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What everyone needs to know is that I am first and foremost a songwriter. I'd rather hear the voice I heard sing the song when I wrote it do it than mine. Ok, so I hear "voices", call the guys in the white coats and haul me off. I just sing for fun, and as long as its good enough not to make your ears bleed, I've done ok.

Cathy is a 1986 graduate of Duquesne University's School of Music, a trumpet major with a Bachelor's Degree in Music Education. Finding teaching jobs was difficult, so she pursued her other love and has had her own pet grooming business and raises champion beagles. Music finally had time to come back and make a new impact on her life, with support from her biggest fan, daughter Brianne and her husband, Brian.

"Every song the good Lord blesses me with, whether Christian, country, blues or rock, has a story or a message. God's been good to me. If I reach one person with one song, all the struggles have been worth it."


She also performs her new material regularly at the Bloomfield Bridge Tavern's songwriter's open mic nights every Tuesday.

She is registered with BMI as a songwriter/composer.

BIGGEST INFLUENCE IN MY MUSIC AND LIFE: JESUS CHRIST SECOND BIGGEST INFLUENCE: MY FAMILY...
as to musical influences.......

Let's see, there are so many, starting from my early years listening to and playing music by Clifford Brown, Miles, Bird, Maynard, Dixie Dregs, Matrix, and my rock influences of The Who, Skynnyrd, Zeppelin, CCR, Guns N' Roses, Creed, to country influences from Toby, Faith Hill, Wayne Warner, Josh Turner, Corbin Hanner, Sarah Evans, John Michael Montgomery, Johnny Cash, and the list goes on, to my education in classical music with Haydn being my favorite with Bach a close second, to my Christian favorites like Steven Curtis Chapman, Avalon, Point of Grace, plus a lot of old Country Gospel songs.
Going a little more into detail.....

Homer and Jethro and Wierd Al and Dr Demento taught me humor, Donny Osmond taught me how to match pitch, Billy Joel taught me to grow up and use the craft of words(we are talking Streetlife Seranade, Turnstiles, Cold Spring Harbor and The Stranger), John Denver taught me to find a little yee haw in my life and sparked me to learn guitar, Maynard Ferguson taught me to achieve the seemingly impossible, Bird, Trane, Prez, Clifford B, Jaco, Max R, Oscar P, Joe P, Chick, Joe Zawlinul, Stanley T, Woody, Satchmo, Brubeck etc, taught me passion for the way a tune "feels" to become a part of the creation as it happens through improvisation, and gave me a musical soul, The Dregs and Matrix taught me different is cool, Zeppelin, Skynnyrd, AC/DC, Aerosmith, and Guns n Roses taught me to rock, HARD....Pete, Rodger, Moonie and The Ox gave me a release for my angst, Dan Fogelburg and Mark Murphy showed me how powerfully music can effect one's desires, David Bowie showed me how to look past the wierdness and enjoy the musical ride, and Gordon Sumner the lesson of versatility. There are a hundred more, but this gives you an idea........and if you don't know who Gordon Sumner is....look it up!



Instrumentation
Cathy Stewart-Acoustic guitar, vocals, and songwriter

Various local musicians that join me in the studio and out live including Dave Rudovsky, Greg Stewart, Bob "Crafty" Crafton, Bob Banerjee, Ryan Langley and Steve Marchetti.

As to studio work, I've had the pleasure of working with Dave Hanner at Play On, Doug Wilkin of DJW Audio, and am currently working with Al Snyder at Albey Road Studio.

Discography
Released in December 2007- The Calliope Songwriters Circle compilation CD- includes an original cut of mine called "Walkin' Shoes", "Originals-EP 1" released November 2007, "It's All About God's Son" recorded AND released December 2007. All of my studio cuts are streaming on Planet Texas internet radio and are on myspace.com/carpentry101, and are available for download via snocap for a nominal fee....

 Come Down
Combine Nirvana, the Doors, Janis Joplin, and the rippin of pedal steel leads that make you think Hendrix came back to life, and you have a song called Come Down. Form your own opinion of what it sounds like...it's different than anything you've ever heard....oh yeah, one other thing...there are no musicians under the age of 40 on this recording...us old people can rock!

Alternative Blues Rock
h h
Walkin' Shoes
A fun little walkin' blues tune with the rippin steel leads that make Western Pa famous.....

General Blues
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PRESS RELEASE

Touched by Love Music Project Recruiting Local Headliners

1/16/08-West Newton, PA

A chance meeting. A heart touched. A song written. A dream for a little boy to be realized.

When local songwriter Cathy Stewart went to pick up her daughter at a friend’s house, it had an effect that was never quite expected. She met the Boytim family. Lisa, Scott, Matt, Brooke, Nic, and Colton.

That was all it took.

Colton has mastocytosis, a condition that causes his histamine levels to jump off the charts, mast cells to proliferate, and basically makes him allergic to just about everything. A simple raindrop or snowflake landing on him can cause an immediate reaction of nasty itchy lesions on his skin, even exposure to sunshine or rapid temperature changes can cause a potentially life threatening anaphylactic reaction. Colton has to bathe with purified or distilled water…the chemicals in tap water would make his skin look as if you had poured a caustic substance on him.

The entire family has had to make adjustments, getting used to using perfume and dye free products and watching out for things that come into their home that could cause Colton harm. Mom has to plan even simple trips to the grocery store ahead of time so someone can be home with Cole, he isn’t exactly the kid that you can just pack in the car and take off for the local Giant Eagle. His six year old brother Nic, has to be home schooled until he is past all of the normal childhood health issues found at school, any one of which could compromise his little brother’s health severely. Dad has his own business, located across the street from the family home near Madison.

Otherwise, he is a vivacious, active four year old boy, turning five later this month. He loves to run and play, but can’t do it outside. Mom wants him to be able to ride a bike, go swimming, swing on a swing set…all the things we take for granted as regular childhood activity. He needs an environmentally safe area, indoors, to do that. The project has been started, but funds are slow to come in to complete it.


After a few hours at the Boytim home, talking with Lisa, playing some tunes on the guitar, learning more about Colton’s condition, and a good night’s rest, Monday morning brought an urgent and compelling feeling upon Cathy to write a song for Colton. And brainstorm an idea.

“I wrote “Touched By Love” and immediately called Lisa, explained my idea to her, and read her the lyrics. She cried tears of happiness for about ten minutes. Which drove me even harder to get this ball rolling.”

The “ball”, is an “all star” chorus of local music artists to record the song, with all proceeds from sales and royalties going to build Colton’s dream play area, and maybe a few other things to help him be able to get out a little more, like a protective suit. At $2500.00 a piece, for a growing four year old, this could be a daunting task. There are hopes that there will be funds generated to be able to help the national organization also.

Cathy called some local music artists, and e mailed even more, asking them to forward the information to their friends in the music community and jump on board. She also placed a call to a Nashville recording artist friend of hers for some help and advice. His name is Wayne Warner.

Wayne responded with a resounding “Whatever you need me to do!” He has experience with these types of projects, organizing the “God Bless the Children” all star chorus in Nashville for the Dave Thomas Foundation, and working with projects like Melodical Hearts and Major Rising ,with many major Nashville music artists.

It’s all coming together. So far, some of the artists that want to help out include Dallas Marks, Shawn and Hobby, Todd Jones, Lois Scott, Bob “Crafty” Crafton, Tom Breiding, Geo Bennett of NOMaD and Tim Brannon of Steeltown. Responses are still coming in. Her producer, Al Snyder, keyboardist for the Corbin Hanner Band, will help with arranging the music. Wayne will be popping in when recording is ready to be done to help out, also, as well as doing some speakerphone writing and general support sessions. Kevin Stiffler has offered his photographic services. “I need all the help I can get to make this a success,” says Stewart, “I’m not limiting this to country artists, I have e mails in to artists in other genres, it just so happens that the majority of people I know are in the country music community. I‘m gonna need a pretty big studio room to record this, too.”



Also needed are volunteers to set up a website, distribute PR materials, provide supplies and services such as CD burning and packaging, and eventually help to promote the CD. Please contact Cathy via e mail at touchedbylove4cole@hotmail.com for more information or to help out.
KenyonMusic
Subtlely Powerful
Logun's Pick
Shades of Blue...


1/26/2008 2:44:00 PM

http://www.myspace.com/carpentry101
http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk.asp?epk_id=125978

Cathy Stewart