Music

Cathy Reitz is a musicpaloosa and it's a gift she shares abundantly. Sometimes she's front-and-center like with her Cathy Reitz & 7 Swing, or when performing the blues, but she also brings out the music in all kinds of people, like the Stand in the Light Memory Choir, the Chippewa Valley Community Chorus, the Valley Gospel Choir, and the Chippewa Valley Youth Chorus, to name only a few.

Jan Krist creates stunning songs of the human condition, sometimes with deep pathos, sometimes with a wry eye, always with superb lyrics and voice. She often takes the stage solo, but also commonly with Jim Bizer, and sometimes with the Yellow Room Gang.

Braden Canfield loves inner exploration & conveying the power of the experience through his music. He pays attention to the details and the transformation. While after-hours he's a singer/songwriter, in the light of day his joy is the good he can do as a counselor in the Indian Education department of the Minneapolis School System.

Annie Fitzgerald is a beautiful voice & songwriter from among the riches of the Twin Cities of MN. Her songs are deeply-rooted and high-flying, centered on connection, relationships, belonging, and home. Back to the Midwest after 10 years in Brooklyn, NY, Annie is releasing her new CD, You & Me & the Sun, on June 1st, 2018. See a fun video of her 'Toilet Tune' with Sarah Morris.

Collectively, Kai Ulrica & Nikk Wolfe are Wolves At The Door. Their collective music combines Nikk's lyrics and musical framework with Kai's melodies and arrangements. With a frequent strong rock edge, Nikk is often tugged toward blues and slide guitar, while Kai's tendency is harmonies, like when she performs as part of RavenWolf or Girl Band.

By day Daniel Zerr is a mild-mannered Natural Resource Educator with the UW Extension here in Eau Claire, but other times Dan makes music in a variety of configurations, including his solo act. One of his common bass & vocals gigs is with Eggplant Heroes, and you will find him mixing other strange incredients, hence his 2014 release, Guacamole, Macaroni and Cheese.

Maria Dunn is a passionate and inspired storyteller and songwriter with a voice to charm us all. Born in Scotland but having lived almost all of her life near Edmonton, Alberta, Maria combines old world music and roots with Canadian life and people to produce beautiful, moving music.

Cody Diekhoff is Chicago Farmer, a consummate story-teller combined with heartfelt tunes & evocative voice. Coming of age when punk/grunge rock was the alternative thing, he got hooked on an alternative to the alternative by Hank Williams, leading to a kind of alt-country/folk/Americana style all his own. Cody is from a farming family in small-town Illinois, did good time in Chicago, and has settled in between with his wife, the artist creator of Twice Upon A String who makes Upcycled Instrument String Jewelry.

Gem Andrews is born & raised in Northeast England, around Liverpool, so it was a bit of a surprise to find that the beautiful music she makes owes much to Americana and Alt-country influences. All the more since she's spent the last few years in Berlin, Germany. Honesty, vulnerability, and twang come powerfully through Gem's music.

The Minnesota Music Coalition is a statewide network of artists, industry professionals and music supporters who care about creating and sustaining a vibrant popular music community. Ellen Stanley, aka Mother Banjo, is their executive director and shares samples of the wonderful work & music across genres from the coalition.