Now playing on Acoustic Blend

Love, relationship, and belonging... plus, why I'm here

Happy Friday, friends!

Welcome to all of the new subscribers so far this year. It’s probably too late for me to wish everyone a Happy New Year, so I’ll settle for Happy Valentine’s Day. Life with two little ones is full and beautiful, equal parts joy and chaos. I am still working on mailing the remainder of our New Year’s cards (because I decided around November that Christmas cards were a little ambitious).

Anyway, I’m glad you’re here! I’ve been reflecting on why I’m here (in your inbox, that is) and I think it has to do with slowing down.

Radio is not a fast medium. It’s not trendy, and kind of inconvenient. A hundred years ago we were in the golden age of radio. Families would gather round in the evening for entertainment and just sit and listen. Sustained attention is in short supply these days, and I think as humans we need things that we can give our attention to slowly.

My hope is through these musings and music that your attention and interest would be piqued in a good way, in a curious way. I am a contemplative at heart, and I like to think that I’m inviting listeners into contemplation through radio. There’s more to say there that I hope to unpack in the coming months, and I am excited to share that there are some new episodes and fresh playlists in the pipeline.

Photo by Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa on Unsplash

This Month on Acoustic Blend 💘

We are exploring love, relationship and belonging with an episode from the archives. Also worth mentioning is the Shirley Martin Scholarship for Young Songwriters, now accepting applications. If you know an Indiana songwriter age 14-19, send them over to samisong.com/scholarships for more details.

Recipients receive cash awards, professional feedback and mentoring. In recent years, REC Room Recording has provided professional recordings of the winners’ songs. Since its inception, the self-funded SAMI scholarship has provided approximately $23,000 back to area youth.

Acoustic Blend airs Saturday and Tuesday evenings at 8pm EST on WBAA (105.9 FM and AM 920) and streaming online at wbaa.org. You can catch this episode on Feb 14th, 17th, and 28th.

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What’s a song that grounds you / helps you keep going? ✨

I’m fishing a bit here and curious if there are tracks that bring you back to a deeper truth or just inspire you in the face of [fill in the blank]. Doesn’t have to fit the “Acoustic Blend” vibe, so feel free to submit “Eye of the Tiger” or your favorite rock ballad. I’ll chime in with a few of my own in the comments as well.

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Lyrics I like ✒️

new beginnings come from an end
new horizons come through a bend in the road and
we can feel the same way now as we did then
or we could heal inside, take my hand

- from a lil song I wrote called “Sweet Breeze”

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Playlist: Love & Relationship 📻

01. Béla Fleck, Abigail Washburn - “Railroad”
02. Zach Winters - “Love My Woman”
03. NEEDTOBREATHE - “More Heart, Less Attack”
04. Mat Kearney - “Wanted Man”
05. Drew Holcomb & The Neighbors - “You Want What You Can’t Have (feat. Lori McKenna)”
06. Drew Holcomb, Ellie Holcomb - “You and Me”
07. Josh Garrels - “At the Table”
08. Briagha McTavish - “Sick”
09. Briagha McTavish - “All I Want Now”
10. Barrett Myers - “Sweet Breeze”
11. Jon Foreman - “Your Love Is Strong”
12. Atlys - “Perfect”
13. Norman Blake - “Border Widow”
14. Norman Blake - “You Are My Sunshine”

Dynamic always-current playlists: Spotify | YouTube

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You can catch Acoustic Blend with Barrett Myers on the second Saturday of each month (and the following Tuesday) at 8pm on WBAA. Listen online at wbaa.org or over the airwaves (105.9 FM and AM 920). My hope is that you’d find in the music a space for reflection and the peace that comes from a word spoken (or sung) at just the right moment. From time to time I’ll also share some of my original compositions and the work of other local artists. Take a load off and settle in, and thanks for your support of this creative effort by sharing and subscribing.