09/08/06 - Kari moves to Nashville! For September through December of 2006, I spent half of my time in Nashville, and half in Richmond. This enabled me to still play some shows and make some money, while still getting a feel for Nashville.
11/09/06 - I joined NSAI (Nashville Songwriter's Association International). Being a part of NSAI has already given me great opportunities to meet some great writers, and also gives me the opportunity to pitch my songs to publishers here in Nashville, and have my songs critiqued by professional songwriters. I've also taken advantage of my membership with ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers) to meet with some great people who have also given me great feedback about the music I've written. I've done a TON of writing since I've moved here, and can't wait to share some of the new original songs when I come back home for shows.
11/10/06 - I played my first acoustic show in Nashville at Tootsie's Orchid Lounge on Broadway. Tootsie's is a legendary place down here - early customers included Willie Nelson, Faron Young, Waylon Jennings, Patsy Cline, Kris Kristofferson, and many more. I had about half of my voice, but I made it through!
11/29/07 - My car accident... If you hadn't heard about this, it has been probably the biggest obstacle I've faced so far, and it didn't even happen in Nashville. It happened when I was home for Thanksgiving in Richmond, and resulted in my canceling most of my scheduled gigs for a time. After being rear-ended (which caused me to hit the car in front of me) on I-64 at the I-295 exit, the original diagnosis was the cervical spine straightening, and the doctors suspected nerve damage. Later tests and multiple MRIs revealed a "syrinx" or cyst in my spinal cord which they expect is the cause of symptoms I've experienced since the accident, such as severe pain, and the frequent loss of feeling and strength in my hands and arms. To be honest, this is both boring and rather depressing for me to talk about, so if you'd like to know more, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Syringomyelia. The long and short of that is that I am still under the care of a neurologist, still on a lot of medicine, and still in physical therapy. To further aggravate the situation, the repairs that were done to my car in Richmond proved to be completely botched, and all had to be redone here in Nashville. This has been quite a strain - physically, emotionally, and financially, and I truly appreciate the thoughts, support and prayers of everyone since then, and in times to come.
12/11/06 - I played my first show and became a member of Clue and the HonkyTones - a country band here in Nashville. I play guitar, sing harmonies, and some lead vocals. Although I enjoy playing my own music, I haven't minded being in the background, especially while I have been dealing with the accident, and haven't been able to put as much time and effort as I'd like into booking my own gigs.
01/19/07 - I played my first out-of-state show in Michigan at The Bresa Del Rio, later followed by shows 01/20/07,
03/03/07, and 03/04/07. Wow! Being in a Ford Excursion with 4 other people (Clue and the HonkyTones) can be quite challenging, but we love The Bresa! They are an awesome place with awesome people.
01/27/07 - Kari was the featured artist on Richmond's WRIR 97.3 FM "River City Limits" program, which showcases local original artists. Since one of my goals for a while had been radio play, I was so excited for this opportunity! It was amazing to hear several of my songs, including "Blue", "Slow Down the Rain", and "Happy Ain't a Man", on the radio - hopefully, the first of many to come! :)
02/08/07 - I played my first full-band show in Nashville at the 5-star Millenium Maxwell House Hotel. This was SO exciting - although the acoustic show I did at Tootsie's was great, I really enjoyed putting a band together and creating an awesome set list. I got to do a lot of rock and bluesy stuff, which I really enjoyed, and Nashville has so many talented musicians to choose from!
03/01/07 - Kari moves... I'm still in the Nashville area, but I moved to an apartment that was a little cheaper. I still have a roommate, but I had to do something to reduce my expenses - I've already put out almost $8,000 in expenses for the car accident with no telling when I'll be reimbursed... The new place is further from downtown, but is actually in a nicer area, so that's good! Drop me a line if you need the new address.
05/05/07 - I've been asked to perform at The Music Seen festival on Saturday, May 5. WCVE (PBS) is presenting this all-ages, free admission show. There will be 4 or 5 bands each night, each playing a 30-minute set. The television program will be distributed throughout central Virginia before the end of the year, and will be nationally distributed in select regions on public TV in the future. I'm pretty excited, as this will be my first TV exposure!
As you can see - LOTS has been happening, despite the obstacles that have come up along the way! Hopefully as things settle down a bit more, I will be able to put more time and energy into what I came here to do - continue to write and perform great music!!
I'd love to hear from all of you - between all the craziness that has been happening, I miss my family and friends terribly, and I look forward to the opportunities to play more shows for those of you who so faithfully come out. Stay tuned to the website (www.karismithmusic.com) or to myspace (www.myspace.com/karismith) as I will have several shows scheduled in May posted within the next week or two, and I'd love to see you! There are also many updated pictures on myspace. I apologize for the rather infrequent contact - I wish there were 2 more hours in every day... maybe then I could get everything done that I want to!
