Wednesday, March 25, 2015 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
Students get songwriter session
By Jim Cornelius
News Editor
Buddy Mondlock is one
of the most respected song-
writers in Nashville. Greats
like Guy Clark, Nanci
Griffith, Art Garfunkel and
Janis Ian have worked with
him.
Last week, students at
Sisters High School (SHS)
and Sisters Middle School got
the chance to do the same as
the songwriter swung through
for a visit during a tour that
took him to several dates in
Washington. The visit was
arranged by Mondlock’s
friend, SHS teacher Leah
Soloff.
As it is for all the great
songwriters, the art is more
than a profession — it is a
calling and a way of finding
a way through the world. And
the act of creation can be that
for anyone who picks up an
instrument.
“I feel like songwrit-
ing is one of the very best
things I can do for my soul,”
Mondlock told the students
during a session of the SHS
Americana Project class.
He described driving
along a mountain road and
seeing a single flaming sugar
maple amidst a uniform slope
of green trees. The standout
tree reminded him of an inde-
pendent, exceptional girl he
thought he might love, and it
led to a song, titled “Fire of
Change.”
He played the song for
the class, and noted, “I got
photo by Jim Cornelius
Buddy Mondlock talked metaphor and work ethic with young songwriters
in the Americana project class.
to work out how I really felt
about her by writing this
song.”
That is the kind of slice
of the artist’s life that teen-
aged students can completely
relate to.
Mondlock talked a lot
about the use of metaphor,
giving the session a literary
bent. Chasing a metaphor is a
signal aspect of Mondlock’s
songwriting.
The songwriter related his
“discovery” at the Kerrville
Folk Festival in 1987, by leg-
endary songwriter Guy Clark
(who has appeared twice at
the Sisters Folk Festival).
Mondlock encouraged the
students to hone their craft
and get themselves “out
there” to build a potential
career simply by playing at
every opportunity and con-
necting with other musicians
whenever possible.
He noted that Sisters has
an exceptionally rich and
encouraging environment for
young songwriters.
He also encouraged
Americana Project students
to be patient and work hard
on their creations, playing
for them a song it took him a
year to write. Getting it right
is more important then get-
ting it quick.
“That’s one of the joys of
songwriting,” he noted. “To
say a lot in a few words —
but just the right ones.”
To learn more about
Buddy Mondlock visit www.
buddymondlock.com.
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5
Clearwater gallery to
host Wild River show
Clearwater Gallery will
host the third annual Wild
River show, highlighting the
wild and scenic Deschutes
River.
In 2013, artist Dan
Rickards wanted to use
the arts to raise money for
Oregon’s wild rivers. With
the help of gallery man-
ager Chris Nelson, who is
a sought-after artist in her
own right, they addressed the
desire of local and Northwest
artists to be represented in
Sisters. The Wild River show
has been cultivated as a way
to help grow the arts commu-
nity and support the conserva-
tion of Oregon’s wild rivers.
This year’s show will
open on March 27 and hang
through April 20. An array
of media will be displayed
for sale, each depicting the
Deschutes River through the
artists’ eyes.
This year’s sponsored non-
profit is the Upper Deschutes
Watershed Council. The
Upper Deschutes Watershed
Council is committed to
leading collaborative efforts
that protect and restore the
rivers and streams that make
Central Oregon so unique.
Healthy rivers and streams
provide the clean water to
support local economies, eco-
logical diversity, recreational
opportunities and unparal-
leled natural beauty through-
out the region.
They will be the recipient
of 20 percent of the show’s
proceeds, and Rickards will
continue his commitment to
the preservation of Northwest
rivers by donating 20 percent
of the proceeds from the sales
of his Deschutes River print
through the end 2015.
Rickards’ original paint-
ing and the prints will be on
display the opening night of
the show.
The public is invited to
enjoy an evening of inspir-
ing art, good company, wine
and light appetizers from 4 to
6 p.m. on Friday, March 27.
For more information, call
541-549-4994 or visit www.
theclearwatergallery.com.
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