Song of the Soul

Kristen Graves  is a dynamo of wonderful music and good work in the world. With the talent of Tracy Chapman or Janis Joplin, and with seemingly boundless energy, Kristen was recently the Connecticut State Troubadour, she was founder of  Simply Smiles  and also  The 'Just Be Nice' Party , has 8 recordings, and draws on a religious studies major and diverse spiritual influences.&...

It's rather seldom that a predominantly folk-oriented musician can be a commercial success, but such a one is  David Barrett . Of course, it helps if you write a song like  One Shining Moment  that gets adopted by the NCAA as their anthem. But that is such a tiny scratch on the surface of David's creativity & artistry.

Time for some country-rooted music today with  Fizz Kizer . Actually, he's been told that he's "too country for the cafes and too folkie for the taverns". When playing with his trio, they're called  Fizz & the Farm Hands . His music sings of country things, like the rivers and the taverns and the hearts that grow deep away from the cities.

Judy Kass  took a long hiatus from sharing her music with the world, but was reignited in her zeal to share by the loss of almost 300 colleagues on 9/11. Judy's music draws on a deep exploration of our human condition, to find ways to call in angels to assist us.

In her mission to model and teach the content,  Barbara McAfee  has produced 7 CDs plus a book,  Full Voice: The Art and Practice of Vocal Presence . She also leads two other groups, The Morning Star Singers and The Flowering Women. Having found the path herself, she is devoted to guiding others to their full potential.

Music shared via video feed from all across the USA for Northern Spirit Radio's fun-raising event,  Broadcasting From the Heartland , including  Si Kahn ,  Peter Alsop ,  Magic Mama ,  Ken Lonnquist , and  Tom Rowley with The Healthcare Blues . All of this, and more, was part of the  NSR event!

Brett Kemnitz does the booking for Milwaukee's The Coffee House . In addition to his solo singer/songwriter career, he has performed as part of the Plum Creek String Band and Pebble Creek Crossing - and with many other folks. Find his music on CDBaby.com .

Kate MacLeod  was East Coast born, but Utah settled, capturing the beauty & stories of the Western landscape in her songs. With her powerful fiddle and magical voice, Kate transports everyone into the realities she's read and experienced.

The voice of  Annie Capps  transports the listener on a tour of her Midwest Urban Folk Blue Garden, filled with twang, jazz, soul,& hoochy coo flora, and more. With exquisite instrumentation by Rod Capps and others, Annie's songs are moving, joyful, fun, and powerful. Radiating from Michigan,  Annie Capps  shines a rich bouquet of music across the nation.

Mark Dvorak , in addition to his livelihood as a singer/songwriter, is a frequent teacher at the Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. With beautiful, soothing vocals, talented guitar or banjo fingers, and great songwriting, Mark will inspire and enchant you with his music.

Rhonda Rucker  is most often heard performing as part of  Sparky & Rhonda , with a strong flavor of Southern Appalachian music, but also Civil Rights folk music, old hymns, and a number of songs by Rhonda. She was a medical doctor for 5 years, cares deeply about our Earth, and her writings include a recent novel called  Swing Low, Sweet Harriet .

Tonia Hughes  brings us music of and for the soul, taking us through a journey of faith and fruits in the face of true hardships, like the early death of her husband. Raised in St Louis, for the past 20 years Tonia has been blessing the Twin Cities with her music. You can find her Gospel, Blues, Jazz, R&B, Rock and Worship  music on CDBaby.com .

Though the music of  Kat Eggleston  shines its light widely, it strongly reflects the light & love passed on from her parents, particularly her Dust-Bowl-raised father. He bequeathed to Kat loads of creativity and his eventual home on Vashon Island, in the rainy Northwest. Kat's guitar, lyrics, and voice are all first rate and, as Jonathan Byrd comments, 'She kicks so much ass she ha...

After 27 years devotion as a grade school teacher,  Heather Jerrie  has now freed up more of her time for her musical passion. As a cancer survivor, 12-step fan, and very engaged UCC member, Heather's beautiful voice sings of hope, service, depth, & devotion.

Chuck Suchy balances a life stretched between two callings, one as a singer/songwriter, and the other as a farmer, tied to the land of the Northern Great Plains - specifically, North Dakota. His music often emerges from his connection to the place of his roots, but can also fly to romance, joy, and the freedom of spirit. See Chuck on Prairie Public

Micah Sommersmith  follows his nose into great music, letting the lyrics lead him into deep meaning. Although accordion is his weapon of choice, he also plays/has played piano, trumpet, euphonium, guitar, and the organ (required for his job as music director for a Methodist church). He joins us before a live audience to share music today, nearing the birth of his first child.

Ida Kristin's latest release, along with David Llewellyn, is Songs Around the Kitchen Table . Hailing from Sweden, with maternal Brazilian influences, and living part-time in Nashville, Ida leads hearts and souls to stir, ponder, & laugh, even more potently when paired with Welshman David . Inspired by biological science, tried by hardship, and rooted in meditation, Ida sings a powerful song o...

Freebo  has an impressive musical pedigree, having recorded, performed & toured with oodles of luminaries, including Ringo Starr, John Mayall, Crosby, Stills & Nash, Maria Muldaur, and including 10 years playing bass with Bonnie Raitt. After decades doing other people's music, he found his calling to write his own songs, and it has fueled a rich collection of musical styles united by...

Max Garland is a professional backslider, was Wisconsin's Poet Laureate 2013-2015, and makes music as part of  Eggplant Heroes . With deep roots in Western Kentucky and a 'lover's quarrel' with the religion of his childhood, Max retired recently from  teaching in the UW-EC English Dept. . Look for the bonus song & excerpts!

After 4 decades, Bill Staines continues to produce some of the best folk music of our times, some well-known like All God's Critters and River, hundreds more less-known. With inspirational, heartfelt, and sometimes just fun themes, Bill's music has reached folk devotees everywhere. Having logged more than 3 million miles while touring, Bill takes his musical gifts virtually everywhere, constantly...

Consider the names of  Doug Kelly's  bands over the past 35 years: Tansey's Fancy, Churinga, Sirocco, and Simple Folk, and you've got to suspect that there's something different going on here. Australian-based, Doug plays passionately and provocatively on a wide array of instruments from around the world, wedding traditional forms and tunes to evolving creativity.

Paul Loomis  spreads his time between  teaching Math at Bloomsburg (PA) University , traveling in South America, raising 2 kids, and making music. His latest CD is  World Famous in Bloomsburg , just like him.

Arthur Davenport  currently hails from Hilo, Hawaii, where he found Northern Spirit Radio through the  Friends Journal  and tracked us down to share his rich, diverse, profound, and fun music, not to mention his  Arthurisms !

Laurie Childers lives out a stunning world of art and activism in Corvalis, Oregon. She performs both solo and with her band, the River Rocks , and her activism takes a number of forms, including her work as chair of the National Council of the Fellowship of Reconciliation . Beautiful music from a beautiful spirit.

Matt Watroba has been deeply immersed in folk music since 9th grade, including hosting the Folks Like Us show on WDET in Detroit and Folk Alley on WKSU at Kent State University, for a combined 26 years or so. With more than 3 decades performing, Matt is a master of the folk music genre, both as a performer and as a leader of group singing.