Kyle started the evening by going around the group asking each member what his favorite song was and why. The first one was “Love & A Good Buzz” written by Jimmy Davis along with Liz Rose.  This fun song got the crowd going and in a good mood. The joke of the night began when drummer Ray Rodriguez said his favorite was “It’s Only Rain,” a song also written by Jimmy that they usually play to open shows. Next came the up-beat, funny song Jimmy wrote called “If I Had a Little Truck” that had amazing piano solos. Jimmy said he composed it while waiting for a plumber to arrive at his house. The lyrics and melody were done in 15 minutes, and he used the remaining four hours of wait time to perfect it!

When it was Walt’s turn to share his favorite song, he chose “Someone Somewhere Tonight.” Walt said he has been writing songs for 20 years and that during all that time, he’s had a couple of hits with other artists, but nothing with the big potential this one has – American Idol contestant Kellie Pickler cut the song and it will be the first single off her new album! With its touching lyrics and meaningful message about life’s beginnings and endings, challenges and joys, it seems especially relevant in today’s society.

Kyle then picked up his guitar and joined the band for his favorite Mystiqueros song “Honky Tonk Road,” followed with his version of “What I Dreamed Last Night,” a song that he and Wilkins co-wrote in a Rudy’s Bar BQ parking lot!

The guys went on to play “This Old House” off their latest album “Wildcatpie & The Great Walapateya” which featured some truly amazing accordion played by Bart Dewin, the first and only international Mystiquero from Holland. “House” was written by bass player Bill Small and was originally supposed to be a country music song, but as the group worked on it, it evolved into a more funky/bluesy piece.

The night ended with a few songs from Walt’s “Plenty” album including “Rainin’ All Night” and the band appropriately finished with “Poetry.” As the last chord rang, Walt commented that he is in the best band in all of Texas… much of the audience would agree!

Watch video then read instructions below!

Click here for camp dates and more info!

To commemorate year four of the RLRM Songwriters Experience Camp we’re giving away scholarships to some very lucky Student Artists! Want to cash in on this $599.00 opportunity to kick your songwriting into hyper-gear? Here’s the deal…

We are looking for the biggest-hearted, creative, convincing videos that tell RLRM why you are the obvious choice for a scholarship to one of our four exciting camps this summer! The video can be up to 60 seconds in length and must tell us the following:

• Where you are right now in your songwriting journey
• What you think the RLRM Songwriters Experience will do for your musical future
• Why should RLRM pick you? Tell us what you plan to do with your music and how it will affect the world!

Your video doesn’t have to be fancy (it can be, but not required). What it must be is:

• Posted on YouTube
• LINK TO VIDEO MUST BE POSTED IN COMMENTS SECTION BELOW TO BE ENTERED!
• Made public on YouTube with the following title and description (cut and paste verbatim). TITLE: RLRM Songwriters Experience Camp/YOUR NAME. VIDEO DESCRIPTION: http://www.realliferealmusic.com – Songwriters Experience Summer Camps, WRITE, RECORD & PERFORM with published songwriting mentors in world-class studios and venue!

In addition to the video itself, RLRM will track the social media activity of each Student Artist’s video. The more views = the more points earned! You may send out up to three tweets, Facebook posts, and email blasts daily letting your network know you need their help to be one of our BIG winners! Tweets and posts can look like:

• I want to write, record & perform with the pros this summer at the RLRM Songwriters Experience Camp http://www.realliferealmusic.com
• Help me get to the RLRM Songwriters Experience Camp this summer! http://www.realliferealmusic.com
• There’s a scholarship with my name on it at RLRM Songwriters Experience Camp! http://www.realliferealmusic.com

We will begin accepting video entries on April 15, 2013! Deadline for entry is May 15, 2013. Winners will be announced within one week of May 15. The RLRM team will be the panel reviewing videos. All decisions are subjective and final. Good luck. Go get your video on!

The ladies joined host Kyle Hutton on stage and kicked off the night with a track off their new album, High Wide & Handsome, called “Mother of Invention.” Guitarist Jamie Wilson co-wrote the song when she was in Nashville with Natalie Hernby, who’s famous for her work with Miranda Lambert. The song, about using everyday items to make something useful, was quirky and upbeat. Jamie joked afterwards that she really does have a wagon wheel chandelier in her home!

The Trishas are made up of Jamie along with Liz Foster, Kelley Mickwee, and Savannah Welch. The group formed in 2009 during a trip to Steamboat, Colorado where MusicFest was honoring Savannah’s father, acclaimed singer/songwriter Kevin Welch. Savannah was going to perform a tribute to her dad and wanted some backup on stage. The women worked together for a few hours and everyone was amazed with the outcome. So much so that they got booking requests that same night!

The Trishas have worked with some big-name songwriters including Jason Eady, Owen Temple, and Bruce Robison in addition to Savannah’s dad Kevin Welch. The resulting tracks are a beautiful blend of three- and four-part harmonies that can be heard on their two albums – the LP High, Wide & Handsome and the EP They Call Us The Trishas.

Throughout the night the audience was treated to the stories behind the songs, including Savannah’s “Over Forgiving You” which was the first song she wrote after giving birth to her son; “Rainin’ Inside” Kelley’s favorite written with Kevin Welch; and Jamie’s co-write with Owen Temple “John Wayne Cowboy” that was inspired by her uncle calling her father-in-law “a real John Wayne cowboy” after he overcame a terrible accident.

Towards the end of the evening, Jamie told the story behind an un-recorded track called “Alice” that she recently wrote after having spent some time with an old neighbor of her grandmother. “Alice” is hysterical – the true stories of a woman whose simplicity in life is baffling but must make sense to someone in her nineties.

The Trishas closed out the night with a spellbinding performance of “Till I’m Too Old to Die Young.” The poignant lyrics mixed with the melodic voices from the stage gave the audience chills, and nobody wanted it to end.

For more information, visit www.realliferealmusic.com

Amy, the instigator behind the twins’ musical career, played acoustic guitar and her identical sister, April, kept the beat with various percussion instruments including shakers and tambourine. Michael Davids on piano and mandolin completed the group. The three joked that they all got along very well and that came in handy during those long car trips to gigs between cities. Michael even complimented Amy’s driving skills!

Newlywed April kicked off the second song, one she wrote about her new husband and all of his faults, but she loves him just the same. “Wreckin’ It” is very up-beat, fun, and of course twangy. April also wrote “Gypsy Girl” during the time when Amy was in between relationships and sleeping on her couch – she claims she tried to write a sweet song about her beloved sister, but it came out very sassy!

The girls grew up in a small town in south Texas where they were tomboys and not really interested in music. Told they couldn’t be in the high school choir because they were “too twangy” they pursued other interests until music re-entered their lives after winning a Dixie Chicks look-alike karaoke contest… and now, that twangy-ness is their signature!

The first EP April and Amy made, Headaches & Heartbreaks, was right after Amy had a brain tumor removed. Realizing life was short and with some success under their belts, Amy Googled “how to form a band” and things began to fall into place. With a little help from country music artist Cory Morrow, the girls’ career is headed in the right direction.

Slowing things down mid-way through the evening, host Kyle Hutton played his song, “Lucky Moon” dedicated to his wife. The twins followed that with a waltz off their upcoming album, Moonshine & Maybes, called “As the Music Plays,” a co-write with Django Walker.

The twins got on a roll after that, playing edgy songs like “You’ve Got the Heart” (that I’ll never break, promise!) and “Jezebel,” one they didn’t write but was tailor-made just for them. They ended the show with their current single, “Holding Pattern” about being in a relationship that’s neither good nor bad, it’s just not going anywhere.

To hear more from The Rankin Twins, check out this video from the time they spent with Real Life Real Music in Colorado at MusicFest: http://youtu.be/fL57UKf_VyQ

For more information, visit www.realliferealmusic.com

It was an exciting moment when host Kyle Hutton welcomed Pat and his band mates, Michael Ramos on keyboard and accordion, and Brett Danaher on guitar, to the stage – the culmination of five years of work on Kyle’s part to get Pat on the show. And that work really paid off! Early in the show Pat and Kyle discussed a mutual friend, Walt Wilkins, and the influence Walt had on Pat’s early songwriting. Pat followed with the song “Carry On” his first co-writing experience with Wilkins that has become one of his favorites. Next came “Songs About Texas,” one of Kyle’s favorite Green tunes, and stories (and impressions) of famed Texas producer Lloyd Maines.

In addition to Walt Wilkins, Pat has had the opportunity to write with other famous artists. The song “Feels Just Like It Should” was written while on tour with Keith Urban, stuck in a blizzard in Michigan. He wrote “Three Days” after sleeping on the couch at Radney Foster’s house. That one was later nominated for a Grammy. Host Kyle Hutton chimed in with a Foster co-write as well, “She Does,” from his latest release, and Pat and the band jumped right in!

You can tell how well-loved Pat is by his fans. There were several times throughout the night when the audience was singing along, people were standing up to cheer, some were even dancing in the cramped spaces between the tables, and on a couple of occasions Pat just stopped and let the crowd complete the lines. You can also tell how much Pat loves his fans by the huge smiles and laughter from the stage and his comments about how he’s never worked a day in his life.

Pat shared some funny anecdotes about all the fun he had touring with Kenny Chesney, Keith Urban, and the Dave Matthews Band. He shared about his recording contracts and how he sometimes felt forced into recording songs that he wasn’t crazy about, but understood that the ultimate goal of the business machine was to make hit records. When talking about the new release, due out later this year, he expressed a peace about where he is now in his career – somewhat removed from the machine and calling all the shots. Towards the end of the show, Pat gave everyone a sneak peak at the new project by playing a track called “Girls From Texas,” a song that in its studio version features a duet with Lyle Lovett. Pat humbly admitted that he caught himself giving advice to Lyle in the studio on how to sing like Lyle! Definitely said that he wouldn’t make that mistake again! He also gave the crowd one more sneak peak of a song entitled “Right Now,” a love song he wrote for his wife and recorded with Cheryl Crow. As Pat sang the last few notes the entire room was silent, everyone hanging on his words and in awe of his voice.

Pat closed the show with a fantastic rendition of his biggest hit, “Wave on Wave” about a spiritual journey that Pat leaves open to interpretation. This is the one that “put me on the map” he said, and it was the perfect ending to a perfect night.

For more information, visit www.realliferealmusic.com

The background story to Kathryn Hallberg’s relationship with Real Life Real Music starts about four years ago when she met RLRM host Kyle Hutton after performing at an open mic when she was just 14 years old. Hutton saw the spark in her and she quickly plugged into Real Life Real Music’s student songwriter programs. Hutton produced her first two EP recordings, and booked events including opening slots for radio tapings and the RLRM Festival. Kathryn, now 18, is riding high after the release of her Hutton-produced EP “Nocturnal” mixed by Niko Bolas, who’s worked with the likes of Neil Young and Melissa Ethridge.

Kathryn opened the show with a rousing rendition of her single “Get A Room” that she co-wrote with friend and fellow songwriter Leslie Krafka. The blues song about a vanity stricken man entertained and had people clapping along. She then showed off the smooth side of her voice on ballads like “Move On,” “Bide My Time” and “Sailor” – the last being a tribute to a good friend who died of cancer.

Kathryn performed her hit “Head in the Clouds” and explained that this protest song stemmed from being upset with a school teacher’s policy. She and Kyle then broke into Kyle’s “Shakespeare,” an upbeat and energetic song about “a whole lotta drama!”

Kathryn’s notable musical influences include Cheryl Crow, Nelly Furtado and Madonna. I have a feeling Kathryn is going to give these super-stars a run for their money in the future, as Kathryn is on the cusp of greatness – how could someone who didn’t miss a note all night long not be?

For more information, visit www.realliferealmusic.com

Charlie kicked off the evening with a performance of the hit song “Sixteen Days” by Whiskeytown. He said it meant a lot to him when he was a teenager running away from life – parents, authority, responsibility. He then played the Amos Lee song “Learned A Lot” that really showed off his vocal talents. Kyle commented on Charlie’s soulful voice and asked him where he’d gotten it. Charlie responded that he perfected his talent as a 10-year old singing his heart out while riding the lawn mowers at his parent’s farm.

Charlie and his band have some exciting things coming up, like their next album that’s being produced by former Black Crowes guitarist Marc Ford. Working at the Yellow Dog recording studio in Austin, Charlie is surrounded by talent and is happy to report that the project should be ready by springtime. In honor of Marc, Charlie played a great rendition of the Black Crowes huge hit, “She Talks To Angels” that had the whole crowd singing along.

Towards the end of the evening, Charlie asked Kyle to play one of his songs. Kyle chose the one he co-wrote with Roger Creager, “Feel Again.” Staying on the softer side, Charlie’s next song was his Texas Music Charting hit “Tomorrow’s Gone” a powerful song about the ending of a relationship. Charlie said when he first heard it, the song actually reminded him of his father, who passed away when Charlie was only five. He instantly loved it, recorded it, and released it off his first self-titled album.

Charlie ended the night with a Chris LeDoux song about family and being true to yourself called “Simple As Dirt,” which left the crowd energized and wanting more. A perfect ending to the show.

For more information, visit www.realliferealmusic.com

Then Thom had host Kyle Hutton sweating on stage when he played “Djibouti .” In January 2007, Thom and his band toured the Middle East and Africa for Armed Forces Entertainment. He said people kept snickering when they said they were going to Djibouti because it just sounds funny (sort of like “your booty”), so they decided to write a song for the troops stationed there that played off the double entendre of the city’s name. They wrote it in less than an hour in a tent at Camp Lemonier and debuted it that evening. Everyone loved it! Kyle said be careful what you write because you’re going to have to play it over and over again!

Kyle must have been feeling a little sentimental that night because the three songs he played during the show were dedicated to his wife, Tara. In keeping with the fun, he sang a tune called “Living Here with You” about his promises to show her the world and visit exotic places, but they wind up in the small town of Archer City, Texas.

Things settled down a bit when Thom played the more serious “Simplify” – his latest single off his new album about downsizing and not stressing about the material things in life. He even apologized to a woman in the audience for making her cry during his rendition of the famous song “Private Malone” that he co-wrote with Wood Newton and was recorded by David Ball.

Another touching moment (which also made that poor audience member cry again) was when Thom played a new song he’d co-written called “I Am A Woman.” Recorded by Lorrie Morgan and Pam Tillis, it’s a song inspired by breast cancer survivors that Thom said he hopes makes it big because of the powerful message behind it. I have a feeling it will…

Thom and Kyle were having such a good time on stage that Kyle asked Thom to stay and play an encore after he closed with “Take Yer Drunk Ass Home” off his latest album. Most of the audience stayed and the two played well into the evening. This one will go down as a memorable show in the RLRM history books.

For more information, visit www.realliferealmusic.com.

The next one they played was the loud and rowdy “Mailbox” that lead singer Clayton Landau said was written with a lot of anger during a band practice session and evolved into a heartbreak song. Though they’ve only performed it acoustically a few times, the hard rocking song was one of my favorites of the night.

Six Market Blvd. has been together for four years and released an EP and two CDs over that time, to much critical acclaim. The four met in Stephenville, Texas while some were attending Tarleton State University. Clayton met Ben Hussey, vocalist, bassist and songwriter, at an Open Mic Ben hosted in the college town. The two thought each other talented and decided to form the band with guitarist Josh Serrato and percussionist Dallas Neal, playing their first gig at a Fourth of July party in 2008.

Fast-forward to now and they’ve been able to check off their two biggest goals – playing the main stage at the Larry Joe Taylor Texas Music Festival and Chili Cookoff and getting booked to perform at the MusicFest in Steamboat Springs, Colorado this coming January.

Listening to their final three up-beat songs of the night, “Say It,” “Stand” and “Santa Fe Train,” proved to me that these guys are headed for great things.

Hope to see you at one of our next Real Life Real Music shows! For more information, visit www.realliferealmusic.com.

It was a great day of sharing and listening and what I realized this morning is that even though all of the people I heard from yesterday have very different lives - some are very wealthy, while others are not, some are very fit and healthy, some not, some are overwhelmed with many children and some are desperate for more - they all experience discontentment. Everyone was different and yet so much the same. Yesterday was more than enough evidence for me that peace is NOT about circumstances.

I thought I might share a few of the things that help me as I continue to search for peace and contentment.

• Focus on what you do have and who you already are.  A wise friend once taught me that whatever I focus on increases.

• Remember we all struggle with contentment. What others portray on the exterior may not be an accurate picture of what is on the inside. I have found my only shot of getting to know another’s heart is to risk sharing mine first.

• Ask for God’s help and be thankful for all the opportunities He may allow for you to practice contentment. Like Paul shares in Philippians 4:12-13 “In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need.  I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” I’ve never learned anything without practice!

So in the spirit of never feeling alone, leave a comment and share with me the things that bring you peace.  I can’t wait to hear from you!