Nashville Spotlight Showcase - September 6th

The show will run from 11:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. with 48 kids performing. Come join us for a great time!

(click to enlarge)

Nashville Spotlight Kids Club

Hi, everybody! Here are a couple of slideshows and a video from the Nashville Spotlight Kids Club. The showcase was June 10 and Mike Jennings calls it the longest running show of the County Music Festival. It ran 14 1/2 hours with continuous entertainment by a bunch of great kids. I hope to blog more often soon....been busy.

The Story Behind The Lyrics

"Live, Laugh, Love"

I always liked this phrase and one day after seeing it on a sign somewhere, the words just kept going through my head and the lyrics and melody started forming. It's just about life will bring you down, but you can get right back up! I was so excited to win first place in "pop" with this song last year at the 2008 MOVA Songwriters Competition at the Will Rogers Festival in Guntersville. The festival was fun and I met new friends at the competition.

"Not That Far"

My first thought about this song was, it's going to end happily. I was so tired of writing heart broken songs. Although, there is a little bit of sadness, I wanted a happy ending. This song is about being lonely, waiting for someone who has been away for a while...maybe in the military...being afraid they will forget you or almost losing hope that you will see them again. So for the Troops, "Thank you!"

"Tonight"

I wrote this song about a year ago and although I did not have a boyfriend, this boy broke my heart! No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't get him off my mind. After being so sweet to me later he did not even look my way. I took a deep breath and walked up to him in the hallway. I asked him what was going on and he said, "Nothing," then walked away. My next class was choir and I should have been excited. My best friend could tell something was wrong. I was tearing up while telling her what had happened. I told her my heart felt like it had dropped a 1,000 feet. She gave me a hug and let me cry and said "I know you're upset, but it sounds like a song."

"Leave It That Way"

This was written after my grandmother and I were talking about relationships that fall through. Some one who is very close to me was with some one for along time. They had so many plans, but something went wrong and I guess you could say they fell out of love. So then, anytime she would hear his name she'd get so mad. I know that when your heart is broken, it takes a long time to heal. Maybe you'll always feel an empty space. All I know is that you will get past the pain someday. Think about the special times you had with that person rather than the bad.

"Day By Day"

I was having a terrible day at school. I hit my head on the locker above me; tripped up the stairs and just felt like giving up. So, in the middle of a game of dodgeball in P.E. on day, this song "just came to me!" "Day By Day" won first place in "pop" at the 2009 MOVA Songwriters Competition at Panoply. That was a great day and I met more new friends and had fun with friends at Panoply.

"Things Have Changed"

This song is about my heart being broken. The guy seemed really sweet at first and then all of a sudden he was completely different. This was written about a year ago so obviously I didn’t have a boyfriend, yet I still ended up with a broken heart. What are the odds?!

"Are We Just Friends" was written by Ken Cooper. It was an honor when he asked me to sing it! Ken and I have been singing it for several months at The Coffee Tree...Ken on guitar and me at the mic. It has always been a big hit there. Ken recently arranged for me to go to Rockit Juice Audio to sing by the AWESOME arrangement by Uncle Bethel! WOW it really rocks now. I sang "Are We Just Friends" by the new track recently at The Coffee Tree...it went over great, but Ken and I did it acoustically for old time's sake.

"I'll Cheat" is a fun song written by Lisa Carr of Uncle Bethel. Visit Uncle Bethel's myspace and listen to Lisa's version...she is an awesome singer. I was so excited when she asked me several months ago if I would sing it. We sort of tweaked the lyrics a little for me. It was a big hit when I sang it at Ken Cooper's Showcase at The Coffee Tree recently. This recording was done at Rockit Juice Audio! AWESOME! Thanks, Uncle Bethel!

Please visit Myspace Music to hear my songs. I would love for you to leave comments here! Thanks!

NASHVILLE!!! My home away from home...

A couple of weeks ago, I had an amazing time in Nashville!!!! I connected with Nashville Spotlight on MySpace. Mike Jennings, the producer of Nashville Spotlight invited me to the "World Famous" Nashville Palace to perform four of my songs on the Nashville Spotlight Show, the week of the Country Music Awards Fan Fest. There were 58 kids from 9 states performing a show that ran from 11:00 a.m Wednesday 'til 1:30 a.m Thursday. Awesome! Nashville Spotlight features young singers and performers. Mike has created a "family" at Nashville Spotlight for kids and their parents to learn about the business in a safe environment. He broadcasts four shows a week on a Nashville cable channel with videos of the productions airing on the internet. I sang four of my songs during the show and have been invited back to Nashville on July 11th to work as a Production Assistant. It will be fun to set up the scenes, help organize the show and learn "behind the scenes of producing a television show." I'll get to sing and record for future TV and Internet broadcasts. I look forward to working on a lot of productions! How cool is that?!

Mike Jennings and MaryJustice

... I met so many nice, sweet, talented young people.......

The Boyle Brothers song, "I Stand Corrected," is in a commercial on the CMT channel and they are now official members of CMA. They recently moved to Meridian, Mississippi from Washington State. Hey, guys it was great meeting you and your parents! You guys are so sweet!

Jared, Jesse, Jacob, Jeff, MaryJustice

The Brewer Boys from San Diego, California. Great music! . You guys are so sweet & your mom is a sweetheart!

MaryJustice, Justin, Nathan

Riley Mackenzie sings with the Cleveland Singing Angels and will be making a trip with the group to Paris soon. Good luck, Riley!

MaryJustice and Riley

Bre Shelby is from Kentucky and is a member of The Nashville Spotlight Kids Club. Bre is singing all over Nashville right now. Yea, Bre!

(Bre's friend) Bre and MaryJustice

Harlie, age 9, is from Alabama and sings all over the northwestern part of the state! Ashleigh Marie (13) lives just "up the road" from us in New Market, Alabama. Both are Kids Club members. We discovered that Ashleigh Marie's dad and my mom were in school together from 1st grade through 9th and remembered each other! How cool is that?

Harlie, Ashleigh Marie, MaryJustice

....including some celebrities!

Irlene Mandrell of "The Mandrell Sisters" and MaryJustice

MaryJustice and Mel McDaniel

"Baby's Got Her Blue Jeans On"

MaryJustice and Aaron Tippin
"You've Got To Stand For Something"

Suzi Oraveck...Suzi is an up and coming Star in Nashville! Sweet, and so encouraging to me. It was great meeting you, Suzi. Hope to see you again soon....in Nashville!

I had an amazing time and can't wait to go back.

Click on my photo in the top right side bar and visit MySpace! Thanks!

'til later!

School Is OUT For This Blogger!

Hey, school is out! Me and my friends showing off our certificates with our Principal, Mrs. Pickens.

I'll catch up on blogging in a couple of days...meanwhile, I hope you enjoy this video from The Coffee Tree. "Are We Just Friends" was written by our friend, Ken Cooper. That's Ken, the rocket scientist, on the guitar. Hope you enjoy it!

When you get a chance, click the link in the sidebar and visit Myspace....

Live From The Bluebird Cafe!

Hey, everybody! Saturday, we went to Nashville to The Bluebird Cafe where our friend, Jim Parker, was booked to sing with Janet McLaughlin, Casey Kelly and Leslie Ellis, all published songwriters.
A few weeks ago at Jim's Showcase, Janet had mentioned that I should come up to Nashville and sing with them at The Bluebird Cafe...I wasn't sure she was really serious...but.....we thought it would be fun to go, anyway, and see what all goes on at the Bluebird, as we have not been before, and cheer on our friends, Jim and Janet.

Johnny Okwu, the producer of my CD tracks (soon to be my guitar teacher) was in Nashville buying recording equipment so he said he would drop in also!

Since the show was sold out (meaning tables) and the benches are first-come-first-served, we got to the Cafe an hour early to get in line. We were lucky to be near the front of the line and when the doors opened we were able to get seats in a "park bench"...yep...a park bench...Mom, Grandmother and I had to sit sort of sideways to fit, but we were close to the performers. Jim came in and started moving around the room speaking to people. He gives a big hug to all his friends...we sort of look forward to those hugs! There were a few other people from Huntsville there. The other songwriters arrived and Janet saw us, waved and came over to "our bench." She bent over and whispered to me...I almost stopped breathing.

The most awesome thing happened...(watch this video)...

I'm a member of the Nashville Songwriters Association, International (NSAI) and have entered a couple of songwriting competitions and was honored to win first place two years in a row. But this event was awesome! You have to audition to sing at The Bluebird Cafe. This was a dream come true! I do plan to go to an audition when they advertise the next one. Janet had asked me if I would like to sing acapella since they don't allow tapes or CDs there. I told her that our friend, Johnny, was there and would play if he could borrow a guitar. She said okay. Later Janet told the audience, that when I said I had a friend that could play, she thought it would be someone that sort of strummed along. Everone was impressed with Johnny's playing. I'm excited that he will be my guitar teacher.

Jim, MaryJustice, Janet, Leslie, Casey....their show was terrific!

Me with Janet and Johnny.

Jim, me, Johnny, The Bluebird Cafe!

I am so very, very blessed to have friends like Jim and the opportunity to meet people like Janet!

Thank you, Jesus! You are so "Beautiful"......

MaryJustice and Songwriter Friends

As usual the Jim Parker Songwriter Showcase at the VBC Playhouse was awesome. I've made a slide to introduce the songwriters. You'll meet a surprise "guest" who went on stage and stole the show! I hope you enjoy seeing the pictures in the slideshow and enjoy the music on the videos.

Our host, Jim Parker wrote "Chicken Truck" and "I've Got a Feelin" recorded by John Anderson. He's getting pretty famous.... I hope we don't lose him at the Coffee Tree Songwriters Open Mic. Jim encourages all us aspiring songwriters, whether young or old!

Jim Hurst is an awesome guitarist-vocalist and multi-instrumentalist playing bluegrass, country, rock and blues and has joined Claire Lynch and her band.

Claire is a bluegrass musician, singer and songwriter, and has been a creative influence in bluegrass music since her early days with Front Porch. She wrote"Hills of Alabam" recorded by Kathy Mattea and "Some Morning Soon" recorded by Patty Loveless.... and many, many others. Claire used to live "up the road from us" in Hazel Green. She stopped traveling, while raising her ballerina daughter. For a while Claire worked at the ballet shop where I got my ballet gear. She used to fit my ballet and toe shoes for me! How neat is that! Now, she is back on the road doing what she loves, making you cry, making you laugh, telling you about Jesus with her music.

Bill Diluigi opened the Showcase. Bill Dee, as he likes to be called, focuses on Christian Music and has had several songs recorded internationally. He spends a lot of time in Australia. I got his book of songwriting tips. He has been very helpful to me.

Janet McLaughlin wrote"Walk on Water," recorded by Loretta Lynn. Her "My All American Boy," the agility song, was featured during the 2008 USDAA Cynosport World Games.

"My All American Boy" by Janet McLaughlin

And, of course, "Chicken Truck" performed by Jim Parker, with a little audience participation. I know you'll enjoy this show!

School will be out soon! See you later :-)