Welcome back to another eTown On The Road (from The Momentary in Bentonville, AR)! This week features musical guests James McMurtry and BettySoo from Austin, and Erin Rae from Nashville. Nick also has a visit with Paul Scott of HAAM (Health Alliance for Austin Musicians) to discuss the benefits of supporting musicians for the social well-being of a community.
James McMurtry
James McMurty is a Texas-based singer-songwriter renowned for his storytelling through song. Consistently turning heads for decades, NPR says, “[McMurtry] fuses wry, literate observations about the world with the snarl of barroom rock.” James has been nominated for multiple Americana Music Awards, a Grammy, and won the Americana Music Association’s Album on the year in 2006. He tours year-round and consistently throws unparalleled powerhouse performances. His latest record, The Horses and the Hounds, was released in 2021.
Erin Rae
After being gifted a Martin acoustic guitar on her 18th birthday, Rae decided to drop out of college after just one semester. Her goal at the time had little to do with making music into a career, and everything to do with spending more time and energy with the community of musicians and writers she knew back home in Tennesee. Rae has continued to connect with people through her music ever since; she has released three studio albums and was nominated for Emerging Act of The Year at the 2019 Americana Music Awards.
BettySoo
Raised outside Houston by first-generation Korean immigrant parents and educated at UT, Betty Soo grew up listening to the Great American Songbook and country radio. Older sisters led her to the world of singer/songwriters, and nights spent at The Cactus Café and Hole In The Wall turned her on to the legacy of Texas song. Betty has won the requisite awards: New Folk at Kerrville, Songwriter of the Year at Big Top Chautauqua, The Dave Carter Songwriting Award at Sisters Folk Festival, and Mountain Stage’s New Song Award.
Paul E. Scott
Paul E. Scott joined Health Alliance for Austin Musicians as its CEO in November 2021. HAAM provides access to affordable healthcare for Greater Austin’s low-income, working musicians, with a focus on prevention and wellness. HAAM has helped 6,700 musicians across seven counties access over $144 million in healthcare services since we began in 2005. Services include routine dental work, doctor visits and prescriptions, psychiatric counseling sessions, eye exams, out-patient procedures, specialist referrals, hearing screenings, basic needs assistance, and more.