Sept 15, 2023 — Here’s hoping music is a big, beautiful part of your life. Today we want to share a quick story about how its power and magic brought two members of our Cardie Community together a week ago tonight.
First, we should say it was Contributing Cardie Rosemary Tolliver who composed our well-loved music card back in 2014. Then, in 2020, when we asked the community what was keeping them going, Rosie responded, “The music of Carrie Newcomer has been one of the things getting me through. It’s soothed me so much that I am taking an online class called Wise Women and Spirituality because Carrie is among the presenters.”
In the years since, Rosie has sung the praises of this accomplished folk singer, songwriter, poet, educator, and modern-day mystic, and she’s quoted from Newcomer’s astounding 19 albums and three poetry books. Then, a few months ago, Contributing Cardie Toni Hoepf suggested to me in an email that, if I ever had a chance to see Carrie Newcomer in concert, I absolutely should, because she is just that good. Toni said she was looking forward to a concert Sept 8th in her hometown of Columbus, Ohio. Which is also where Rosie lives!
I promptly proposed that these kindred spirits use the opportunity to put faces to their familiar Cardie Community names. (View their Cardie Profiles and you’ll see these two have written and/or inspired more than a dozen Cardthartic cards between them, and it was Toni who proposed the popular RBG card be made into a magnet, too.) Always being up for meeting lovely new friends, meet each other they did!
Oh how I wish I could have been with them in more than just spirit last Friday night. Read Newcomer’s lyrics and you’ll see what a stellar storyteller she is, bringing the same authenticity that Cardies often say they love about our cards. And that voice!
On Saturday morning, Toni emailed, “Still on a high from last evening’s wonderful show! It was great meeting Rosie at the concert. I think we may be seeing her back this season!” Likewise, Rosie wrote, “The concert was MAGICAL! Did you know that, when people sing together, their hearts start to beat together?! Carrie taught us that as she led us in singing her ‘There is Room at the Table for Everyone.’”
Turns out, Toni serves on the board of the all-volunteer organization that sponsored the concert. Six String was “founded by friends who love acoustic music, and relies on arts grants and patron donations for the bulk of our income.” She explained that “for most of our shows, we give 10 or so outreach tickets to local rehab and shelter houses. There is a men’s rehab facility that regularly brings residents and they always tell us how much they love the concerts. It’s a way for us to give back to the community.”
In one of her own community-outreach roles, Rosie volunteers for Ohio Health Hospice and shared, “At a recent training session about dementia, I learned that — more than all the vitamins, supplements, and games that promise to keep our brains sharp — there is only one evidence-based way to enhance brain activity: Listen to music for at least a couple of hours every day! Not just classical,” Rosie clarified, “whatever music you enjoy. Best prescription ever, in my opinion.”
For so many good and loving reasons, the opinions of both Rosie and Toni have come to be valued greatly around here! With thanks to them for the great recommendation, this weekend you’re invited to have a listen to a favorite Carrie Newcomer song via the link below and feel your own heart singing. Enjoy!
Jodee Stevens
Founder & Chief Creative
to hear “I Believe”
Sept 15, 2023 — Here’s hoping music is a big, beautiful part of your life. Today we want to share a quick story about how its power and magic brought two members of our Cardie Community together a week ago tonight.
First, we should say it was Contributing Cardie Rosemary Tolliver who composed our well-loved music card back in 2014. Then, in 2020, when we asked the community what was keeping them going, Rosie responded, “The music of Carrie Newcomer has been one of the things getting me through. It’s soothed me so much that I am taking an online class called Wise Women and Spirituality because Carrie is among the presenters.”
In the years since, Rosie has sung the praises of this accomplished folk singer, songwriter, poet, educator, and modern-day mystic, and she’s quoted from Newcomer’s astounding 19 albums and three poetry books. Then, a few months ago, Contributing Cardie Toni Hoepf suggested to me in an email that, if I ever had a chance to see Carrie Newcomer in concert, I absolutely should, because she is just that good. Toni said she was looking forward to a concert Sept 8th in her hometown of Columbus, Ohio. Which is also where Rosie lives!
I promptly proposed that these kindred spirits use the opportunity to put faces to their familiar Cardie Community names. (View their Cardie Profiles and you’ll see these two have written and/or inspired more than a dozen Cardthartic cards between them, and it was Toni who proposed the popular RBG card be made into a magnet, too.) Always being up for meeting lovely new friends, meet each other they did!
Oh how I wish I could have been with them in more than just spirit last Friday night. Read Newcomer’s lyrics and you’ll see what a stellar storyteller she is, bringing the same authenticity that Cardies often say they love about our cards. And that voice!
On Saturday morning, Toni emailed, “Still on a high from last evening’s wonderful show! It was great meeting Rosie at the concert. I think we may be seeing her back this season!” Likewise, Rosie wrote, “The concert was MAGICAL! Did you know that, when people sing together, their hearts start to beat together?! Carrie taught us that as she led us in singing her ‘There is Room at the Table for Everyone.’”
Turns out, Toni serves on the board of the all-volunteer organization that sponsored the concert. Six String was “founded by friends who love acoustic music, and relies on arts grants and patron donations for the bulk of our income.” She explained that “for most of our shows, we give 10 or so outreach tickets to local rehab and shelter houses. There is a men’s rehab facility that regularly brings residents and they always tell us how much they love the concerts. It’s a way for us to give back to the community.”
In one of her own community-outreach roles, Rosie volunteers for Ohio Health Hospice and shared, “At a recent training session about dementia, I learned that — more than all the vitamins, supplements, and games that promise to keep our brains sharp — there is only one evidence-based way to enhance brain activity: Listen to music for at least a couple of hours every day! Not just classical,” Rosie clarified, “whatever music you enjoy. Best prescription ever, in my opinion.”
For so many good and loving reasons, the opinions of both Rosie and Toni have come to be valued greatly around here! With thanks to them for the great recommendation, this weekend you’re invited to have a listen to a favorite Carrie Newcomer song via the link below and feel your own heart singing. Enjoy!
Jodee Stevens
Founder & Chief Creative
Oh, Jodee! I Believe is one of my all time favorites — thanks for that link. Today’s small world story is that my husband, a retired band director, and I had purchased tickets to Carrie Newcomer’s Bloomington, Indiana concert (tonight) before learning that Six Strings was bringing her to Columbus. After buying tickets for Sept. 8 in Columbus, we decided to share our Bloomington tickets with a former student of my husband’s, who is now the Dean of the Jacob School of Music at Indiana University. Sure hope tonight is as magical as September 8th was for us!
Great story — Thank you!!