By Connie Strong

“Puppies Eat Pizza!” “Christmas is Fun!” “I’m Just Like You!”  These three songs may not knock the “musician du jour” off the Billboard Top 100, but these songs are “hits” nonetheless. Sponsored by The Bugle Boy, singer/songwriter Darden Smith brought his Be An Artist Program to La Grange Intermediate on Dec. 11, 2009, and by the end of the event, Darden and the eager students had made a CD!

Because of his desire to see kids value their own unique creativity, Darden founded the Be An Artist Program in 2003. Through this worthwhile project, Darden encourages school children to find their own talent. “Do what makes you happy and give it your all” is the principle idea behind this successful endeavor.

Adapted for children of all ages, the Be An Artist Program has been presented in the states as well as in France, England, and Germany. Darden teaches children that “artists are not created,” rather it is an inherent gift within each of us, and he uses music to encourage children’s creativity.

According to teacher Nancy Hajek, of La Grange Intermediate, “The kids really loved listening to Darden, especially getting to contribute to writing their own songs. They got a big kick out of being able to hear their songs played back so quickly!”

Darden says, “The Be An Artist Program continues to bring the message to students that everyone is an artist.  The trick is to find what your interests are and then pursue them.  The time spent at La Grange Intermediate was great.  Growing up in Brenham, I remember being that kid in the back of the class who felt a little different than the norm.  If someone had come to my school and told me that I was OK, and that I should pursue my crazy dream of being a musician and songwriter, it would have saved me a lot of time later on!”

It’s a long way from Mill Creek to Paris, but Darden Smith has successfully made the journey.  Playing by his own rules and armed with an arsenal of talent, soul and “luck,” this Brenham native has 12 critically acclaimed albums to his credit and is currently working on an interpretive presentation for the theater.  “Marathon” is a theme song-cycle that is being adapted for stage through University of Texas Performing Arts Center.  The album is due to be released in September 2010 and the stage production is set to begin in spring.

Although his success is a true testament that life can flourish outside of “Bluebonnet Country,” Darden speaks fondly of the region and attributes much of his inspiration to his years spent in Washington County. “Naomi Simon, my fifth grade guitar teacher, introduced me to Neil Young’s ‘Harvest’ and ‘After the Gold Rush.’”

After his family moved to the suburbs of Houston in 1976, 13-year-old Darden began to spend hours of alone-time, writing.  Suffering from culture shock, he let the musical influence of Guy Clark, John Prine, Bob Dylan and Leon Russell shape his musical taste into a style that is now uniquely his own.  This pensive adjustment phase would pave the way for the release of his first album in 1986, “Native Soil,” for which Lyle Lovett and Nanci Griffith provided harmony vocals.  Later, in 1993, he hit the pop charts with “Loving Arms,” which he performed during a guest appearance on the “Tonight Show.”

From that point, Darden has gone on to open for Stevie Nicks and Joan Baez, has given a performance with “Austin City Limits,” and has performed in 48 states. He is also widely recognized in Europe, having reached #3 on the BBC2 radio charts with the hit single “After all this Time” from his 2002 “Sunflower” CD. Recorded in an adobe house in Ojo Caliente Hot Springs, New Mexico in 2006, “Ojo,” is his first live CD. In 2009, Darden released yet another CD, “After All This Time,” which includes cuts from all 10 of his acclaimed albums.

What’s next?  Darden says, “I’ve been co-writing a lot here in Austin, which is good, and I’m also going to Nashville quite often to write.  There will be at least three trips to Europe this year, to do shows and [share] the Be An Artist Program… in Germany, France and the UK.  Sarajevo is a possibility.  ‘Marathon’ comes out in September, so around that time I’ll be doing more dates in Texas and the U.S.”

In December, Darden will again be performing at The Bugle Boy. “The Bugle Boy is a great place to perform, because that’s the whole point of the place — performance.  Basically it gets down to Lane, and all the people who work there.  They mean for it to be nothing short of a great place to hear music.  So when you walk into a place like that how can you not be inspired?”

Mark your calendars for Dec. 10, 2010. You’ll come for good music in a “laid-back” atmosphere. After witnessing Darden’s soulful presentation of life’s raw emotions, you will leave with a renewed appreciation for high musical standards, and an acquired respect for one of the industry’s finest Texas musicians.

Oh, and if you bump into one of those 4^th graders, be nice! Some day you may see that student on the top of Billboard charts, and you’ll be able to look back and say, “I knew him when…”

And the former student will be able to say, “Thanks, Darden.”

You can support the work of The Bugle Boy with an online donation to The Bugle Boy Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.

By Connie Strong

“I’ll go home, I’ll go home
Where the wild shadows roam
And the dawn over mountaintops spills
Where the deer pause in flight
On the edge of the night
I’ll go home to my Tennessee hills”

Lyrics by Janis Ian, duet by Janis and Dolly Parton

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“Hi there! Need any help? I’m Janis!”

Walking up to my car with a big smile on her face and offering to help us lug cameras was certainly not the first impression I was expecting  to have of a Grammy winner, but then again you just never know what to expect from Janis Ian. It didn’t take long to realize that here was an artist that is not afraid to “color outside the lines,” as well as one who is able to dispel just about any preconceived notion you could possibly have about fame.

In 2008, “At Seventeen” was placed in the Grammy Hall of Fame. Having earned Janis five nominations and two Grammy Awards, this song is one of those rare recordings that has timeless, universal appeal. Performed by Janis on the very first episode of “Saturday Night Live” (1975), its lyrics tell the all-too-often truth about “ugly duckling girls” and their struggles with both societal and personal acceptance.

Janis knows, firsthand, about personal trials. In 1966, at the age of only 15, she found instant fame, along with harsh criticism, through her controversial song about a romantic, interracial relationship. “Society’s Child” soared to the top of the charts, despite its divisive subject matter.

In her recent memoir, “Society’s Child; My Autobiography,” Janis writes, “People got crazy. A radio station in Atlanta dared to put [the song] in rotation, and someone burned the station down. Strangers walked up to me in restaurants and spit in my food. Sometimes, when I tried to walk onstage from the audience, a person would deliberately put their foot out to trip me.”

Those difficult years were underscored by days spent in Greenwich Village, writing and performing– living the lifestyle so typical of the 70s’ music scene, befriending music artists who were cultural icons of the age.   Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and Odetta were part of her inner circle, and each did much to cultivate the other’s creativity. During these years, her song “Jesse” became a hit record for Roberta Flack, another Grammy Award nomination was gained for her duet (”Silly Habits”) with Mel Torme, and Janis Ian had become a global household name.

But after years of disenchantment with the industry, and after seven albums—two of which were platinum– Janis resolved to take what eventually became a nine year hiatus from the music business.   During those “absent” years, Janis continued to write and faced many personal challenges: marriage, divorce, illness and much self discovery.

Resurfacing in 1993 with “Breaking Silence,” she was once again a Grammy nominee.  In 2006, Janis released her 20^th major-label album, “Folk is the New Black,” followed by “The Essential Janis Ian” which was released in September 2009 in support of her critically acclaimed autobiography, “Society’s Child; My Autobiography.”

Speaking candidly, and many times poetically, Janis pens a painfully revealing look at her struggles with IRS, losing her home and belongings to an unscrupulous business manager and surviving an abusive marriage–giving her reader clear insight to the days of living in Greenwich Village, coping with the drugs and ugliness that can accompany fame.

She turned down Woodstock. She turned down an offer to write the score for “The Graduate.” And in 2002 she shocked the industry when she wrote “The Internet Debacle” in which she argues that free music downloading will boost, not impede, music sales. (Yes, check it out, she has free downloads available on her website.)

Although never hesitant to take a stand, there is also a softer side to Janis. In 1998, after an internet auction that raised $65K, a scholarship program was started as a tribute to Janis’ mother, Pearl, who lost her battle with Multiple Sclerosis, but not before she earned her Master’s in Playwriting from Goddard. The Pearl Foundation scholarship is given to “returning students” to help them attain a degree, despite seemingly insurmountable odds.  Janis says, “Our sole [criterion] is that they’ve been out of school for 3 years or more.” Her worthwhile project has been very successful, “Last year we were able to donate $180,000 to various schools to establish scholarships.”

On Oct. 25, 2009, Janis brought her globally acknowledged talent to The Bugle Boy. Even though she has performed in some of the largest arenas, she loves the smaller venues. “They are wonderful. They provide the artists a wider range of places to play; the audience is attentive and respectful. These venues are an integral part of the community.”

Referring metaphorically to those who have good intentions, but cannot bring to fruition the opportunity to promote live, quality music, Janis says, “Many people write about the dance, yet don’t dance. Somehow, magically, [Lane] has built an audience and made it happen.”

Living in Nashville since 1988, and happily with her partner, Pat, since 1989, Janis Ian has managed to weave a beautiful tapestry from the, at times, threadbare fabric of her life. She is at the top of her game, comfortable in her own skin.

Janis has written the chapters of her life, both literally and figuratively, in a way that makes no apologies for the choices she has made or for the person that has evolved from the once-fragile “Society’s Child.” There is a peace and easiness about her that made The Bugle Boy listeners—and this interviewer—feel as though we had spent the afternoon with a friend.

After two long standing ovations, it was clear: despite her 4’ 10” frame, Janis Ian is still “standing tall.”

And she does not stand alone.

You can support the work of The Bugle Boy with an online donation to The Bugle Boy Foundation, a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.