Happy 2008 from Girl Singer Land!

I hope 2007 ended on a good note for you all. Here’s a quick review of my year:

• I spent the months of January and February between hibernating, snowmobiling and driving my girls to basketball.
  
  
• My daughter Mae stepped into the spotlight a bit with her music. She started singing the national anthem at the Regina Pats Hockey Games, sang and played piano on live TV for Telemiracle, and made it to the finals of the 620 CKRM Big Country Talent Show (the one I won in 1998). I love watching her on stage as much as I love being up there myself.

• Josi auditioned and nailed down a short speaking part on a Corner Gas episode that aired in October. She loved the entire experience and plans to do more...do we sound a bit like Naomi, Wynonna and Ashley?

• I traveled around the province with Megan Mansbridge, the illustrator of my storybook Linger, sharing the story of the making of the book.
  
  
• Pense School invited us stay for a while and work with the kids. I wrote eight songs with the kids, and Megan helped them illustrate five of them into storybook form. It was a huge and worthwhile project, and I think Megan and I learned as much as or more than the kids. Thanks to Pense School and the Arts Smart Program for making that happen.
  
  
• In April, I was honoured to be one of the featured Saskatchewan authors at the Saskatchewan Reading Council Conference. I must have done okay because they invited me to come back in 2008.
  
  
• In May, I found my way to the Casinos of Winnipeg to open for the Oak Ridge Boys, and got invited back in August to open for Neal McCoy. I love it when I get invited back.
  
  
• In June, I played the Pump here in Regina with my A-Team (always a great gig).
  
  
• Trev, my husband, threw me an amazing “surprise” 40th birthday party. My good friends, Shifty Morgan, entertained us with their music. As well, Trev even sang “Jackson” with me, and my beautiful girls wrote and performed a song called “Rock Star Mom”. It was a fantastic way to turn 40 with lots of friends, family, wine and jello shooters.
  
  
• I was proud to be part of the CCMA Host Committee here in Regina in September. I think the weekend went great! Sadly, I still can’t keep up with the partying that goes on at the CCMAs. Maybe with enough practice throughout the year, I’ll be able to keep up in 2008.
  
  
• I also started recording my second album in September. I’m working here in Regina at Brad Prosko’s studio with Dave Chobot producing. Things are sounding great so far.
  
  
• In October, I finally took my butt to Nashville to do some writing. I wrote with Tim Taylor, RyLee Madison and Larry Wayne Clark. It was scary and fun and left me wanting more.
  
  
• November found me in Little Rock, Arkansas, where I presented my book at a reading conference with about 3000 teachers in attendance from that state as well as Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Oklahoma. The southern hospitality was over the top and the entire experience left me wanting more, again.
  
  
• I was back at the Pump in November with the A-Team just after the Saskatchewan Roughriders won the Grey Cup. Some of the players brought the Grey Cup into the Pump during my gig there. We had lots of fun with that.
  
  
• In December, I slowed things down a bit to enjoy family and friends, wine and more jello shooters.

And now for 2008…. Here’s what I have planned:

• more hibernating in January
  
  
• anther trip to Nashville in February
  
  
• complete the recording of my second album
  
  
• release a single to radio
  
  
• commence the transformation of “Who’s That Man” (a song on my debut album) into storybook form
  
  
• open a clothing store called “THREE”, with two of my good friends, Tara and Jody, in our hometown of Lumsden SK
  
  
• love up my girls, make them practice their instruments and do their homework
  
  
• hang out with my husband
  
  
• get better at my guitar and songwriting
  
  
• more wine and jello shooters
  
  
• and…I’ll keep you posted!

I wish you all the best in 2008. Take care and I’d love to hear from you.

Marny

Hello there from Girl Singer Land!

I hope you had a great summer. Lots of writing for me, a few great gigs, some quality time with my beautiful girls and handsome husband, visiting with fun friends and drinking maybe a little more wine than I should. Summer! I love it, but I'm ready to get back into a fall routine.

I've been working with the host committee for Country Music Week. This huge event is happening in Regina September 7 to 10. We've been having lots of fun getting ready to roll out the red carpet for the folks in the music industry coming from across Canada and the States.

If you are in the area, please come check out my performances at:

Thursday, September 6 at 12:45 amThe Pump Roadhouse (641 Victoria Ave E.)

Sunday, September 9, 4:30 pmSongwriter's Cafe Casino Regina Show Lounge

Take care and please drop me a line when you can.

REG

Hello All,

I'm really sad today. My dog, my beautiful Great Dane, Reg, who I called my son and my boy, died. We are all so sad and shocked. He went from being perfectly healthy and so overflowing with life to passing away in less than 24 hours. What a difference a day makes. I'm so thankful we had him in our lives. He was pure joy and he brought so much happiness to our family. Slobbering and shedding hair everywhere, eating the kids lunch, swiping a sandwich off the counter top, sleeping in every single bed in our house while we were away, chasing the cats and not being able to grip on our laminate flooring, following me everywhere all day - even to the bathroom where he liked sitting on my knee, greeting us at the door everytime we came home, loving a car ride, being messed up by the birds on the nature radio station, staying close when I sang and played my guitar, and always, always being so happy to see us. He's a legend and I'll miss him big time. You can expect a song about Reg on my next album.

Take care and love up your pets today and everyday. Bye for now.

Marny Duncan-Cary

Hello there from Girl Singer Land.

Posted by Marny's webmaster

I hope this finds you safe and well. This year marks the 80th Anniversary of the Legions in Canada. I was fortunate to be able to perform at a fundraiser for Legion #001 which is in Regina, Saskatchewan. Imagine that! Legion #001 right here under my nose. There were performances from Eileen Laverty, La Raquette à Claquettes, John McDermott and myself. Pamela Wallen gave an amazing and thought-provoking speech about Canada's involvement in the war.

Parts of the fundraiser, which was called "A Night To Remember", will be edited and aired on CBC's National Broadcast of "Sounds Like Canada" on Friday, November 10 at 10:00 am. If you can, tune in to your local CBC radio station or check it out on the web at www.cbcradio.ca. In the picture above I am standing with legendary tenor John McDermott and my friend Corporal Jamie Sinclair, who recently served in Afghanistan. This weekend I'm going to take time to remember the efforts of our veterans of the past, and show my support for the soldiers involved with the war today. I hope you will find some time to do the same. Take care and God bless.

Marny

Pinch & A Punch, First of the Month

Hello There!

I hope you had a great Halloween. We did here. I've been eating my girls candy non stop since they came home last night. I warned them that they shouldn't eat too much or they would get a tummy ache. However, it's me who has a belly ache from non stop eating. You know I would never go out and buy a normal size chocolate bar. I just don't eat them. But those little ones at Halloween - I'm sure they're connected! I'll eat 15 of them at once - okay maybe only 4 or 5 an hour, I'm addicted.

Things with my book, "Linger", are going really well. Fantastic actually. Megan (the illustrator) and I have been busy going to schools and libraries to give book talks. It's fantastic to go and share the book and the process of making a book with students and teachers. Thanks to all the schools and libraries that have opened your doors to us. I think people are really enjoying the book and at the same time, they're hearing my music as well. I love that! I'm reaching an audience that I never would have reached with just my CD. My plan is to travel throughout Saskatchewan talking about my book, Linger, and performing my song, "Linger", (plus a few more) and then branching off to the neighbouring provinces and eventually all of Canada and then look out USA.

This is just a quick blog. I hope things are well in your world and I'd love to hear from you.

Marny