Summer is here!

Posted by Marny's webmaster
I'm looking forward to gigging outside, feeling the sun on my face and swallowing the odd bug while I sing. Things are great here in Girl Singer Land. I just celebrated another birthday. Like many women, I lie about my age. When people ask me how old I am, I tell them I'm 50. They drop their jaws and tell me how good I look for my age. Try this, girls, it's fun.

Some great gigs happening in the next month:

• Canada Day in Wascana Park (Regina), main stage, 7:30 pm - just before the Northern Pikes hit the stage. My talented and beautiful daughter, Mae will be joining me for the last few songs of my set. Come and check her out - she is fantastic.
• Craven Country Jamboree in the Beer Gardens. Thursday, July 13 at 1:00am and Saturday, July 15 at 9:00pm. These are going to be high energy shows and I can't wait.
• Taste of Regina, Thursday, July 20 at 7:00pm. Come have supper in the park and listen to some great music.
• Friday and Saturday, July 21 & 22 at the Pump Roadhouse (Regina). It's been too long since I've played there and I'm looking forward to heading back to this fantastic establishment.

I hope you have a great summer and if you can't make any of these shows, please drop me a line to say hi.

Take care,
Marny

p.s. My book, "Linger", will be ready late August. It's going to be beautiful!

May. Day

Hurray, Hurray, first day of May! Outside _________ begins today! You fill in the blank.

I hope things are well in your world. I first want to say hello to Sean and Darlene from Nokomis. We saw them at a wedding on April 29th. Hey Sean and Darlene! Thanks for being so interested in my music career and so supportive. I appreciate it big time. I always enjoy seeing you two and I know Trev does also. I hope you're having a great spring up there in Nokomis.

Things are great in Girl Singer Land. I survived the winter. I always feel like I've really accomplished a huge task after getting through another Saskatchewan winter. The wind and the cold and the dark can slow me down. Maybe I'm cold blooded like a frog - things just kinda quite moving much in the winter.

I did attend a great songwriting workshop sponsored by Sask Music in Saskatoon. They brought in Dean McTaggart, Ralph Murphay and James Dean Hicks. Huge master songwriters. Lots to learn from them and lots of fun with other Saskatchewan songwriters. I've been to a couple workshops that Ralph Murphay has been leading. Both times he spoke about a woman who recently wrote a book that made it to the best sellers list. He told of how for many years she went to workshops around the states to learn more about writing a book. After years of hard work and determination, she ended up with a novel on the best seller's list. A wonderful, encouraging story and I can't help but think Ralph is looking right at me everytime he tells this story. Maybe its his way of saying, "Don't give up."

Giving up, I'm not. I came home from that workshop and formed a small writing group with other Sask writers. We are writing from a title whenever we get together. Actually, the title is given prior to getting together and everyone writes from the same title and then comes and shares what we've come up with. Really interesting to see how a few people can come up with so many different views of the same title. I'm digging it and I'm writing more than I've written in a while.

On the home front things are going great. I'm assistant coaching Josi's softball team. Twelve 10 year olds learning to play ball. Fun and frustrating at the same time. Last week, the centerfield player let a ball go by her because she was doing her hair. This week, the second base player let one by her because she was practicing her dance moves. I played softball growing up and it's funny how much of what my coaches said to me all those years ago is coming back to me. Haven't won a game quite yet, but I can see definite improvement in these little athletes.

And, I'm playing ball as well this year. I joined the ladies softball team in Lumsden. Those girls can play. No fooling around there. I had to giddyup big time to keep up. I was more nervous my first time up to bat than I was when I sang for the Queen last year. Yikes. I hit it. Not hard and not far, but I hit it. I'm either going to have to take some time in the batting cage with a private coach or jump in front of the ball for a walk if I'm going to get on bass.

Girls just got home from school. I better go get supper happening. Josi has a big ball game tonight.

Take care and I'd love to hear from you soon.

Marny

"Girl Singer Heads West!"

Hope this finds you healthy and happy. Life is vibrant as ever here in Girl Singer Land. I'm heading west for a short tour over the May long weekend. Check out my appearances page for details of the tour. Really looking forward to smelling that mountain air and hearing my yodels bounce off the Rockies.

I started a writing group that meets a couple times a month. We've been at it since February. We pick a new title at the end of each session and then everyone goes home and writes from the same title using their own perspective. Some interesting stuff coming out of these meetings. I'm digging it and I'm writing more than I have in a long time.

My book, "Linger", is taking wonderful shape. The artist, Megan Mansbridge, is almost done the illustrations. I'll keep you posted on its fall release. It's going to be fantastic!

On the homefront, I've taken on the duties of Assistant Coach for Josi's (our youngest daughter's) softball team. Lots of fun teaching these young ones how to play ball. I'm trying hard not to be too competitive, but I've got them all on a nutritious eating regime and strict exercise plan - just kidding.

Mae (our middle one) has been busy singing a bit and playing the piano, but her biggest dilemma is deciding what to wear to school the next day and figuring out how to do her hair. She really cracks me up with how serious she is about it. Crystal (our oldest) is graduating at the end of May. Wow! how times flies - Johnny Reid knows what he's talking about in his latest song. Better go pack for the tour west. Take care and I'd love to hear from you.

Marny

p.s. The bass playing is coming along. I love it! I'll be breaking it out for a few songs during this tour.

Hello there!

Posted by Marny's webmaster

I hope you're having a good spring so far. The run-off was moving like crazy at our house last week. It took Josi (my youngest daughter) less than 5 seconds to get her first boot full when she went out to play and her dad wasn't far behind her.

Things are great here in Girl Singer Land. I've been busy practicing on my new acoustic bass I bought a month or so ago. I'm addicted to that thing! I expect to be ready to bring it out for my performances in May. I'll keep you posted on when and where that will be. All you bass players need not be intimated, I'm not that good (not yet, anyway).

In the meantime, I'm very excited to be opening for one of my favorite Canadian artists, Lisa Brokop. Dates include:

April 19, 8:00pm, Mae Wilson Theatre, Moose Jaw SK
April 20, 8:00pm, Casino Regina, Regina SK

Call 1-306-565-3000 for tickets. You won't be disappointed - I promise.

I will also be performing to help kick off National Organ Donor Awareness Week in Regina on April 24th, 11:30am at the F.W. Hill Mall. (I only have one kidney and encourage everyone to consider organ donation). Come on down and hear some music, say hello, and listen to some incredible stories from organ recipients, organ donors and people waiting for organs.

Check out my website, www.girlsinger.ca for more info on me and my upcoming appearances.

Take care, and I hope to hear from you soon!

Marny

Spring is on its way!

Posted by Marny's webmaster

Spring is on its way! I can feel the thaw coming on in my area. The days are getting longer and the birds are singing louder and I love it. I always feel stronger after surviving a Saskatchewan winter. Things are great in Girl Singer Land. Spent a lot of the past two months getting my girls to basketball games and dance lessons and making muffins. Serious mom stuff. I did take a weekend in February to attend a writer’s workshop in Saskatoon. It was fantastic to be around 30 other Saskatchewan songwriters and learn from some sensational pros: Ralph Murphy, James Dean Hicks and Dean McTaggart. Thanks to SRIA for putting this event together.

Big news! I just bought myself an acoustic bass guitar. I haven’t been this excited about a new toy since the Christmas when I was six and I got a purple Barbie Van. I can’t leave it alone. All I want to do is play my bass. You can bet I’ll be busting it out during my acoustic shows real soon.

I had a great time in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan at the Northern Lights Casino. Thanks Paul Lomheim for the gig. I also had the opportunity to watch the world class Country North Show that Paul produced. Over-the-top talent up north!

To check out more on Marny visit www.girlsinger.ca.

upcoming shows

Here's what's up for me in the weeks ahead:

Tim Horton's Brier, Regina Exhibition Park, Saturday March 11, 5:15-6:15 pm. Come one, Come all! We're gonna raise the roof!

Saskatchewan Country Music Awards, Nipawin, SK, Friday, March 17 to Sunday, March 19. I'll be playing at the Kick Off Party, President's Dinner, Songwriter's Cafe, Awards Show and, no doubt, the lobby of the hotel. Just try and keep me from the stage. I'm also delighted to say I've been nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year.

Opening for Lisa Brokop, Wednesday, April 19 at Casino Moose Jaw and Thursday, April 20 at Casino Regina.

The release of my book, "Linger", has been moved forward to the fall. The artwork is coming along beautifully and I'm very excited about this project. I'll keep you posted on its progress.

I hope life is good for you. Take care and I'd love to hear from you.

Marny