Ashleigh Wehmeyer: News

Many of you may have been wondering where I've been lately and what I've been up to. Our NSAI group just couldn't draw the membership in the Belton location, so Cody Cotton and I called it a day. It was a shame for us and for NSAI members in the area. We had great numbers in Round Rock, but for reasons beyond our control, we had to move further north. Thanks to everyone for your support. We gave it a good six months and had a wonderful workshop with the incredibly talented Gretchen Peters in November. Everything happens for a reason, and the group closing up shop seems to be no exception. We found out in February that my husband would be deploying to Iraq five months early and we had a lot of things to get done in a short period of time. I had a bunch of songwriting workshops scheduled at local elementary schools and conferences which were wonderful. I also juggled baseball and soccer season on my own this spring. I enjoyed every minute of it, but now it's time to get back to playing and writing and even emailing! Hope to chat with you all soon!

I can't thank all of you enough who opened your hearts...and your wallets at my request. We raised $500 for the Junvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. I thank you and my neighbor and her daughter, on whose behalf this money was raised, also thank you. Here's to finding a cure!

I'm so excited to announce that our NSAI workshop will host a mini-seminar with Gretchen Peters (Independence Day) on Saturday, November 3rd, from 1-3pm, at the Harris Community Center in Belton, TX. We are thrilled to have Gretchen share her insights on songwriting and the music business as well as sing some of her well-known hits...LIVE.

Check out our NSAI website-- www.myspace.com/beltonwaconsai for all the details and to reserve your seat! The seminar is open to the public and the cost is just $10 for NSAI member and only $20 for non-members.

For various reasons, the NSAI Regional Workshop that used to be in the Austin area has now moved further north to the Belton-Waco Area. We are excited about this move that aims to better serve Central Texas. I will still serve as one of the Volunteer Coordinators for the group and we have our first meeting on Wednesday, Ssptember 26th at 7pm. Meetings will be held at the Harris Community Center on Alexander in Belton. For more info on the meeting see my Calendar page.

We are looking into the possibility of setting up a workshop with Gretchen Peters (writer of "Independence Day" & many other hits) on November 3rd. We also hope to set up a songwriting workshop after the first of the year with Thom Shepherd, writer of the smash hit for Craig Morgan called "Redneck Yacht Club." Send me an email if you'd like to be included on our workshop email distro list. More to follow...

I'm proud to be joining the efforts of millions of people to raise money for Juvenile Diabetes Research. I'm fundraising on behalf of one of my neighbors whose daughter was diagnosed with Type I Diabetes less than four months ago. She asked me if I'd be willing to participate in the Walk for a Cure fundraising effort. On my street alone, hers is the third child I've met in the the year I've lived at Fort Hood, who has Type I Diabetes. How could I say no?

Below is a letter from my neighbor, Jennifer Caldwell about her daughter, Sydney. After the letter, you'll find instructions for donating money online to the Caldwell Family Team & the Walk for the Cure. Instrctions for donating online are listed below her letter. My goal is to help raise $500 or more for their team. It is a bit ambitious, I'm told, but if I'm going to put my energy into something, I really want it to count!

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Dear Friends and Family,

I am writing this letter with a heavy heart. For years, I have asked many of you to donate money to the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation's Annual Walk to cure Diabetes. The JDRF has raised nearly 90 million dollars to help fund research to find a cure for Type1 diabetes. I have asked for donations to help cure my nephew, Cameron. Well, this year I am asking for donations to help cure my 8yr old daughter, Sydney. Syd was diagnosed with Diabetes on May 20, 2007. I rushed Syd to the ER on a Sunday evening with classic Diabetes symptoms, drinking a lot of water, going to the bathroom a lot, weight loss, and incessant hunger. The whole drive there I was telling myself, "It's nothing, I'm overreacting." At the ER, they checked her blood glucose (BG), it was 530! To put this in perspective for you an average BG is 80-120. The nurses looked at us with pity, but I was still telling myself it was a fluke. A few minutes later the ER Doctor came in and told me she was certain it was diabetes. I immediately called Jason, my mom, and Susan, my mother-in-law. Each time I sobbed out the word "Diabetes," it became more real, more permanent. You see, I knew what this diagnoses meant.

I knew the difficulties, the heartache, the pain, and the frustration. I had watched my brother-in-law and sister-in-law deal with this disease for 8 years. I had watched and listened to my nephew's cries as he was given yet another shot. I KNEW the devastation this would cause in our family. I knew the devastation it was causing in my heart.

So after I pulled myself together and told Syd we would be okay. I started to educate myself about Type 1 Diabetes. Rather then bore you with all the details I will summarize. All the new technologies in the world still have one major flaw. At the end of the day, Sydney still has diabetes. She still has to poke more holes in her body everyday
then most of us will in 10 yrs. She still has to monitor EVER SINGLE
bite of food that goes in her mouth. She is still at risk for long
term complications that could end her life much earlier then I would
ever want.

The only answer is a cure, not better machines that simulate a pancreas, not a machine to monitor BG 24/7. The only thing that keeps me going is the hope, the belief that a cure can and MUST happen. I'm not talking about in "the future," I mean NOW, in her lifetime, so she can live the life that we all dream of for our children.

Please take the time and consider what a cure would mean for Sydney and the thousands of other children living with this disease. The JDRF give 90% of its donation dollars to fund research for a cure, so you KNOW your money is helping. Your donation is also tax deductible which is always a good thing. So if you are moved to help us find a cure for Type 1 diabetes, please send checks payable to the JDRF to me or donate online using a credit card at www.jdrf.org click support a walker then fill in my first and last name,our team name (Caldwell family team) and Texas for our state.

I can't tell you thanks enough for your donations and what they mean for our family.

Sincerely,
Jennifer Caldwell
6844 Todd St
Ft Hood, TX 76544

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Here's how you can help...Donate to the Walk for the Cure through the Juvenile Diabetes Reseach Foundation website...even $10 can make a big difference!

1. Go to www.jdrf.org
2. Under "Walk to Cure Diabetes" click on "Donate" under the Walk
Central Section
3. Under "Support a Walker" fill in my first & last name-Ashleigh
Wehmeyer
4. Under Team Name, type "Caldwell Family Team"
5. Select Texas for the state
6. Click on "Find Walker"
7. Click on me, "Ashleigh Wehmeyer"
8.Click on "Donate to this Walker" and follow the instructions for
donating with your credit card.

I will keep you posted on our progress to meet my goal of $500. We've got just five weeks to do it, so please don't wait to make your donation. Please email me if you have any questions or concerns or any problems donating online. Thanks for your generosity.

Just got this demo back from Nashville. The song is called "M-E-X-I-C-O" and I worte it with one of my favorite co-writers, Carol Coffey from Kansas City, and one of my most enjoyable co-writers, Scott Jarman, in Nashville. Galen Breen, owner of the Gator Hole, produced this demo. He does a terrific job, see my links for more info on him. The singer is Leslie Craig. We loved her voice on this demo. You can find out more about her by checking her out at www.myspace.com/lesliecraig. Click on my Music page to take a listen, and let us know what you think about it!

--Gospel fans in for a toe-tapping good time at the Cove Opry-Story by Rose Posival, Killeen Daily Herald, The Scene-Central Texas Arts and Entertainment

Old and young, country music enthusiasts seem to flock to the Cove Opry on the first Saturday of every month. Maybe it’s for the family-oriented environment. Maybe it’s the barbecue meal. Or maybe it’s the foot-stompin’, two-steppin’ bluegrass and country music.

“It’s a slice of Americana,” said Ashleigh Wehmeyer, a regular performer at the Opry. “It’s good ol’ fashioned family fun. People probably think this doesn’t exist anymore.”

The concept began in 2001, when a group of Cove residents wanted to bring a different type of entertainment to their town.

“We wanted a good, clean, wholesome environment that the whole family could enjoy,” said James Stockman , board president of the Cove Opry.

Over the years, the Opry board members have sought talent throughout Texas and have asked them to perform.

“Most of the talent we get are from visiting other Oprys or by word of mouth,” Stockman said. “If a person asks to perform, we’ll do an audition or hear their CD.”

Wehmeyer is one of those performers who earned her spot on the entertainment lineup by doing an audition. Wehmeyer went to the Cove Opry with a few friends last November for a night of good ol’ country music. As a country music singer/songwriter, she was intrigued by the band and performers.

“I went up to Cathy (James’ wife) and asked if I could audition sometime,” Wehmeyer said. “[The band] said, ‘how about now?’”

With a voice like Gretchen Wilson and Lee Ann Womack, she blew the audience away with a cold audition and was slated for a February performance. She now is scheduled for a performance in October and in January 2008.

Wehmeyer is one of the many performers who sings her own music at the Opry, with the help of the house band, [the] Bell Jam Band. Led by Freddie Fuller, the group performs Grand Ole Opry style with interlude songs and providing music for the singers.

“About a year ago, people from the Cove Opry came and said they’re in need of a band,” Fuller said. “The whole concept was interesting to us.”

With Melissa McGee on vocals and percussion, David Scafe on the drums, Gerry Burns strumming the bass, [Greg] Whitfield on guitar, LaRon Tubb tickling the keys on the piano, and Fuller on the guitar and vocals, the band stays on the stage throughout the evening.

“Singers always get more energized when they have a live band,” Fuller said. “There’s just something more magical about a live performance.”

Wehmeyer agrees with the level of professionalism, especially since Fuller’s band oftentimes will receive only a CD to learn the music. “I think it’s more professional to have a live band. Faith Hill doesn’t sing to a CD,” Wehmeyer said. “It adds to the whole experience. It makes the people in the audience feel more like they are a part of the experience. And it’s not like karaoke.”

Wehmeyer and Fuller [have] also performed together at the Bell County Jamboree, [held] every third Saturday of the month at the Azalee Marshall Cultural Activites Center in Temple.

The Opry is presented every first Saturday of the month. Tickets are $7 and may be purchased in advance at the Copperas Cove Chamber of Commerce and Visitors Bureau. For more information, go to www.coveopry.com.

It occurred to me that I hadn't written any entries about my trip to Nashville. It was great! I met a lot of new people and saw some fantastic shows, including one with Kig Kenny of Big & Rich and Richie Sambora, as well as my favorite, at the Bluebird with Mike Reid (co-writer of I Can't Make You Love Me of Bonnie Raitt fame), Lari White (recording artist/Broadway star/record producer) and others including Broadway composers and songwriters of Wicked, Godspell, High Fidelity, Pocohantas, and more. It was a Broadway in Nashville show and it was out of this world!

I also went down to have some meetings with publishers and to attend NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association, International) Coordinator Training. I am one of the new volunteer coordinators for the Austin Area-NSAI. The workshop hasn't been meeting for over a year. Cody Cotton (the other volunteer coordinator) and I are committed to changing that. I'm very excited about it, but know it's going to add another thing to a pretty full plate! It's worth it! Please email me if you are interested in being a part of the NSAI.

I was in Nashville with some of my Kansas City-NSAI friends and co-writers. Carol Coffey, Gerry Monks, and I were thrilled at NSAI Spring Symposium when our song was announced as one of the Top Ten contenders for the Single Song Showdown out of an estimated 250 songs. The winning songwriters would get a songle song contract with Song Garden Music Publishing. We didn't win, but much like the Academy Awards nominees, we feel it was an honor just to be nominated! ;-)

Just in time for my trip to Nashville, I have received our latest demo. "You Got Me There" is a song I wrote with two of my favorite Kansas City co-writers, Carol Coffey & Gerry Monks. This demo was recorded at Azalea Music Studios in Nashville. Check out my music page to have a listen.

I'll be in Nashville the last week of March for some publisher meetings, NSAI coordinator training, and for a songwriting workshop. Tin Pan South, a songwriting music festival will also be taking place in the evenings, so I will be energized and exhausted upon my return, if that makes any sense at all.

If any of you are going to be in Nashville, for Tin Pan South, NSAI Song Symposium or just because, don't forget that I'm playing the Bluebird Open Mike, Monday, March 26th. The show usually kicks off around 6pm. Check my Calendar for details. Hope to see you there!

I'm very excited to have so many new things happening this year. I've volunteered to serve as a coordinator for the Nashville Songwriters Association's Austin Regional Workshop. I'll be going to Nashville at the end of March to pitch some new music (I have a new demo being recorded this Friday) and to attend coordinator training. Tin Pan South will also be going on while I'm in town, so I'm looking forward to some amazing shows. I know I will see songwriter friends from all over the country. Shoot me an email if you plan to be there so I can keep an eye out for you. I'm looking forward to connecting with some Central Texas NSAI folks who I hope will come out of the woodwork come April when we start to have meetings again. I'm also starting to perform more locally, so join my mailing list and you can get my monthly performance update.

I'm very excited to share with you some information about a brand new exhibit at the Bell County Museum in Belton. Not only will some of my "artifacts" be included, but they are planning on having musicians perform periodically through the run of the exhibit. I'll keep you posted. I got a chance to tour the museum when I went there to turn in my contribution. It is partially housed in the old Carnegie Library, a beautiful building, and is known as one of the most impressive museums for its size in the state of Texas. I'll include the link at the bottom of this entry. The following is the write up from the museum's most recent newsletter! Admission to the museum is free and its hours are Noon to 5:00pm, Tuesday through Saturday.

Rhythm and Rhyme: Music in Central Texas opens on Saturday, January 27th, 2007. You don't want to miss this one! Area historian Patricia K. Benoit is guest curator for the exhibit. Ms. Benoit will present a gallery talk at 1:00pm at the January 27th event. Afterward, refreshments will be served and families can enjoy a craft activity as well.

The highly interactive exhibit focuses on the musical diversity of Central Texas. Ms. Benoit stated, "Bell County is a crossroads county in a crossroads state--a stew pot of cultures. From Native peoples to those whose original tongues were English, Spanish, Czech, German and hosts of other languages, each has left indelible imprints on Central Texas music. As musical styles merged, the area became a harmonic convergence. Central Texas spawned great artists ranging from classical, jazz, rock,sacred harp, folk, country, Western swing, gospel, funk, and rap. Each artist shaped and reformed music to fit the times and tradition."

Museum curator Amanda Dyer notes, "Some fascinating individuals have influenced our musical traditions, such as Grammy winner Little Joe Hernandez . Woody Guthrie, Joe Tex, Jules Bledsoe, and Blind Willie Johnson are among many individuals featured in the exhibit who have helped shape the area's musical identity."

Fun and informative hands-on areas include a stage with various instruments to explore; a touch-screen computer featuring area musicians and their work; an area dedicated to exploring sacred harp music, gospel and spirituals; and more.

Partial funding for Rhythm and Rhyme has been provided by a generous contribution from the Holze Music Co.--Kim Herrington, and from the Friends of the Museum membership Group. Rhythm and Rhyme will remain on view through June 16th, 2007.

Here's the link to the Museum's website:
http://www.bellcountytx.com/Museum/

I'm happy to report that my song, "Mirror, Mirror" was a finalist in the Country Category of the Austin Songwriters Group Fall Song Contest. The contest was held in conjunction with the ASG Fall Symposium. When the finalists were annouced, I got to go up and perform my song live. The event was great. I learned a lot and met some great people. They had Texas songwriters as well as songwriters from Nashville. I even started a couple new songs.

I'm so excited to be in Texas where there are so many opportunities to perform locally. I've added some dates on my calendar. Be sure to check back often. I'd love to see you out there in the audience!

The Army has sent my husband, and thus, the rest of us to Fort Hood, Texas. We are thrilled to be here. Central Texas is a great great place to be for all of us! We are getting settled in and I hope to be back to making music soon. Please check back as I hope to start adding performance dates for early fall.

Come and celebrate Armed Forces Day with me at the Pirtle Winery! Sample Pirtle's vast array of red & fruits wines as well as meads. Eat, drink and hear me play some tunes in the wine garden! Check out my calendar for all the details and a link to the winery's website.

I'm so excited to let you know that my song, Gone Crazy (Be Back Soon), written with my friend, Lisa Mowry, is going to be included on the Nashville Songwriters Association's Best of NSAI compilation CD that is handed out at a luncheon for Nashville publishers & record companies. Lisa and I are thrilled & honored to be included on the CD. The exposure is great, & hey, you never know who's listening...

Hey y'all! I'm headed back to Nashville in February with some new music. Check out my demo, When You've Been Wronged, on my Music page. While in Nashville, I'll be playing at the Commodore Lounge again. If you'd like to stop by see my Calendar for details.

I'm back from my two and half day whirlwind trip to Nashville. I had a great time writing with friends, playing out, meeting with publishers and going to workshops. I even got to do a little shopping. Every time I go to Nashville, I love it more and more.

Now to the demo...A songwriter friend of mine, Lisa Mowry, met me down in Nashville. She and I wrote the song we demoed at the Gator Hole, called Gone Crazy (Be Back Soon). Lisa has a fabulous voice and performs regularly with her band in NYC. I definitely wanted her to do the vocal. I think she sounds great! So go ahead, click on my Music page and let us know what YOU think.

I'll be making another trip to Nashville at the end of this month. I'm excited to tell you that I'll be playing my first official writer's night in Nashville on October 26th. I'll be playing Debi Champion's Writer's Night at the Commodore in the 10pm round. I'm very excited! I am also planning on playing the late night open mike at the French Quarter Cafe the next night. All details, times and locations for those performances are on my Calendar page.

I'm meeting one of my co-writers down in Nashville to demo one of our songs on this trip. I'll send out an email when "Gone Crazy, Be Back Soon" is added to the site. More to follow...

I'm making my "Mizzou" debut on September 24th at the 5th Annual Watkins Mill Music Festival & Back Porch Jam in Lawson, Missouri. Bring a picnic lunch and enjoy the music. Bring your guitar, too, if you want to jam on the back porch of the historic home site. Check out event details, including when I'll be performing and the park's location on my Calendar.