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Kari

Last Updated: 12/10/2009

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Status: Single
City: Nashville
State: Tennessee
Country: US
Signup Date: 10/16/2005

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Wednesday, August 05, 2009

Please vote for me! Taylor Guitars and Elixir Strings...

I Need Your Help - please vote for me!

http://testdrive.taylorguitars.com/BandProfile.aspx?c=8656&p=325#Vote

This relationship with Taylor Guitars and Elixir Strings would be an amazing opportunity for me, so please take a moment and vote for me at the above link - I would so greatly appreciate it! You can vote once a day through August 31. THANK YOU!

The top 25 voted artists will move to a panel review. The Artist Relations teams from Taylor Guitars and Elixir Strings will choose FIVE final artists to be outfitted with Taylor SolidBody electric guitars, a supply of Elixir Strings, and Elixir® Cables. These final artists will be challenged to create a short video of how they put the gear to work on stage and in the studio, with videos posted on TestDrive.TaylorGuitars.com for a second round of voting. The top voted band will receive time in a marquee studio to record an EP with their gear and will have a relationship with Taylor Guitars and Elixir Strings moving forward.

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Friday, January 02, 2009

New Years Blog - Velvet and Sita
Current mood:

blessed

Happy New Year to all of you!! While in Virginia on this last trip, many of you told me that you miss the updates that I used to send out... well, here you go! I do have a blog if you'd like to read previous entries, but I will try to be better about sending you a message when I post new blogs! This one in particular is quite lengthy, but if you make it to the end, I hope you'll be blessed by this true story.

All my best -
. Kari .

Blog – www.karismithmusic.blogspot.com
Website - www.karismithmusic.com
Press Kit - www.sonicbids.com/karismith
Add me on Facebook! www.facebook.com/pages/Kari-Smith/14521598293

________________________

Thursday, January 1, 2009

Velvet and Sita

I was pulling out of a rest area near Knoxville on a Monday, the second day of my drive back to Nashville from Richmond, VA for the Christmas holidays. It had been a good break - about 20 minutes sitting under the trees, writing down the song that had been forming in my head during the drive. It was a cold but beautiful day – and that brisk air has a way of opening your eyes! As I walked Sierra back to the car, we were inspired by a father and son playing Frisbee, so I retrieved Sierra's from the car, and we showed them how a Frisbee team really works – much to their amusement!

As I began to pull away, I was struck by how many people were traveling with their dogs. The first was a little Jack Russell that gleefully chased his owner on a skateboard down a conveniently downhill sidewalk. The second was a huge Saint Bernard being walked by little girl tinier than it was, along with Mom. The third dog I noticed was still in a car, waiting patiently for her escape. THAT, I knew, was Sita.

How I knew that dog was "Sita" is beyond peculiar - so peculiar that I pulled over to the side of the rest area exit. I recognized the station wagon, and the Vermont license plates. Then I saw the lady standing at the back of the car – in her 60s with kind eyes, hair in a ball cap, and dressed for days of driving. I recognized her, but I did not know her, or even her name. But I knew Sita's name, and she knew Sierra's.

On Sunday, the day before, I stopped in a rest area near Roanoke, VA. That rest area was not quite as accommodating as today's, and I had to keep Sierra on a short leash while maneuvering through people and other dogs. While walking her, I noticed a beautiful retriever with a striking copper color. I called up to her owner to tell her how beautiful her dog was, and she invited me to bring Sierra up to play. We stood there talking while Sierra and Sita played for a few minutes, and she told me that she was on her way to Arizona to a large gem / jewelry convention, where she would buy stock that she resells to retailers during the year. I told her that I was a musician, and that I was returning to Nashville that night after spending the holidays and playing some shows in Virginia. We talked for a few moments about the weather – and how she was ready to escape the cold in Vermont, and I wished her luck with that! We then parted ways, and I saw her pass me on the interstate a few moments after we both pulled out of the rest area.

I really thought nothing of it, as I continued my drive. But the further down the road I got, the more I realized I would probably not make it back to Nashville that night. The sinus pressure was one thing – but what was really getting me was missing the last 3 days' doses of my low blood pressure medicine. I somehow only took 1 week's supply on my 10-day trip to Virginia, and when I don't take it, I fall asleep – or pass out – very easily. Fortunately, I had a friend near Knoxville that put me up for the night.

I woke up Monday, refreshed and ready for the second part of my trip. I decided that since I only had about 3 ½ more hours to go, I would really take my time and enjoy the day. So I drove leisurely, taking in the beautiful mountains in East Tennessee. A song had been buzzing around in my head, and when the batteries in my hand-held recorder had died, I had to stop. Since I was stopping, I decided to go ahead and write down the words that I had already, then play Frisbee with Sierra for a while. It was then that I got back in the car, pulled away, and saw Sita.

When I first saw Sita, the Vermont license plate, and the lady from yesterday - I have to be honest – the first thought that flashed through my mind was, "is this lady following me?" I pulled my car over to the side of the rest area exit. I walked up to her, and the look on her face indicated that she was probably wondering the same thing that I instinctively had! I greeted her, and she must have moved quickly past any apprehension she may have had, because she reached out to hug me. We talked for a moment about how uncanny it was to run into each other – on two different days! I mean, it's possible that 2 travelers run into each other on the same day in 2 rest areas, but for both travelers to stop in completely different places – I had gone 20 miles off the interstate to where I stayed – was just plain odd. She invited Sierra to come play with Sita, but I told her that we had been there for a while, and were just leaving. I gave her one of my new CDs, and told her that now she would have something to listen to on her long trip to Arizona! She looked at the album "Gypsy of Love" and chuckled, saying that she had been called a gypsy a time or two!

I pulled away from this second rest area, shaking my head in disbelief. I didn't know why or how this connection had happened, but I felt that it must have happened for a reason! As I drove down I-40, I realized that I didn't even know her name. It really didn't matter, I just couldn't stop thinking about how random the situation had been. I sent a text to a friend, saying "you are NOT going to believe what just happened!" Then, of course, I spent the next 20 minutes on the phone telling the story.

Since I was taking my time, I made a stop at Starbucks for some coffee, and one at Chick-Fil-A for lunch. I had finally gotten back up to speed when I realized that my gas light was on, and I wondered why I hadn't seen that when I was off the highway getting food and coffee? Regardless, I began looking for the next exit with a gas station. I bypassed one exit, because it didn't have the type of station I was looking for. I noticed a Shell at the next exit, so I pulled off the highway, and into the gas station. I filled up, then as I was hanging the nozzle back on the pump, time stood still for a moment as I watched that station wagon with Vermont plates pull into the Shell station.

She didn't even see me – just pulled up to a pump, got out, and headed for the door. I started walking towards her, and as I did, I called to her, "this is just getting a little uncanny!" She stopped still, turned, and looked at me with disbelief in her eyes. And it WAS uncanny… to run into a total stranger 3 times in a row, over 2 different days, when we both obviously had our own agenda was beyond uncanny… We let Sierra and Sita play in the huge field beside the gas station, and we talked for about 20 minutes. I finally learned her name – her mother named her Velvet, after the girl in the horse movie National Velvet. We talked about what seemed most important at the time – our beliefs in things spiritual and things "meant to be". We both tried to look for the purpose, although the "purpose" in things like this is not always evident. Her initial observation was that the connection could be music, since she knows many songwriters and musicians. OR, she said that more likely, Someone was looking out for her on this long road trip. At 63, she shared, the yearly buying trips were seeming longer and harder to drive.

Whatever the purpose – we know there was one, and that's all that really matters. Velvet and Sita followed me back to Nashville, treated me to a wonderful dinner, and we shared stories and sang songs like we were old friends. She and Sita stayed in my guest bedroom that night, and sneaked out in the morning without even waking me (bless her heart… ; )

Today is Thursday – January 1, 2009 – a new day in a new year, and so I've had a couple of days to reflect on this situation. Was there any great lesson to be learned in any of this? Any earth-shattering revelation? That's for each one of us to decide, but for me, the lesson was a refresher course in having faith – not fear - in people. In opening your eyes and seeing what is right in front of you. In being available to be used by God to help someone in need – or even just offering a hand in hospitality or friendship.

On this day, I resolve to keep my eyes open – not because it's a New Year – but because it is a wonderful, exciting life with SO very much to offer!

My best to you, and all the love, happiness and blessings to you and yours in 2009!

Posted by kari at 2:35 PM

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Monday, December 08, 2008

New album "Gypsy of Love" now shipping!!
Category: Music

I hope the holidays are treating you well! I finally got my Christmas tree up yesterday, and have worn through my collection of Christmas music! The Christmas parade was Friday here in Nashville, and man was it cold... But it was great to see everyone in the holiday spirit and enjoying themselves.

After several delays in production, I decided that I would not send another message until my new CD "Gypsy of Love" was ready to ship! But there is good news – they will be delivered tomorrow, and shipping Tuesday!! I am SO very excited – this record is the product of the last 2 years of my time here in Nashville, and I am so very proud of it! For the REALLY detailed details of the process, check out http://karismithmusic.blogspot.com/2008/11/album-whats-goin-on.html.

If you have ordered your copy already – thank you so very much for your support!! It will be in the mail on Tuesday – and just in time for Christmas! If not, go to www....com/gypsyoflove to purchase through PayPal. If you'd like to purchase with check or money order, please reply to this email for the payment address and instructions. The CD, 8x10 picture, and shipping / handling is $15. If you're interested in purchasing more than one copy, please contact me for the discounted price.

For those of you who are interested in this crazy ride I've been on : ) and like to keep up with what's going on, thank you so much! I have moved from sending out frequent emails to recording much of my journey in a blog – it's at http://www.karismithmusic.blogspot.com/ and I try to update it relatively often!

I may possibly be back in Virginia for Christmas, now that the gas prices are steadily dropping! It's hard to believe that when I last drove to Virginia in October, gas cost more than twice what it does now! But I will definitely be back in January, and am working on a definite date for a CD release party at that time. Now that the CD has been completed, I plan to be back on the road, playing more shows, so let me know where you would like to hear me play!

Keep in touch, and thank you again, so much, for your support of me and my dream!

All my best -
. Kari .

Blog – http://www.karismithmusic.blogspot.com/
Website - http://www.karismithmusic.com/
Press Kit - www.sonicbids.com/karismith
Add me on MySpace! www.myspace.com/karismith
Add me on Facebook! www.facebook.com/pages/Kari-Smith/14521598293

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Friday, November 21, 2008

the album - what’s goin’ on!
Category: Music

Many of you have asked "how's the CD coming along?" I usually say "fine"... because the reality of it takes more breath to tell than I have! But if you truly want the nuts and bolts of what's going on - here it is! The relieving part (I'll start with this! : ) is that the CDs should be IN MY HANDS within 10 - 12 days. I do NOT have an official release date, or a CD release party scheduled. I gave up trying to predict when this thing would be done! My poor graphic artist has had to update my press kit 3 or 4 times now regarding the release - September, October, November, and now we're pushing December! Once it has been released, I will schedule CD release parties for both Nashville and Virginia.

So what's happening? Some things are really just out of our hands - but I'll try to give you the short story! Hold on to your hats for more information about the music business than you EVER wanted to know... and remember - ALL of the below work comes after or outside of preparation and recording the actual music!

I'll start with "publishing" - which refers to rights and royalties of a songwriter. I had it "easy" - I wrote or co-wrote every song on this album, as opposed to many singers who can easily have 12 songs by 12 different writers! I had one co-write, and one 3-way co-write. So the publishing rights for all of "my" songs belong fully to me, the co-write is owned 50/50% by me and 1 other person, and 3-way co-write is owned 33% each by me and 2 other people. Publishing rights are owned by a registered publishing company - not an individual, so I could either have registered by songs under my producer's publishing company "Gold Star", or I could form my own. If I established with Gold Star, the royalties (from CD sales, radio play, downloads, etc.) would be SPLIT between me (the writer) and Gold Star (the publishing company). But if I formed a publishing company, the profits would belong 100% to my company on the songs I wrote, and 50% or 33% on the co-writes. They are still "split" between me and the publishing company - but since I own the publishing company, they're still "technically" mine. Make sense? In the end, I formed my own publishing company. This is VERY common amongst writers in Nashville today. My long-term goal in this industry is to not depend on performance income (which is largely what I do now), but rather to make my "living" on songwriting. Easier said than done, but this is Step 1! And by the way - I NEVER thought I would have my first song cut by another artist (and eventually being paid for it!) at this point - I haven't even started pitching my music, and having that already is a blessing for which I am very grateful! Point being, I need to be prepared, and live as if my future goals and dreams are a present reality.

So I chose to create Vanillity Music LLC, with a publishing "arm". The LLC also serves to protect me, as an individual, as I go about the daily business of the company. The first challenge was actually coming up with a company name that is not yet used, trademarked, etc. There are a LOT of businesses out there! My first couple choices weren't available, but if any of you have ever been in "smelling distance" of me, you'll probably at least understand the "Vanilla" reference, since that scent is all I wear! :)

So now we have the LLC, and the publishing company within. And by the way - this doesn't necessarily mean that I "saved money" by keeping 100% of my royalties - definitely not up front! There are legal fees for setting up an LLC, registers, trademarks, etc., and fees to register the publishing company. The publishing company itself also has to be registered with whichever performing rights organization I belong to.

The 3 major performing rights organizations are BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC. I belong to ASCAP, so Vanillity Music LLC must be registered with ASCAP - a different process than Kari Smith being registered with ASCAP, which is what I had before. So WHAT is a performing rights organization? Well, you may have walked into a business before and heard music playing through the speakers. Unless there is some sort of arrangement in place, the manager can't just decide to play his Kari Smith CD today (aw man... ;) When you walked into that bar, you may have seen a label or sign posted on the storefront that said "BMI" or "ASCAP" - SESAC is by far the smallest and not as common.

Additionally, when a program manager at a radio station decides that he wants to play a Kari Smith song 3 times today, he has to report those 3 plays to ASCAP, who collects the data and pays its songwriters quarterly. This same process goes for clubs, restaurants, and other venues that play music through loudspeakers, a jukebox, etc. - they are legally obligated to report it. If they don't, they are breaking the law, and there are "undercover" agents for these companies that literally go looking for non-compliance with these laws.

In addition to radio plays, downloads, etc., songwriters are paid for CD sales. This can be done when the CDs are pressed (manufactured) at all at once, "as you go" - as you sell the CDs. For example - I have an artist / group who is cutting one of my songs "My Sisters". They have a mechanical license (just roll with this!) and although I can put the song on my CD (and I did!), they have licensed the right to record it and put it on their CD. The fee is currently 9.3 cents a song. If they have 10,000 copies of the CD, as the songwriter of that song, I will make $930.

When a radio station reports that they played Kari Smith's song "Mostly Me" (this is the 3-way co-write on my album) for x amount of plays, how does ASCAP know who gets paid royalties for those plays? Well, when Dennis Money, Bobby Fischer and I wrote that song, we EACH had to register our 33% of the publishing rights to that song with our respective companies' performing rights organization. (See how freakin complicated this gets?)

Each song (or an "work") has to be turned in and filed with the national Copyrights Office, which of course carries its own set of paperwork, hassles, submissions, and fees.

Each song on the album has to have an ISRC (International Standard Recording Code) digitally embedded in it. This code refers to the recording itself - not the song - and is comprised of 12 numbers that refer to the country code, the registrant code, the year of registration, then the number of the recording itself. The purpose of the code is to facilitate royalty collecting, administration, and especially important today - anti-piracy safeguards. When I decided to form the LLC, I had to apply for ISRC codes. The digital embedding happens at the mastering stage (for the sake of my poor typing fingers, I will abbreviate my explanation of "mastering" by saying that it is "finishing" the CD in terms of audio levels, space between songs, etc.)

The graphics and layout for the CD are a whole process within themselves - "getting it right" for something this important takes a LOT of time, effort, inspection, revisions, and approval from me and my producer. It's amazing that Stacy - my graphic artist at http://www.psomadesign.com/ - didn't go nuts on this one! She is SO patient and amazingly talented! Unfortunately, there's now way to shorten that process unless you absolutely have no opinion on what your project will look like. I did. ;) Once we sent the artwork to the company that actually manufactures the discs, they needed revisions - despite the fact that she had built the artwork on their templates! It's not just a CD "cover" - it's a 6 panel (3 front, 3 back) insert, a interior tray card, an exterior tray card, and the actual CD itself that have to be designed and perfected. (Thanks to Brett Zwerdling for the album photography - I think that was the easiest part!! :) There are credits that have to be listed within the album artwork that are necessary for radio play and royalties. Publishing affiliations have to be listed in order for a radio station to play a song... Remember that scenario earlier about a radio program director reporting what songs they've played? If you submit an album that doesn't list publishing allocations and splits, there's a good possibility they're not going to play it!

Aren't you glad this is the short version? ;) I'll try to wrap this up!

If you're still reading - and you're wondering why I typed all this out - YOU are why I took the time! I know that this chosen career is sustained by the unwavering support of fans, listeners, people who care - however you want to classify yourself. If you know me at all, you know that if I'm up at 9:30am (the current time CST), it's not because I got up early - it's because I haven't gone to bed yet. But it is so very important to me to keep this experience as personal and as real to YOU, the fan, as I possibly can - because I feel that that's how I'm able to give back to you. Your support and your interest in what I do makes me want to share as much of it with you as possible! If that means losing sleep every once in a while, so be it - otherwise this would NEVER get written!

Thank you for caring about the process and what I've been facing to get this album released! There may be a mistake or two in here - (I'm uh about to fall over... ; ) but hopefully you get the gist! And a SPECIAL thank you to those of you who have pre-ordered the album - or plan to buy it once it's released. You don't know the sheer JOY I get when I see each one of those pre-sales! I've put my heart and soul into this album - it's the main reason I moved to this town - and I am SO proud of the result!!!

Pre-orders through PayPal can be made at www....com/gypsyoflove or email me for a payment address if you'd rather send a check or money order. The CD, including shipping / handling, and an autographed 8x10 picture is $15, and will be shipping within 2 weeks! Many thanks!!!

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Tuesday, November 18, 2008

a lot to be thankful for
Category: Music

Tuesday, November 12, I had the honor and privilege of singing the National Anthem at the start of a college basketball game. That in itself was somewhat unremarkable - it was between Tennessee Tech and Lipscomb, not really "major" universities. There weren't thousands of people in the stands, and there weren't lights flashing and cameras going off!

But when that microphone was handed to me and I looked up at the flag, I got more than a little choked up... Right before, it was announced that there would be an opening prayer, then the National Anthem would be sung by "Nashville recording artist Kari Smith". The prayer that followed that announcement was so poignant that I literally for a moment was scared I would be too choked up to sing! The prayer brought attention to all that we have to be thankful for, and especially a gratefulness to the men and women who are serving our country here and abroad.

In the moment where I looked up and saw the flag, I realized how much I truly do have to be thankful for! It would have NEVER occurred to me 5 years ago when I was sitting in a cubicle at Capital One that on this day, I would be introduced as "Nashville recording artist Kari Smith" - and yet here I am.... REALLY surreal to me, but true! :) Beyond that, the freedoms and opportunities that are afforded to me in this country, and that are represented by that flag I was singing about are made possible in part by people who have dedicated - or given up - their lives to make that possible.

These past few months have been a tough time - trying to get the record finished and released have been WAY more trying than I could have known, not ever having done things this "officially" before. It's easy to get caught up in ALL the details that have NOTHING to do with music - and more to do with legalities, the business, formalities, deadlines, finances - I could go on and on (which is why you haven't heard much from me lately!) But when it comes right down to it, the fact that I am living in this moment right now is truly overwhelming!

I'm just about done with this soapbox - I promise! : ) But I hope that as Thanksgiving comes around this week, you'll join me in shifting your thoughts away from politics, the economy, the media, etc. - and ponder those things that we are so accustomed to having that we tend to take for granted. I have a LOT to be thankful for...

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Thursday, November 13, 2008

what do Kari and the CMA Awards have in common?
Category: Music

We're both sponsored by Mary Kay! Hope this explains the pictures of me laughing while holding my Mary Kay Compact Pro (provided by my wonderful sponsor, Marti Hall - www.marykay.com/martihall - who wasn't able to be there) with a big ol' group of Cadillac-driving Mary Kay Directors! (Go to http://karismithmusic.blogspot.com/2008/11/what-do-kari-and-cma-awards-have-in.html to see the pictures!) These ladies just happened to be sitting next to me at the 42nd Annual Country Music Association Awards, and they were great!

This is the second year I've been able to attend, and it's always fun to see all the stars out doing their thing... Some highlights for me were:

1. George Strait. period. I love George Strait! Whether he was performing, accepting an award, or just walking up to the stage - I love him! I was thrilled that he won single AND album of the year - faith in the Association has been restored!! ;)

2. Kenny Chesney's performance with The Wailers (as in Bob Marley and... ;), who did a performance of "Three Little Birds" that was a cool compliment to Kenny's "Everybody Wants to Go To Heaven"!

3. Taylor Swift's performance of "Love Story" - I think this is a sweet song anyway, but the set for this was amazing! Last year, I went behind the scenes and saw how they set up for the CMAs - there were literally just ROWS of complete sets - one after another, all completely set up and ready to wheel in at the right time. But to see how much work went into this was amazing!

4. Brad Paisley kissing Kim's (his wife) pregnant belly before going up on stage to collect his award - SOO sweet!!

5. Lady Antebellum winning best new artist... I first saw this trio perform live at CRS (Country Radio Seminar) last year, and they were fabulous! Hillary Scott is the female voice of the trio, and her mother is Linda Davis, 1990s country music artist who sang the duet "Does He Love You" with Reba McEntire. Charles Kelley is the lead singer, and his brother Josh Kelley is a pop singer who I have always been a fan of! This group has a great sound, so I'm proud of them!

After the show, I was downtown and met Grammy-winning singer / songwriter Jim Lauderdale... THAT was an honor! I was probably more thrilled to meet him than I would have been to meet most any of the celebs at the CMAs! Besides singing backing vocals for Carlene Carter and Dwight Yoakam, Jim wrote songs for 8 George Strait, including 2 songs on his "Pure Country" soundtrack, and one of my favorites - "What Do You Say to That". He also wrote Perfect Stranger's "You Have the Right to Remain Silent", and songs for Patty Loveless, The Dixie Chicks, Vince Gill, Mark Chestnutt, and many more!

Check out http://karismithmusic.blogspot.com/2008/11/what-do-kari-and-cma-awards-have-in.html for all the pictures - there are also a couple of pictures of me afterwards - this is about as dressy as I get, ladies and gents... ;) Enjoy!

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Tuesday, October 14, 2008

update to VA shows / new CD pre-order

Hi there!

It's good to be back in VA! I've enjoyed my 2 shows in Williamsburg so far, and am SO appreciative to those of you who came out to one or both shows!

Thank you SO MUCH also to those of you who have pre-ordered the new CD "Gypsy of Love". There are a couple of things I wanted to clarify for those of you who have asked the following questions:

The new album "Gypsy of Love" is shipping in late October / early November. I hope to at some point come back to perform a CD release show in the RIchmond, VA area, but currently have nothing planned, due in part to the high cost of travel these days! If you pre-order the CD, it will be shipped to you as soon as it is printed and pressed.

If you are interested in pre-ordering / purchasing the CD, here are the options for doing so:
1. If you are a PayPal user, go here: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=287349 to pre-order. If you are not yet a PayPal user, it is easy to sign up for an account, and your payment via check or credit card is simple and secure!

2. If you prefer to pay by check or money order, reply to this email, and I will send you the address to send payment. The cost is $15, and includes the CD, a signed photo, and shipping / handling charges.

3. If you will be at a show, you may pre-order with cash or check, and I will have a form to fill out for the pre-order.

Here are the shows for this coming week:
(Please note that J.J. McFarley's is now "J.J.'s Grille". All other details for this show are the same.)

Tuesday, 10/14 , 6:30 – 9:30pm
Ham's Restaurant (patio)
9498 West Broad St., Richmond, VA 23294

Friday, 10/17 6:00 – 9:00pm
Pour House Happy Hour show
3438 Pump Rd., Richmond, VA 23233

Saturday, 10/18 8:00 – 11:00pm
JJ's Grille
20198 Staples Mill Rd., Glen Allen, VA 23060

See you there!

All my best -

. Kari .

Blog – www.karismithmusic.blogspot.com
Website - www.karismithmusic.com
MySpace - www.myspace.com/karismith
Facebook – www.facebook.com/pages/Kari-Smith/14521598293
Press Kit - www.sonicbids.com/karismith

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Thursday, October 09, 2008

"Gypsy of Love" available for pre-sale!
Category: Music

The recording of my Nashville debut album "Gypsy of Love" is complete! The artwork and printing are still pending, but they are NOW available for pre-order! If you are interested in ordering a copy of the CD, there are a few options -

1. If you are a PayPal user, go here: https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=287349 to pre-order. If you are not yet a PayPal user, it is easy to sign up for an account, and your payment via check or credit card is simple and secure!

2. If you prefer to pay by check or money order, send me a message via MySpace email, and I will reply with the payment address. The cost is $15, and includes the album, a signed photo, and shipping / handling charges.

The album will be shipping in late October / early November. If you plan to purchase more than 1 copy, please let me know so that I can give you a discounted rate!

THANK YOU SO MUCH for your support!! I am so proud of this album and everything that has gone into it, and I so appreciate you sharing in this experience with me!

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Monday, October 06, 2008

"Remembering You"

September 10, 2008 was the 1-year anniversary of my dear friend Gary Wade. It was strange - it seemed as if it were just as hard as when he actually passed away.

Some of Gary's family from the UK came back to the States for the anniversary. Two of Gary's loves were theater and soccer. Together with the CAT Theater Group, they set up an annual "Gary Wade Volunteer Award", and they also brought over a football (English version - our soccer!) trophy to be played for as well as arranging for a garden of remembrance to be set up in the fields where Gary played soccer.

By "popular demand" (Gary had a LOT of friends!) I made a recording of the song that I wrote for Gary, called "Remembering You". I had CDs duplicated and printed, and if you're interested in a copy, please let me know. Many of the Richmond and UK branches of Gary's "family" may have already gotten one from Donna and Tony.

Although Gary's passing was so sad and hard, he is still with us in so many different wonderful ways, and we cherish the memories and friendships that came about because of him!

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Sunday, October 05, 2008

back home!
Category: Music

After a busy, crazy trip to VA, I am back home in Nashville! I played 6 shows while I was home - in 10 days! Add seeing family and friends to that line-up, and it makes for a crazy time! I'm always glad to visit, and love being able to perform - especially for fans that have been so faithful... But I must say I'm also glad to be sleeping in my own bed again!

Thank you SO MUCH to those of you who came out to see me at one of my shows - and especially to those of you who came out to several shows! It makes me feel SO good to see all of you, and your belief in me and support just warms my heart!

I have to give an absolutely shameless shout-out to my sponsor Marti Hall, who is an amazing representative of Mary Kay cosmetics. She truly set me up for this trip and made sure I had everything I needed to travel as easily as possible, especially the Mary Kay Facial Cleansing Cloths, the Compact Pro, and a personal favorite - the Lotus and Bamboo body care set! If you use Mary Kay but don't have a consultant, check out her website - www.marykay.com/martihall - no matter where you live!

(Mary Kay cosmetics in my "Gypsy of Love" photo shoot (including the attached picture) provided by Marti Hall.)

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Sunday, August 31, 2008

My first song cut!
Current mood:

energetic

Well, I'm just a bit excited... I got a definite thumbs-up yesterday - I'm getting my first song cut!!

My song "My Sisters" is being cut by Mollie and Jackie Singer, 19-year old twin girls from Las Vegas AND their mom / aunt, also Mollie and Jackie, and also twins! As for the younger twins, besides being gorgeous guitar-playin' singers, they are also 4.0-carrying college students studying Music at UNLV, and busy advocates for diabetes research, having already raised over half a million dollars! Their TV credits include MSNBC, CNN, CBS Early Show, ABC News, Sunday Morning with Charles Osgood, and Good Morning America. Print interviews and features include USA Today, the New York Times, L.A. Times, Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, Boston Globe, New York Times Up Front Magazine, Girls' Life, The Las Vegas Review Journal, Time Kids, and most recently in Teen Vogue and Justine magazines in a MUDD Jeans national advertising campaign. They have performed at the National Finals Rodeo, Thomas and Mack Stadium, and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

I never imagined that I'd even record this song - much less that it would be my first cut! I literally wrote this song while behind the wheel of a UHaul driving to Nashville, with tears streaming down my face as I realized I was leaving my family behind. When I played it for my producer following a long-winded disclaimer about its silliness, he immediately replied that we were cutting the song. I was truly shocked - but what a good call!

The song and lyrics are on my page - check them out and leave a comment for me to let me know what you think!

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Monday, August 18, 2008

sponsors!
Current mood:

blessed

Thanks to the hard work of new Promotions Manager Kelly Bellas, Kari has 2 fabulous new sponsors!

Cutting-up is in their words - "A good vibe line with a relaxed, hip feel!". And that it is - Kari is in love with the line already! They have AWESOME t-shirts and thermals, and way cool belts, buckles, necklaces, rings, as well as other gifts. Kari is very proud to wear their clothing and accessories and hopes you'll check them out as well!

And thanks to Kari's new makeup sponsor, Mary Kay Independent Sales Director Marti Hall for the color cosmetics! Talk about adapting to being on the road - Kari just went to her Mary Kay website and did a virtual makeover - and the products were in the mail next day!

If you are intersted in sponsoring Kari Smith, please contact Kelly Bellas via email at kelbll3@msn.com.

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Wednesday, August 13, 2008

I survived Sturgis!

(Note - if you read or are subscribed to my blog, this same message is posted there! If you'd like to read the detailed blog about my travels, it's at http://karismithmusic.blogspot.com/!)

Yes, I did survive... and loved every minute of it! And guess what? I'm back in Nashville!! While we were at Sturgis, some folks from Dan's label came out and checked out the operations and had hours of meetings with Jackie and Dan (literally!). The result of those was that they want to change the direction of a couple of things, including Dan's venues and performances. Because Dan is really promoting himself as a solo artist and not a band, it causes some confusion to have me up there (or "half" a band sometimes when Rich is there playing bass.) People were constantly asking "is she your sister / girlfriend / wife?", etc. And unfortunately, it's hard at fairs, etc. to have the sound person understand that we are not a duo - he is singing lead, and my harmonies / backing vocals need to be under his, not the same as or louder than his. The result of all of that - Rich (bass player) and I headed home this weekend while they headed on to LA. Since LA was going to be just studio time, and Las Vegas was just a trade show, I wasn't necessary to those performances (though I wouldn't have minded going! :) and I had planned to come back to Nashville anyway to finish up my album. So where we stand now is that the rest of the gang is going to come back through Nashville in mid-August, and set up operations here and decide to where to go next. Dan only finished the show (Biggest Loser) in April, and things started down an absolute race track after that, so it only makes sense that they check out the results of what has happened so far and evaluate for further direction...

I'm quite pleased with that for several reasons... The first of which is that while I enjoy being on the road immensely and have no problems playing a support role, it definitely lit a fire under me to get crackin' on my own project! I will be back in the studio later this week, and that will begin the final step of finishing up my album! And for that, I am WAY excited!

Secondly, it showed me how much I absolutely LOVED being on the road. That part actually shocked me! I know I was only gone for 3 weeks - but I just so enjoyed seeing different parts of the country, meeting different people, getting to perform in so many new places - I loved it! And what that showed me was that I CAN do that for myself and enjoy it. I've always assumed that it would get old really quickly and that I would get frustrated with it. I'm sure those elements would eventually come into play, but it really surprised me how much I enjoyed myself!

Speaking of which, due to the direction of Dan's tour changing, several fairs and stops on the "places to play" list have been eliminated, including the VA State Fair. BUT I am already beginning plans for a trip home in October, and already have 3 gigs booked, 2 more unconfirmed, and hopefully a bunch more than that! So have no fear... you will see me soon... ;) If you have any ideas whatsoever about places to play - in VA or otherwise - PLEASE HELP ME! by shooting me an email and let me know. The longer I am away from VA, the harder it has become to make those contacts from a distance. I would SO appreciate any help you can give!

So where do we go from here? I'm not sure! Jackie and Dan are planning to set up an office in Nashville - and have even talked to me about joining their team - but that's something I would have to really think about, as right now my first priority is playing, singing, writing, performing! And with a CD getting close to being finished up, that's going to take more and more time! The roller coaster can be annoying at times - but it's mostly just fun right now... ;)

Long story short, I am thrilled to be back home, sleeping in my own bed, and playing with my poor abandoned puppy (she wasn't abandoned, I just feel guilty for leaving her... :( - But also, I am more FIRED UP than ever about getting my music in front of as many people as I possibly can! There will be a LOT going on in these next few months, and I will still continue to blog to keep you in the loop as to what's going on!

And by the way - I know a BUNCH of you have called me, and I am SO sorry I have not returned calls. I have been SO busy - I'm not even unpacked yet! But I will definitely return those calls soon, and I appreciate every one of you that tries to keep tabs on me!!

All my best -

. Kari .

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Monday, July 21, 2008

on the road again...

I know I just recently sent a message saying that I was getting ready to head back to Richmond in August... Well, scratch that... I am on the road with Dan Evans, whom you may have heard of from NBC's show "Biggest Loser - Couples" - he was on the show with his mom Jackie. After the show, he moved to LA, began pursuing a career in music, and is currently on the road touring and with distribution through Universal Records.

I am so fortunate to have this opportunity to be on the road, playing rhythm guitar and keys, and singing harmony vocals for Dan. Right now, our schedule includes North and South Dakota, including Sturgis (the motorcycle rally!), Montana, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Missouri, New York, and a bunch of other places I don't even know about yet - promoting Dan's new CD, which will be released September 30.

My record will be on a little bit of a hold until I can get back to Nashville for a few days, but it shouldn't be too terribly long… I'm just glad to be on the road playing music and making money again! We have the 4 songs that I'm recording ready to go, though, and once I can get back into town, I will track all the instruments in one day, then get the vocal sessions soon afterward.

So long story short, life is CRAZY right now! As soon as I get details about anything I will pass them on! We are tentatively scheduled to play the Virginia State Fair in September, so I will likely be home at least then! This all came about very last-minute, so I'm still ironing details out myself, and trying to adjust to life on the road. Living on a bus is not for the faint of heart...

Please keep in touch! I will be starting a daily blog so that I can keep in touch with family and friends – if you'd like to be included in those updates, please let me know!

All my best -

. Kari .

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Friday, July 18, 2008

overdue update...

An update is well overdue… and here it is! I've been putting it off until I got a trip back to VA had been scheduled – and that's finally in the works! I am planning to be home somewhere around mid-August, though the details are still being ironed out. Reply and let me know where you'd like to hear me play! I have some shows in the works, but would love to hear from you regarding where you'd like to go for a show. When I have a few more details, and we're a bit closer to the date of my visit, I'll definitely let everyone know.

More songs are posted here on MySpace! There are a total of 6 there now, which is half of what will be on the new album. One of those songs is the much-asked-for "Gypsy of Love"!! I SO appreciate everyone's response to that song, and as a result, we did end up cutting it for the album! Please check it out (at www.myspace.com/karismith) and let me know what you think! Speaking of which, the album is going well, and I'm so happy with what we've done so far! If you listen to the songs on MySpace, you'll hear that the direction we've taken for this album is a much different direction than I've gone before. And the record is ever-evolving! Now for the sordid, very detailed details… ;)

When I came to ..:namespace prefix = st1 ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags" />Nashville, I came with a recognition of the talents that I have been blessed with, but also a good dose of humility about what all I had left to learn! With that in mind, I chose to record an album that included some of my songs, but also songs from other writers. In the first session, here's how that went –

1. Whisper – this song was first recorded on the "Kari" album. My producer, feeling that this song was so strong and so appropriate for the wedding market, was interested in re-recording it for this album. And I love the way it turned out! We changed the direction of the song a bit to make it a bit more commercial, and I LOVE the fiddle parts that really make this arrangement special! These are performed by Grammy-winning Glen Duncan, who is well-known for his triple-fiddle parts on many Shania Twain songs. An interesting fact about this song – people frequently ask me who this song is about. It's actually about no one in particular! Funny enough – the idea for this song came from wonderful friend and amazing writer Dave Tinney. When I first began performing, mainly backup vocals for Dave, we would frequently step back from the mic in between songs and whisper, so that we wouldn't be overheard by the crowd. During one of those moments, Dave and I were whispering – until I realized that we were on a break and the mics weren't even on. I whispered to Dave, "why are we whispering?" and he replied "I don't know… but maybe you should write a song about whispering…" And I did!

2. I Call it Love – this song was first recorded on the "go with you" album. My producer also wanted to re-cut this song with more of a country shuffle feel, so it is the other song that we re-made for this album. Gary Primm, who has played piano on Alan Jackson's last 7 albums, and for my favorite country singer George Strait – really takes the piano playing on this song to a whole new level!

3. I Have Fun – I first began this song back before I moved to Nashville, but had abandoned it for a while. (That happens a lot, unfortunately!) Another funny story – I began writing this one while lying in bed, and being too tired (or lazy! ;) to get up and get my voice recorder, I actually wrote out the music in my notebook, staff lines and notes and all! When I went back to this song, my producer Dennis helped me bring the idea into today's commercial country, and we ended up finishing this song as a co-write, the hook of it being "She has money, but I have FUN!" J

4. Can't Help But Play – this song hadn't been previously recorded, but I had played it out many times, just calling it "The Sad Song"… this song is my nod to traditional country, which I actually did not discover and fall in love with until I moved to Nashville. Again, Dennis helped me steer the direction of the song so that it was commercial enough for today's radio, while including the elements of old-school country that I love, including instrumentation and melody.

So once we were done with the first four songs, I had 2 re-makes that I had written alone, 1 song I wrote that was previously un-recorded, and 1 song that was a co-write with Dennis, my producer. Based on this, I figured it was time to take advantage of the amazing pool of songwriters that Nashville had to offer! And here's what we came up with…

5. Gypsy of Love – I had not planned on this song being on the album! However, one trip to VA changed all that… I played this song at several shows while I was there, and noticed that by the second chorus, people were already singing along – "please! don't! love! me! I'm! a! gypsy!" For whatever reason, it just resonated… And I heard over and over – "you have to put that on your next album!" So I did, and I'm so very happy with the way it came out. The direction we took with that song also steered the record down a different path than we first anticipated. Gypsy is upbeat, out-of-the-box for country music, and very distinct rhythmically. My producer is so happy with the cut that it may end up being the title track! Strangely enough, I wrote the majority of this song at a rest area! I was traveling one of my many trips last year between Nashville and Richmond, and decided to take a break from driving to play for a little while. I had begun this song months before, but finally landed on something when I came up with this chorus. While I was playing, I gained an audience of one – the guy who cleaned and gathered the trash from the rest area. He listened while I played, and vigorously cleaned the area around me for as long as he could before finally saying anything to me. I talked to him for a bit before hitting the road again, and ended up giving him one of my CDs… This job isn't a job, it's a way of life! (please refrain from your "dangers of rest area" speeches – I have heard them all… ;-)

6. Mostly Me – I had the great honor of working with Nashville Songwriter Hall of Fame member Bobby Fischer and my producer Dennis on this song. Bobby Fischer co-wrote several Reba McEntire songs, including the hit song "You Lie", he was a writer on "Goodbye Says it All" for Blackhawk, and on "What in Her World Did I Do?" for Eddy Arnold. Bobby came to the session with the idea, and I related almost immediately! This song explores the "softer side" :) of my voice, and I'm happy with how it ended up!

7. My Sisters – You can only imagine what this one is about!! I have 4 sisters and this song is about them – though I NEVER imagined it would end up being recorded! When Dennis and I were choosing songs for this set of 4, he asked me to bring in every song that I had even a rough recording of – so I did. Before playing this song last for him, I prefaced it by saying that I KNEW that we wouldn't end up recording this song. I told the story behind this song – that I had written it in tears while driving a U-Haul to Nashville. When it hit me that I was moving away from everything that I was used to – mostly my family – it was pretty emotional, and I tried to cheer myself up by writing a song about my sisters, whom I love dearly! Dennis loved the simplicity of the song, and felt that it would resonate strongly with a wide audience of listeners. This one is (obviously!) dedicated to Karen, Shari, Sharen, and Shanen Kasi – my sisters!

8. Take the Memories and Run – This song is the only song on the record thus far that I did not write. This song was written by Angela Hurt, who is signed to a writing deal. More about that…

If you notice, every song so far – with the exception of "Take the Memories" – is a song that I either wrote or co-wrote. As I said before – I came to Nashville with the thought that my songs may not be at the level they needed to be to make it in Nashville. My producer didn't agree! There is a possibility now that "Take the Memories" will be cut from the record in lieu of another original song. It makes me feel SO good knowing that my producer believes in my songs enough to cut them – and if he didn't, he wouldn't put his name on them!

Finishing the album is a little slow right now – my producer is working with several acts right now, including country band Trick Pony, and that's taking a lot of his time. He has also just finished a gospel album for legendary (and still very active!) country singer Moe Bandy. But I'm using that time to continue writing and working on my writing and playing! I've also tried to spend some time relaxing this summer, as well as making a little money with an eBay business. I'm hoping the new album will be finished within around 2 – 3 months, and I will be releasing it both in Nashville, and in VA. I haven't forgotten where I came from!

Well, that was a LOOOONG and overdue update – if you're still reading it, I'm proud! Thank you for caring so deeply about the progress of my journey!

All my best -

. Kari .

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