his school boy uniform and blasted skin melting solo on top of 30- foot platform on his back while confetti busted from the ceiling.

For those about to rock-- I salute you.

KM 

Oh, can't believe I almost forgot this. So, I'm deliriously driving to work this a.m. listening to NPR and eating a green apple. Only this morning a news post is being read by the anchor about the road I am currently driving on (in very rural Oklahoma). Apparently, last night a couple driving about 30 miles from where I was hit an animal. Road kill is not a rare occurrence in these parts...but this morning this couple hit an ELEPHANT. That's right... don't worry both parties escaped with minor cuts and bruises and 1 broken tusk. A totally perfect story for the night after AC/DC.

Mrs. V

Hey guys,

I'm sitting here with two very stinky dogs... time for a bath, ugh! Well, I hope everyone had a great Halloween. We had beautiful weather here. The last couple days have beautiful too... kind of unbelievable really. I love fall so much. My OSU Cowboys STUNK it up royally this weekend... it was so very sad.  To top it off, when we got to Stillwater, I hadn't even taken my costume out of the bag from the store, when I opened it up someone had put a size 14 in the bag and half of it was missing. As someone who doesn't like to dress up and especially doesn't like to spend money on a costume, I was not very happy. True, I didn't have to wear a costume because of the mishap, but I wasted money and breath being talked into wearing one. Nothing sucks worse than a whole bunch of waste. They had better take it back.

I helped lead the Norman Songwriters Association (SWAN) meeting tonight. These are a bunch of good folks, it's good to get together with people that understand the way you feel about writing music and getting to share new ideas and songs with them. It really gets your juices flowing. We've got a new website coming soon, I'll have to send it your way when everything is live. It's going to be pretty cool.

Ah, I just found Steal Magnolias is on the tube... Dolly Parton is my favorite, now I'll be up all night.

I spoke to one of my most favorite teachers today. I hadn't heard her voice in probably 12 years... it was very strange.  Mrs. Velharticky... we just called her Mrs. V. She was the drama teacher at Emerson Jr. High in Enid, OK. She made it cool to be in speech and drama and because of her I fell in love with it. She is thinking of producing and directing a touring show of Oklahoma soon. I told her I was definitely interested in being part of it in some way. I'll let you know what happens.

Must close this laptop, must turn off this TV, must go to bed. Thanks for checking in!

KM

Cafe Plaid

Hi guys,

I'll be playing in Norman, OK at a spiffy little joint on campus corner called Cafe Plaid from 7-9pm. Hope you guys can make it. I know J.D. Thompson will be having in CD release party after I play tonight. His stuff is great, I can't wait to hear him live.

The kids have been going crazy at school the last two weeks for tomorrow's holiday, I'm not going to lie, if I had to sing "5 Little Pumpkins" or "Halloween's Coming" for another week I might just go nuts. I'm not the biggest fan of Halloween in terms of dressing up... but I've been forced this year. My idea of Halloween is staying in and watching the Great Pumpkin, or Hocus Pocuswhile kids come to the door. This year, OSU plays TEXAS at home and we are all dressing up and going to the game... I guess I can pull myself together and dress up for my Cowboys. Not sure about the costume yet, but you can bet on some sweet pictures because guess what... I found my camera! Hooray! Of course, it was all my fault, and I almost threw it away. It was in an empty box that my CD's came in the garage. I know you all were SOOO worried. ; ) You can stop looking now.

Hope you all have a fabulous and safe weekend. Thanks for checking in and GO POKES!

KM

Ashley Ray, missing camera, Poetry, FBI

Well hey there,

Thanks  for stopping by... seen my camera? Seriously, I think I've lost it. If you saw me this wild weekend-- it has my name on it. Keep your eyes peeled.

Great shows this weekend, but I am plum wore out. The Poetry music festival in Poetry, TX, was a hellaciously good time. So many damn fine guitar pickers! The boys and I gave them a great show. I've come to this realization, the guys in my band are kind of awesome... even if they are townies-- and my Nana-- the best roadie ever!

I've been checking up on this cool chick from Lawrence Kansas that is making her way up through the Nashville scene right now. Caught on to her because she tweeted about her road rage while driving in Dallas. Something we have in common in that city. She's got a cool voice and some good songs, you guys should check her out too. She's actually going to be in Stillwater, OK coming up this Thursday so you know she's got to be a solid artist! ; ) Her name is Ashley Ray.

Played for the Rockwall FBI banquet on Sunday (I got to personally thanked 400 officers for the 3 speeding ticket WARNINGS they gave me in Dallas this year!). Seriously though, it was a great honor to pay my respects through song to the great service men and women.

Drove back super late so I could be up and teach the kiddo's this morning-- tried not to drag all day, but to be honest, I feel like my neck might just fall off my head right now, so I'm going to pack it up, close this lap top that has been open way too long because a friend made the very dangerous recommendation that I must watch the new show Cougar Town with Courtney Cox. It is freaking hilarious and now I've sat here for almost two hours when I haven't watched television in almost a month.

So, goodnight and I will see you soon, and I'm serious about the camera!

KM

Smile Smile

Hey all,

 I've got shows coming up this weekend east of Dallas. Tell your friends about the Poetry Music Festival in Poetry, TX on Saturday! Me and the band go on at 5pm. The weather is supposed to be gorgeous and we are all just going to chill out and relax and play some good music!

Well, what's happening with you all? Hope it's good, know it's busy, but I sure thank you for checking in with me that's for sure. I just got home from my first parent teacher conferences night. Am I wrong for involving you guys in my life as a teacher? This blog is about me and my musical career and frankly, this teaching stuff I feel is going to be a big part of it one way or another. I mean, I'm a music teacher... that's pretty cool. I get to positively and quite directly influence youngsters with my music. Some days I seriously think I would be making Raffi proud. In fact, I think I shall introduce "Baby Beluga" to the first and second graders next week, then, it's "Lamas in Pajamas" baby! Hey now, if Raffi is wrong I don't want to be right.  Hmm... wonder what Raffi would think about the "Thinkin' Bout You" video? Ha!

Ah, any who... I was online tonight watching Smile Smile... a cool duo from Dallas, they sort of sound like a folkier version of the Ting Tings to me. They have this sweet new song that has a "Feisty" one-take type of video in a park in Dallas. Check out "Tempo Bledso!"

I think this is the perfect happy running tune that will now go on my next on-the-go playlist.

Must get some practice in now before I officially loose control of my faculties.

Much love,

KM

OSU Homecoming, Garth, and U2

Hi guys,

Had a crazy weekend.

Friday I played in the Colgate Country showdown contest in Muskogee, OK.  The radio folks seemed to like me. You can call into Okie Country 107.1 KTFX and request me. This station and all of their lovely affiliates have my single, "Thinkin' Bout You" now.

I headed straight from Muskogee to Stillwater, OK, for OSU homecoming! One of the best events and spectacles of the year! So much fun! Barry Sanders, Garth Brooks and Robin Ventura got inducted to the hall of fame on Saturday and we got to see them in the parade. I saw them at the game a bunch too. Their seats were close to ours, but they were always surrounded or being escorted somewhere, dang it! The floats and house decks that the Greek and campus organizations make are sort of... unbelievable. I've worked on them. It's a crazy process, that's for sure. So many memories! (OSU beat Missouri btw.)

Big surprise! Yesterday, our good friends from my home town of Enid, OK, offered me and Will U2 tickets! They were playing at OU's stadium in Norman. We drove down last night and caught the crazy show. The Black Eyed Peas opened for them and were so good. The real show began with U2, and to be honest I'm not a huge U2 fan, but they were great! They're stage alone was worth seeing. It took eight days to construct. Bono is a crazy character on stage... just like you would imagine. It's my second big concert of the year. I'm not a big crowd person, but I think it's worth the chaos and claustrophobia to study these guys and learn from them.

Well, I hope you all had a great weekend! It's my first 9 weeks testing and teacher's meetings at school this week. I feel like a rogue agent leading a double life sometimes... it's kind of exhausting. Will asked me if I wanted to go get a coke this evening and I looked at him like he was crazy. A coke? Who has time to go get a coke? Then I realized I was the crazy one and put everything down for a few minutes for a coke date.

Ah, coke dates...  more OSU memories. Maybe you should take time for one too this week!

KM

Colgate Country Showdown

Hey friends!

I've entered into this fun radio contest, called the Colgate Country Showdown... I go to Muskogee, OK on Friday to compete. Should be fun. I'm going to knock their socks of with my originals!

This teaching thing will wear a girl  out. I'm running my rear off all day, but loving it. Gave the kids a quiz today over half steps and whole steps. They are learning the basic essence of musical theory that I always wish I had been taught at their age... it's not over these kids heads either. They are really learning. Makes me completely proud.

I'm doing music all day at school, so when I come home I'm trying how to figure out ways to make things a bit more fresh. It's giving my songwriting a much wider depth of view I think. I'll post a new one as soon as I get my blasted camera fixed.

I'm getting my hair done for the first time in way too long tomorrow. I keep wearing it in a bun and Will says I'm starting to resemble the perfect picture of a school marm. Yeah, we gotta change that.

OSU homecoming this weekend baby! Garth Brooks and Barry Sanders are getting inducted into the hall of fame. It's going to be awesome-- they both sit close to my family. Want a picture so BADLY! If I get lucky, I'll post them of course.

Hope you all are having a great week my friends! Thanks for checking in as always!

KM

Street musician

The nicest artist made this for me last weekend. He was really good... not sure who this chick is though. : )

Played an interesting show tonight at the Sante Fe Depot in Norman, OK. The acoustics were amazing and the depot has been turned into an art gallery, but what I didn't know is it is still a working train station. It was kind of funny, folks were there looking at the artist's work and then an Am track train would stop through and unload a bunch of weary travelers. It took me back to my subway days in NYC... except I have now become the street performer eating up the delicious echos with my own tunes while people come and go. I always admired those people, thought they were pretty ballsy to be doing what they were doing. Anyway, I played a little extra and did some of my brand new tunes and a few old covers I love, jut because it was so much fun to sing there. When I was a kid me, my dad and his buddy Carig, who plays the mandolin (he played at my wedding in fact), would go into this old bomb shelter and play music just because the sound was so good. The room was one of those crazy, no body would ever know it was there kind of rooms hidden away, and we'd just sing and play any song we knew because the acoustics made it sound like we sort of knew what we were doing... this Sante Fe Depot room was like that, and now I sort of know what I'm doing, so it was twice as fun.

Well, I'm off to bed. Hope you all have a wonderful weekend! If you wanted my Milk Drop cookie recipe and didn't get the newsletter... sign up for the newsletter already! www.katiemariah.com

Thank you wonderful people!

KM