Beth Wood

Based in Sisters, OR Beth Wood is a modern-day troubadour, poet, and believer in the power of word and song. Beth has been writing, creating, recording, and touring full-time twenty-three years — delighting and inspiring audiences with her exceptional musicianship, intelligent songwriting, powerhouse voice, and warm and commanding stage presence. A home-body with an ever-present wanderlust, an introvert with a passion for performing, a creative free-spirit with enough discipline to rework her dream year after year, Beth’s work has expanded to include teaching voice and song coaching as well as leading workshops at festivals, retreats and beyond. In addition to her eleven solo albums, one duo album, and one collaboration live album, Beth has released three books of poetry, Kazoo Symphonies and Ladder To The Light (2019 finalist for the Oregon Book Award Stafford/Hall award for poetry and 2019 Winner of the Oregon Book Award Readers’ Choice Award), and Believe The Bird, a collection of forthright, shimmering poems that examine the stories we tell ourselves. Beth also released Facepalm, a whimsical collection of stories recounting some of the most awkward conversations she has experienced on the road. (Mezcalita Press). Beth believes that engagement in the process of creation is as important as its outcome. Her musical philosophy is that there are no wrong notes. Beth grew up in the musically-rich town of Lubbock, TX with her mom’s classical tapes playing in the car, her dad’s Willie Nelson records spinning in the living room, her brother’s Foreigner and Heart 8-track tapes blasting in his room, and her own little radio which she would hide under the covers and search late into the night for songs with women’s voices. Anne Murray’s “Songbird” broke something open in her that Bette Midler’s “The Rose” quickly filled up with tears while Karen Carpenter’s “Top of the World” and Captain and Tenille’s “Muskrat Love” delighted her to no end. And then came Stevie Nicks and Christine McVie, well that’s how an eight-year-old’s head explodes. There have been awards. Beth’s skills in the craft of songwriting and poetry have been recognized by the prestigious Kerrville New Folk Award, The Sisters Folk Festival Dave Carter Memorial Songwriting Award, the Billboard World Song Contest, The Oregon Book Awards, and many more. There have been incredible and surreal moments in the spotlight: opening for Steve Winwood, Michael McDonald, Shawn Colvin, Chris Whitley; being a four-time featured artist on Cayamo, a week-long Caribbean songwriters’ cruise along with most of her living musical heroes; singing the national anthem for 42,000 people at a major league baseball game; discussing guitar tunings with David Crosby backstage at a festival; being featured on “Troubadour, TX”, a nationally syndicated documentary-style singer-songwriter reality television series airing in almost 40 million households and 140 U.S. markets. What matters to Beth more than awards or sales or big spotlight moments is connecting with people through music and words night after night. Her dream is move something with her art, whether it’s a swirling emotion or a curious mind or tapping feet. Her mission is to communicate the joy she feels when she opens her mouth and sings. That may not be the glamorous part but it is the engine that keeps this stubborn and determined artist on the road year after year. It’s what keeps the songs coming and the words turning. It’s what keeps her dreaming in music at night. Beth lives in Sisters, OR with her loyal dog Bailey and is continuously writing and rewriting her artist’s manifesto. Beth has immersed herself in the northwest music community through her work on staff with the Sisters Folk Festival Americana Song Academy and as long-time host of the Sisters Folk Festival Sunday Community Celebration.