Jeri Katherine Howell

Hey.

It's good to connect with you again. Since late fall, I've paused booking live shows and focused on resting, listening, learning, and creating. I'm so grateful that I let myself pause. I had experiences and wrote music that have changed my life forever (more on that below). And now like the harbinger of spring starting to bloom in Franklin county, I am opening myself to performing live shows again as spring comes closer.

Power & Possibility: An Evening with Jeri Katherine Howell & Nat Colten 

Art Center of the Bluegrass / Danville, KY

Thursday, March 2 / 6-7pm / $5

The Art Center of the Bluegrass' "Power and Possibility" series explores the intersection of art and power, examining how humans use stories, music, and art to interpret our histories, our communities, and ourselves. In this evening event, Nat and I will share an hour of new and familiar songs and a little collaborative music making! We really look forward to this show. Get tickets here.

Over two weeks in November and December, I collaborated with Model Laboratory orchestra teacher, ME Henton, to teach songwriting and performance with her middle and high school classes. Students wrote lyrics, composed music, and produced a "Tiny Desk Concert" performance of their songs - with filming & editing support from students in the digital media department (so cool!). Several students shared their concerts for a public audience at the EKU Center for the Arts.

I am grateful to ME, the students, and Model Lab for inviting me to create with them, and I'm grateful to the Kentucky Arts Council's Teaching Art Together grant for supporting this residency and teaching artists' work in schools across KY. 

Young folx are feeling big things - change, fear for their safety, existential, silly, confused, just there, stuck, spiritual, connected, outcast, confident, hungry to play their string instrument... And they're resilient. Their voices are really important. I invite us all to listen.

In January, a dear writer friend and I pulled together a self-guided writing retreat in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. I went to the ocean to write music without the listener in mind, to write a song simply so it could be a song, a song by me for no one.

It felt good. So did listening to hours of Elizabeth Gilbert interviews (like this one). And chatting about the creative process with Emma over homemade soup. And being with the ocean again. 

Sometimes I avoid writing the songs or tending to the creative projects that are with me. Surrounding myself with other creative folks who understand and honor that part of me helps bring that work to life. Traveling to new places where I can be immersed in nature, in tune with my Self, and have dedicated focus time helps bring that work to life. Creating during the middle of a busy week, totally unplanned, helps. Resting and being patient helps. And @teeny_tiny_tunes (keep reading). I want all of it. I'm open to all of it.

Creative Connections (In Other News...)

Part my intention as an artist is to help build socio-ecological resilience through shared creative experiences, inclusive spaces, and by cultivating joy and resource sharing however I can. Here are some related projects I'm excited to share with you. 

(Youth) Climate Activism in Kentucky Conversation: On Monday, February 20th from 7-8pm, I'm leading an informal Zoom meeting to summarize the results of my research on youth climate activism in Kentucky and hold space for folx interested in this work to connect. Register for Zoom link here.

Saro Lynch-Thomason: It's my final week in Saro Lynch-Thomason's "Badass Women in Folk Song" course, during which I've learned folk songs and traditional ballads about women as warriors, witches, mermaids, faeries, survivors, sailors, and justice-seekers. Y'all. Connect with Saro. She has a robust YouTube channel, Instagram presence, Patreon, and offers incredible learning and performance opportunities throughout the year. I'll be sharing what Saro has taught me in 4 short weeks for years to come.

Teeny Tiny Tunes: My songwriting friends started @teeny_tiny_tunes on Instagram, and you can contribute! Set a timer for 3 minutes, write a song in that 3 minutes, record a video of the song, and direct message them your video for a chance to be featured. As the creators share: "Have fun! This challenge is not about making a perfect song! It's about the weird random-seeming stuff your mind can generate when you give it a quick deadline and let it go." I shared my first teeny tiny tune this week. Eek! Yay! 

Thanks for reading! I hope to see you soon. 

In song,

Jeri Katherine

Hello, Wonderful! 

July and August in Kentucky are my favorite. I feel cleansed, sometimes dazed, and fully present in my body and more-than-human nature. I look forward to sharing some steamy music medicine with y'all as summer draws to a close. 

West Sixth Farm Live Music Fridays 

July 22 / September 2 / 7-9 PM 

Our next West Sixth Farm series show is Friday, July 22. Nat and I have a vulnerably fun duo show planned for y'all. Join us for beautiful views and yummy brews.

Kentucky Heartwood Music Festival 

July 30 

The Kentucky Heartwood Music Festival returns! We're excited to headline this year with our dear fiddlin' friend, Jimmy Kalb plus special guests, Jasmine Fouts and Nathan Brown. Come dance and donate to support our forests! 

Castle & Key Springhouse Music Series 

August 3 / 6-8:30 PM 

Nat and I are thrilled to perform at Castle & Key Distillery's Springhouse Music Series, featuring our music, food trucks, and drinks for purchase on the Springhouse lawn. Gates open at 5 PM, music at 6 PM. Get your tickets today. 

Locals Food Hub & Pizza Pub 

August 12 / 6-8 PM 

Get your tastebuds and toes dancin' at our Locals duo show! If you or a friend have still not been there, this is the time. We love this place, and we know you will, too. 

Mingle at the Springhouse

August 25 / 5:30-8:30 PM  

Frankfort Area Chamber of Commerce and Whittaker Bank host this annual event at Castle & Key Distillery, in support of Yes Arts, an arts-based nonprofit near and dear to my heart. Get your tickets here.

Creative Connections (In Other News...) 

A large part of my intention as an artist is help build socio-ecological resilience through shared creative experiences, inclusive spaces, and by cultivating joy and resource sharing however I can. So, I've included a new section of my newsletter to share related projects I'm involved with or simply excited about. 

Kentucky Youth Climate Activism Research 

My graduate thesis, "Significant Life Experiences of Kentucky Youth Climate Activists," is out in the world, available online at UKnowledge. Young folx in our communities are not only taking action to address climate change and its intersecting social justice issues in Kentucky and the world, but also are envisioning and creating the infrastructure we need to take care of one another in the face of an uncertain future. I'm incredibly humbled to have witnessed and been entrusted to share these stories. 

Artist Opportunities 

Kentucky Foundation for Women's Artist Enrichment Grant 

LexPhil is Hiring Teaching Artists 

Live Music Experiences 

Live music feeds my soul, and by attending live music, we help feed artists. Here are some upcoming live music experiences I have my soul set on: The Mountain Grrl Experience (July 22-23 in Pikeville, KY), Tahlsound Concert Series (Lexington, KY) & Levitt Amp Berea Music Series. 

SAVE THE DATE: I'm thrilled to help organize Josephine Sculpture Park and LexPhil's Symphonic Stroll on September 10 (rain date September 17) and Bluebirds of Central Kentucky's Festival of the Bluebird on September 24. Check 'em out and get your tickets today! 

With gratitude, 

Jeri Katherine

Announcing West Sixth Farm 2022 Concert Dates 

Join us at West Sixth Farm in Franklin County for brews, food & tunes. Mark your calendars, y'all! 

St. Patrick's Day Brunch - This Sunday! 

Sunday, March 13 / 1-3 PM 

Jeri Katherine & Nat, West Sixth brews & Bell on Wheels food truck 

Live Music Fridays 

May 13 / 7-9 PM 

June 10 / 7-9 PM 

July 22 / 7-9 PM 

September 2 / 7-9 PM 

Stay tuned on Facebook & Instagram for food truck, duo & full band performance details.  

With love & gratitude, 

Jeri Katherine & Nat

Mid winter has me feeling all kinds of ways: nostalgic, grounded, focused, joyful, and excited for a warm and vibrant spring. After a lovely and intentional break, I'm slowly returning to live performances. Check out show details below, or enjoy our latest virtual concert if you're unable to join us in-person... 

Monday, February 14 / 5:30-7:30 PM 

Jeri K. & Nat with guest, Jasmine Fouts 

Locals Food Hub & Pizza Pub / Frankfort, KY  

Celebrate love with us at  Locals Food Hub & Pizza Pub this Valentine's Day! Check out their awesome specials and come vibe with us from 5:30-7:30 PM. 

Saturday, March 12 / 1-3 PM 

Jeri K. & Nat / West Sixth Farm / Frankfort, KY 

We're kicking off our monthly summer concerts at West Sixth Farm a little early! Hang out at one of our favorite places to play and enjoy their St. Patrick's Day-inspired specials. 

Red Barn Radio Full Concert on YouTube 

Back in November, Nat and I performed a live show for Red Barn Radio! The crew was fantastic (hence the fun post-production photo), and we learned a lot about performing on a weeknight. 

You can catch our full performance from the safety and comfort of home: Jeri Katherine & Nat Red Barn Radio Concert. 

Songwriting Residency with Franklin County Public Schools 

This week, I wrapped up a 3-day residency with Franklin County Public School's Gifted & Talented program. After three days and several songwriting tools later, students wrote twenty-eight original songs! More importantly, they created the brave space for all of us to explore ourselves, learn from and challenge one another, and take creative risks. 

Big thanks and love to all the public school teachers making opportunities for their students every day despite unprecedented challenges.  

With love, kindness & gratitude, 

Jeri Katherine

July 14 is our wedding anniversary. To celebrate, we share two videos that highlight why we love each other so much.

We love playing music together. What do we cherish most about our musical partnership? What do we admire about each other as musicians? Find out in this sweet interview with fellow singer-songwriter, Jasmine Fouts.

Here's one version of our musical love story! 

Dear friends: 

Thanks to your support over the years, Nat Colten and I released our debut duo album, Holding On, about one month ago. We invite you to celebrate with us THIS FRIDAY, JULY 9 at our CD RELEASE SHOW - a public, free & all ages concert at West Sixth Farm in Frankfort, KY! We are debuting our band for this show, too: Ellie Miller, Nathan Link, Jordon Ellis, Nat Colten & yours truly. If you are able to support us further, please bring cash/checks for tips and CD purchases. 

Jeri Katherine Howell & Nat Colten 

Holding On CD Release Show 

ft. Ellie Miller, Jordon Ellis & Nathan Link 

West Sixth Farm 

Friday, July 9 from 7-9 PM 

FREE Entrance / Tips & CD Purchases Welcome 

West Sixth Brews, Community Que Food Truck & Outdoor Seating (if you plan to arrive around 7 or later and want to see the stage, we suggest you bring a chair) 

Nat Colten and I share where and how we imagine folks are listening to Holding On, in an interview with Jasmine Fouts. 

Where and how are YOU listening to the album? Let us know! 

Get your physical or digital copy today at jerikatherinehowell.com, Poor Richard's Books, a live show (CD Release Show Friday, July 9 at West Sixth Farm!), or where music streams. 

With love & kindness, please take care. We hope to see you soon. 

Jeri Katherine & Nat

DEBUT DUO ALBUM NOW AVAILABLE: HOLDING ON 

JERI KATHERINE HOWELL & NAT COLTEN 

AVAILABLE AT JERIKATHERINEHOWELL.COM/STORE 

& WHERE MUSIC STREAMS 

Frankfort Singer-Songwriters Jeri Katherine Howell And Nat Colten Announce Debut Duo Album 

By Emma Comery 

Local singer-songwriters Jeri Katherine Howell and Nat Colten are thrilled to announce their debut duo album, Holding On, which drops today - June 1, 2021. 

Though the couple -- in music and life -- has performed together for years and previously collaborated on a track for Jeri Katherine's 2013 album, Collage, this new album marks their first duo project, and is Nat's debut album as a singer-songwriter. 

Written over several years of travelling and living in different states and countries, the songs of Holding On reflect on what it means to come back to Kentucky and do just that -- hold on to their hometown, the land they live on, each other, and community amid times of chaos and difficulty. 

“We pulled the album together after we came back from living in Costa Rica and made the intentional decision to root in Kentucky and make music here,” Jeri Katherine says. “It was an exhalation.” 

Composed of five tracks written by Jeri Katherine and five by Nat, Holding On celebrates the duo’s connection to place and community. The album includes songs written across several years and sometimes even across different continents, but the resulting work is a seamless reflection on the interconnection and interdependence of nature, self, and community, with threads of social and environmental justice. 

“It’s very much a homecoming album,” Nat shares. “It’s about what home means to me, and the people and places I’ve grown up around and how they’ve contributed to my heart.” 

Born and raised in Frankfort, Jeri Katherine and Nat grew up on bluegrass, Appalachian, country, classical, and world musical traditions, and they sow seeds of each into their own lyrics and melodies to create a signature Folk/Americana sound. With Howell on guitar and Colten playing banjo, their vocals pour out like bourbon and Ale-8 -- a sweet burn, mixed well and meant to be. 

Holding On was recorded on Jeri Katherine's former family farm in Frankfort, a place of deep significance to both Howell and Nat as children and adults. The project features musical accompaniment from an array of talented Kentucky artists -- Jordon Ellis (drums, recording, mixing), Ellie Miller (fiddle, viola), Nathan Link (bass), and Braden Urevick (guitar). The album was mastered by Justin Perkins of Mystery Room Mastering in Wisconsin. Frankfort photographer Joa McDaniel shot the cover art beneath an old shagbark hickory on the former family farm. 

After over a year of writing and recording at home, Jeri Katherine and Nat are excited to return to the live music scene with a summer-long series of monthly Friday-night performances at West Sixth Farm in Frankfort. The farm is also hosting the CD release show on Friday, July 9, at which the musicians featured on the CD will perform together on a live stage for the first time. These shows are 7-9 PM and are free and open to the public. 

Holding On drops TODAY - June 1, 2021 - and is available for purchase at jerikatherinehowell.com/store. You can also listen where music streams and purchase a CD at Poor Richard's Books in Frankfort.

My partner in love and music wrote this beautiful song, "Devil's Hollow," inspired by the place and stories of our hometown. You can now enjoy this tune and the place that inspired it in this new music video! Nat shares:  

"I grew up in the tributaries of the Benson Creek watershed and have spent a lot of time admiring the various communities that this land and water continue to support. My song Devil's Hollow was inspired by a history of humanity in this area - of people taking care of one another. It was also inspired by the forces, both biotic and abiotic, that have shaped this landscape for millennia. When I come to the confluence of the north and south fork, I am reminded of my insignificance. Water began sculpting these hills and soils long before humans came to reside here. Yet I am also reminded of how powerful human kindness can be. I have no doubt that humans will continue to live and care for one another amongst these hills for many generations to come. 

My good friend Zachary Mason made this video happen, but we were able to better do this landscape justice with the help of Daniel Evans and his flying camera. Devil's Hollow will be on my first album, which is a collaboration with my wife Jeri Katherine Howell. This project would not have been possible without the experience and artistry of Jordon Ellis, Ellie Ruth, or Nathan Link. We are very excited to share our finished album with you all in the coming months. 

In the mean time, enjoy the scenery." 

Good afternoon, friends. 

Happy holiday season to you and yours. I hope to see you songbirds soon...    

Ironweed's in bloom, which means steamy summer shows for you dear folks. Come see us! 

ODD FELLOWS MARKET 

Friday, July 26, 6-10 PM // Join us for a FREE pop-up air market downtown Frankfort with local music, arts and crafts, delicious food, craft beer, children's activities and more! We will be playing tunes - with some friends! - in front of Silo Ridge Maker's Market on St. Clair St.  

SMASH SMARD FEST  

Saturday, August 3, 5-11 PM // My nephew, Brooks, lives on a ventilator and feeding tube with a rare genetic disease known as Spinal Muscular Atrophy with Respiratory Distress (SMARD). The nonprofit organization, Smash SMARD, and my family are raising funds to support promising gene therapy that can help save baby Brooks' life. Smash SMARD Fest at Josephine Sculpture is to raise awareness and funds about SMARD and includes fun for everyone: outdoor movie (Ralph Breaks the Internet), outdoor and art activities, sculpture scavenger hunt, pie smashing station, food truck, West Sixth brews, ice cream & popcorn, drum circle, dance performance and MORE! $10 parking + cash donations for activities gratefully accepted. If you want to donate but cannot attend the event, please do so online here. Learn more about Brooks' story here. 

LIVE MUSIC FRIDAY @ WEST SIXTH FARM 

Friday, August 23, 7-9 PM // West Sixth Farm in Franklin County has become one of our concert homes. We invite you to join us for a great atmosphere with music, hiking trails, food truck & delicious brews. All ages welcome. 

BARN RAISIN': BEN, BREWS & BBQ 

Sunday, August 18, 5-9 PM // Nat and I are thrilled to once again open for Ben Sollee and Jordon Ellis, this time at Josephine Sculpture Park! Barn Raisin' is a fundraiser to help JSP add 10 acres  to the park, restore an historic tobacco barn and host more creative community events and art and nature programs. Includes live music in their beautiful outdoor amphitheatre, BBQ (or veggie burger) dinner with dessert from Pollo Bandito and fresh brews from West Sixth. Tickets are limited and on sale now at this link.

ANNOUNCEMENTS 

• We are booking HOUSE CONCERTS for the fall & winter! If you or someone you know would like to host our music in their living room/backyard for friends, contact me for more info.

• This month, I was accepted into the Kentucky Arts Council Teaching Artist Directory! The directory is a roster of adjudicated Kentucky artists who produce high quality artistic work and have both the skills and competencies needed to collaborate with teachers and students in designing and implementing arts education programs. The directory serves as a resource for schools of all levels as well as a variety of organizations who may want to employ qualified teaching artists. Stay tuned for ways your school or organization can take advantage of this great opportunity!  

• You may notice my NEW ironweed-inspired LOGOS, carefully designed by Anna LeMay to reflect my style & story. If your creative work needs branding, an event poster, logo or other promotional image, I encourage you to work with Anna! Check out her work and contact her today: Anna LeMay Creative. 

Best wishes to you and yours.  

Jeri K.