Howdy from the Goodland Public Library in Goodland, Kansas!
I don’t think it will be a surprise to folks that I am a big fan of libraries and frequently stop in to work at their tables if I need a place to open my laptop. As I write this, I am on my way to play the Wallace County Fair in Sharon Springs, Kansas.
July was quite busy. I traveled to Montana, Idaho, and Washington to play some solo gigs. I had some great shows including the Gallatin Labor Temple for the Bozeman Folklore Society, The fantastic Longstaff House in Missoula, The Bunkhouse Concerts near Spokane, and at the wonderful One World Cafe in Moscow, Idaho. I missed the forest fires, made a bunch of new friends, saw some old friends, and just had a wonderful time. The next weekend I was back in Nebraska for a program at Scotts Bluff National Monument. My bluegrass ensemble class at Swallow Hill also started back up in July after taking the month of June off.
Things keep rolling in August.
On August 14th I will be playing a house show at Casa West in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I don’t get to play up there very often so it’s exciting to be back in my home region for a show. My dad will play at least a few (and maybe more) with me. It starts at 7:00pm and you can get tickets here: buytickets.at/casawest/2308568
August 21st I will be playing a house show in Denver with my friend Anthony Garcia. He’s a great singer/songwriter and talented multi-instrumentalist from Austin, Texas and I’m very excited to be playing a show with him. If you are interested in attending, reply to this email and I will get you connected with the host. Feel free to spread the word as well!
August 22nd I will be playing at the Beef, Beans, & Bluegrass Festival in Scottsbluff, NE with my trio. We have played this festival for the last couple years and it’s always a good time. This year the lineup includes Jon Chandler, High Plains Tradition, and the Tim O’Brien Band. If you are in the area come see the show and don’t miss Tim O’Brien… (or me, ha!)
August 23rd my trio will be back at the Gold Hill Inn. I have been playing this venue for twenty or so years now and it’s one of my favorites. The food is good, the people are wonderful, the scenery is beautiful, and the atmosphere is classically old-west. You can’t hardly find a better place to spend an evening and they always have great music happening up there. It’s an honor to be part of their tradition every summer.
I'm also excited to be part of the Howlin Dog Music Group online fundraiser, happening each evening at 6:00 PM (Mountain Time) from August 16–22. I'll be hosting on August 17, featuring grant recipients Alexa Wildish and Junior Vasquez. I'm proud to serve on the board of this wonderful organization, which provides grants to independent musicians creating new music. Making a record is a significant financial undertaking, and I believe music made by real people is more important than ever. If you'd like to help independent artists continue their work, I hope you'll consider making a contribution and tuning in on August 17—or any of the other evenings—to see what we're up to. Feel free to reach out if you have questions or would like to learn more about supporting Howlin Dog.
I am offering a few workshops this month as well, and they are great opportunities to dip your toes in and test the waters before my more in-depth Progressions classes start this fall.
August 3rd I will be teaching a Workshop on Bluegrass Singing at Swallow Hill Music starting at 7pm. We will cover the basics of singing bluegrass lead, and do a dive into some of those classic bluegrass harmony techniques that make bluegrass music so iconic.
On August 11 I'll be teaching an Intro to Songwriting Workshop at Swallow Hill, beginning at 6:00 PM. This workshop is designed for songwriters of all experience levels. Whether you've never written a song before or you've been writing for years, you'll find ideas to help you get started, break out of a rut, and discover new sources of inspiration. And if you've simply been curious about songwriting but haven't taken the leap, this is a welcoming place to explore that curiosity.
August 13th I will be teaching an Intro to Bluegrass Guitar Workshop at Swallow Hill starting at 7:00pm. This class will cover the basics of playing rhythm guitar and developing basic solos for guitarists who want to jam or even play in a band of some sort. All experience levels are welcome provided you can play your basic chords and keep a decent rhythm.
Feel free to inquire about any of these classes by responding to this email!
A few other things to keep in mind!
I will be teaching a Wernick Method Jam Class on September 19th & 20th at Swallow Hill from 9am-5pm each day. These are immersive bluegrass jamming classes where you will learn the rules, culture, and songs that make bluegrass jamming fun! It’s a great place to experiment with a new instrument, meet folks you can make music with, and improve your musical skills in real time. There is still space in the class so sign up now and come play some bluegrass!
My Progressions: Songwriting and Progressions: Bluegrass Guitar classes start up again in September. These are in-depth classes that meet for sixteen weeks, Tuesdays online and Thursdays in person at Swallow Hill. They are a big commitment, but also a big investment in your skills and musical identity. Space is limited so don’t delay in signing up if you are interested. We will have a free online Q&A session on Tuesday August 18th at 7pm.
Lastly, I teach a class called Swallow Hill Bluegrass Band which is an ensemble class that runs for sixteen weeks. It’s an audition group, so we have one person on each instrument. If you are interested in learning a full set of bluegrass music and playing it in a real honest-to-goodness bluegrass band, this is a great opportunity for you. Auditions are open now!
I have new videos posted on my Youtube Channel including a long video about shaping a song as a bluegrass rhythm guitar player. There’s also a lot of new travel blogs and other stuff on my Patreon page, and the Songsmith series (where I write and post a new original song each week) will start up again later this month.
Sorry that the video posts have been so sparse recently. I have been on tour since May and it has been hard to get videos filmed, edited and posted. I should be back on track this next week, and throughout the fall.
Meanwhile, if you're interested, check out my new podcast on my Patreon page "The Places We Play". This months episode features my friend Grant Gordy and it's free to listen to on my Patreon page (you don't have to be a paid subscriber). It's also available on Spotify.
Here are some photos from touring over the last couple of months!
I am in the Last Frontier State playing guitar with Jackson Emmer at some arts council concerts around the state. The sun is way up, and it’s reasonably nice outside so far.
April was a nice respite from the frenzy of tour life, but we are back to it now. The biggest news was that I released a new song “Last Ride of An Old Cowhand” is out now and streaming everywhere. Go listen if you haven’t already!
I got a lot of fun songs written for my Patreon Songsmith Series, enjoyed some family time, and caught up with some friends. I promoted and hosted the SWRFA New Mexico Roots Music Summit along with Lindsay Taylor and Brian Nelson from Queen Bee Music Association in Santa Fe, NM. It was great to get to know the folks from that music scene and hear about all the wonderful things happening down that way. We had the open mic at the very cool El Rey Court hotel, which is a place you should check out if you’re ever down that way. I also played a lovely house concert out there and Lindsay and Brian joined me for a few songs. I love Santa Fe, and had a great time producing the Roots Music Summit there.
May is back to full throttle.
I’m playing in Alaska with Jackson Emmer over the next several days.
April 30th - Seward, Alaska - Arts Council Concert
May 3rd - Haines, Alaska - Arts Council Concert
May 5th - Skagway, Alaska - Arts Council Concert
May 7th - Valdez, Alaska - Arts Council Concert
May 9th - Bethel, Alaska - Workshop and Arts Council Concert
If you know anyone in any of these places, or nearby (is that even a possibility in Alaska?) Please let them know! If you don’t know much about Jackson Emmer, check out his website Jacksonemmer.com and listen to his music. He’s a great songwriter and a frequent collaborator of Tom Paxton and Tim O’Brien.
May 16th I will be back in Denver, Colorado playing at Stranahan’s Distillery for their Cask Thief event. This is a whiskey tasting where they open old hidden barrels and let folks taste special batches of whiskey of different ages. I’ll be playing a songwriter’s set and trying to remember every whiskey related song I know (which are several).
May 21st I will be at Swallow Hill Music Association in Denver, Colorado for my classes and their student showcase starting at 6:30pm. It’s free to the public and you can hear some of the songs the songwriting class has been working on, the new licks and tricks from the bluegrass guitar students, and the full set from the Swallow Hill Bluegrass Band Class (this semester they are called The Rocky Flats Meltdown). It’s free to the public!
May 25th & 26th I will be in Kerrville, Texas playing and teaching at the Kerrville Folk Festival. I’ll be on stage at the Threadgill Amphitheater on the 26th at 8pm. I’ll be offering two workshops one about editing songs on May 25th, and one about character development on May 26th. If you are a songwriter, or a songwriting enthusiast and you have never been to the Kerrville Folk Festival, you are really missing out. It is one of the best places to be immersed in creativity and camaraderie around songwriting.
May 30th I will be in Boulder, Colorado playing the Stone Cottage Studios with dobro singer Abbie Gardner. She’s an amazing songwriter, musician and instrumentalist from Nashville, and one of my favorite folks to hang out with. We will be collaborating on a few songs and playing some stuff solo. I cannot recommend her highly enough, and the Stone Cottage Studios is a wonderful venue. I’m very excited for this show. Check it out here, tell your friends, and please come and join us!
May 31st I will be back at Swallow Hill at 9am producing the Colorado Roots Music Summit, which is a small music conference for DIY folk musicians in Colorado. We will have panels and discussions, performance opportunities for attendees, and the admission price includes lunch. If you are interested in the roots music business in Colorado, come join us there!
I am taking a break from teaching classes for a couple of months since my travel schedule is so crazy, but I will be offering a single day workshop on bluegrass guitar on May 17th at Swallow Hill starting at 3pm. If you want to learn some basics of playing bluegrass guitar come join me!
I am also pressing pause on my Songsmith Series on Patreon for the summer, but it will return in the fall (and I might post some bonus songs during the summer. I learned last year that it was really hard to find the recording time to get the songs tracked so I could post them. But, the songwriting will continue!
One last thing that I wanted to let you all know about. I recently joined the board of the non-profit Howlin’ Dog Music Group (HDMG). We raise money from friends and fellow music lovers to provide small grants to singer-songwriter and give them a little financial boost to share their art with the world. With the decline of CD sales and the rise of streaming, it’s become more and more difficult to recoup the costs of recording music, so we try to help out a little bit. The organization focuses on musicians from Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas and this year we selected eleven wonderful artists from those states as grant recipients.
One reason I'm telling you all this is that HDMG could use your help in supporting the next class of grant recipients, and hopefully even increasing our reach to help more of these fabulous artists touch and uplift even more of us music lovers out in this crazy world. We think it's important work, and we'd love you to join us. If interested, just go to our website at www.howlindogmusicgroup.org/ and click on the donate button. You can become a monthly patron for as little as $25.00 per month or you can make a one-time donation. Every little bit helps! You can mail a check to PO Box 825, Alamosa, CO 81101 if you’d rather. You can check out the 2026 HDMG grant recipients on the website here www.howlindogmusicgroup.org/2026-projects .
Happy spring! Follow me on social media to see pictures from Alaska and keep up with my travels this month.
I'll be doing a livestream concert tonight right here on my channel featuring original music from my Patreon project the Songsmith Series.
Each week I write and post a new original song on my Patreon and tonight I'll be playing some of my favorites from that project. I'll also talk about my creative process and tell stories about each song and where it came from.
There were signs of winter all around here in January, but not much of what we could really call a standard “winter.” To complicate things, I traveled quite a bit this month and had the good fortune to spend much of that time in warmer weather—which definitely didn’t hurt my feelings.
I had a great short run of shows in Texas in January. My friend and talented Instagrammer Traveler Tattooed joined me for the trip. He hosts a travel podcast and has some new projects in the works, so it was fun to have him along for the ride. I played at Kojack’s in Houston for the Houston Songwriter’s Association, and the next day we visited the National Museum of Funeral History and ate barbecue (a very Texas pairing). I also joined my buddy Hudson Mueller at Location Six Brewing in Waller, Texas. From there we made our way to Austin after stopping at the Menil Collection back in Houston. I played a show at Arhaven House Concerts, and then we headed home. It was a really nice weekend run, and it’s always good to be in Texas playing songs for people, especially when it means escaping the cold.
I also attended Folk Alliance International in New Orleans. As a board member of the Southwest Regional Folk Alliance, I spent a lot of time helping with our events, networking, gathering information for future plans, and catching up with friends. It was my first time in New Orleans, and even though I didn’t get to explore as much of the city as I would have liked, what I did see exceeded my expectations. I played two showcases, but just as meaningful was reconnecting with people and sharing ideas with folks who are out on the road making this music business thing work.
I had the opportunity to present a lecture at the Colorado Music Educators Conference in Colorado Springs on starting bluegrass ensembles in the classroom. The talk was geared toward music teachers, and it was encouraging to see a small but growing movement across the state to bring a wider range of musical styles into schools. Many programs are now offering rock band classes, ORFF instrument classes, and other non-traditional ensembles.
As a bluegrass music educator, I think bluegrass ensembles have a lot to offer. They work especially well in small schools, have flexible instrumentation, feature approachable music, and help students develop musical habits that translate across every genre. If you’re a music educator, or know someone who is, feel free to reach out. I have resources that can help get these programs started.
And finally… I released a new song!
It’s always a big deal when a recording actually makes it out into the world, whether it’s a single or a full album. It takes a lot of organization, patience, and follow-through, but it’s incredibly fulfilling to finally hear the music out there on its own.
The new song is called “The Dry & Dusty West,” and it’s streaming everywhere now. It tells the story of a young man who heads west seeking adventure and joins a cattle drive—but after accidentally causing a deadly stampede, he begins to realize that maybe the West isn’t for him after all. I’ve been performing this song with the Colorado Symphony as part of their youth concert programs, and this recorded version features a full bluegrass band with Mollie O’Brien singing harmony. You can listen wherever you stream music, or purchase it directly at martingilmore.bandcamp.com.
February is a little less busy travel-wise, but I still have some good things coming up.
From February 13–15, I’ll be at the Midwinter Bluegrass Festival with my new bluegrass band, The Otherners. This group features some of my favorite people in bluegrass music: Jordan Ramsey on mandolin, Justin Hoffenberg on fiddle, Dave Richey on dobro, Chris Elliott on banjo, Eric Thorin on bass, and me on guitar. I love hanging out with these guys and playing bluegrass with them, and Midwinter is one of my favorite festivals anywhere. If you enjoy bluegrass, or if you’re curious about the genre, come join us over Presidents’ Day weekend for a great community festival.
On February 20, I’ll be in Paonia at the Paradise Theatre for their Troubadour Takeover songwriter series. The night will feature three songwriters: myself, Antonio Lopez, and Mike Finders. If you’ll be on the Western Slope, we’d love to see you there. These guys are some of the best songwriters I know, and I’m always happy to have an excuse to spend time in beautiful Paonia.
On March 1, I’ll be doing an online concert of songs from my Songsmith Series on my YouTube channel at 7:00 pm Denver time. This will be a one-hour concert of new original music. If you’re wondering what the Songsmith Series is, it’s an ongoing project on my Patreon page where I write, record, and post a new song every week. Many of these songs have made their way into my live shows, and others are finding homes in future projects. The series is accessible at the lowest Patreon level ($5 per month) if you’d like to check it out.
If you haven’t subscribed to my YouTube channel yet, there’s a lot of good stuff over there. I regularly post songs, live performances, and guitar lessons. One of my recent lessons on basic bluegrass rhythm guitar, just passed 100,000 views, which was very exciting. I’ve got several more lessons in the works, so take a look if that’s your kind of thing.
I hope 2026 is off to a good start for all of you, and I’m wishing you well this month. Martin
Martin Gilmore
Martin Gilmore Music - August 2026
Howdy from the Goodland Public Library in Goodland, Kansas!
I don’t think it will be a surprise to folks that I am a big fan of libraries and frequently stop in to work at their tables if I need a place to open my laptop. As I write this, I am on my way to play the Wallace County Fair in Sharon Springs, Kansas.
July was quite busy. I traveled to Montana, Idaho, and Washington to play some solo gigs. I had some great shows including the Gallatin Labor Temple for the Bozeman Folklore Society, The fantastic Longstaff House in Missoula, The Bunkhouse Concerts near Spokane, and at the wonderful One World Cafe in Moscow, Idaho. I missed the forest fires, made a bunch of new friends, saw some old friends, and just had a wonderful time. The next weekend I was back in Nebraska for a program at Scotts Bluff National Monument. My bluegrass ensemble class at Swallow Hill also started back up in July after taking the month of June off.
Things keep rolling in August.
On August 14th I will be playing a house show at Casa West in Cheyenne, Wyoming. I don’t get to play up there very often so it’s exciting to be back in my home region for a show. My dad will play at least a few (and maybe more) with me. It starts at 7:00pm and you can get tickets here: buytickets.at/casawest/2308568
August 21st I will be playing a house show in Denver with my friend Anthony Garcia. He’s a great singer/songwriter and talented multi-instrumentalist from Austin, Texas and I’m very excited to be playing a show with him. If you are interested in attending, reply to this email and I will get you connected with the host. Feel free to spread the word as well!
August 22nd I will be playing at the Beef, Beans, & Bluegrass Festival in Scottsbluff, NE with my trio. We have played this festival for the last couple years and it’s always a good time. This year the lineup includes Jon Chandler, High Plains Tradition, and the Tim O’Brien Band. If you are in the area come see the show and don’t miss Tim O’Brien… (or me, ha!)
August 23rd my trio will be back at the Gold Hill Inn. I have been playing this venue for twenty or so years now and it’s one of my favorites. The food is good, the people are wonderful, the scenery is beautiful, and the atmosphere is classically old-west. You can’t hardly find a better place to spend an evening and they always have great music happening up there. It’s an honor to be part of their tradition every summer.
I'm also excited to be part of the Howlin Dog Music Group online fundraiser, happening each evening at 6:00 PM (Mountain Time) from August 16–22. I'll be hosting on August 17, featuring grant recipients Alexa Wildish and Junior Vasquez. I'm proud to serve on the board of this wonderful organization, which provides grants to independent musicians creating new music. Making a record is a significant financial undertaking, and I believe music made by real people is more important than ever. If you'd like to help independent artists continue their work, I hope you'll consider making a contribution and tuning in on August 17—or any of the other evenings—to see what we're up to. Feel free to reach out if you have questions or would like to learn more about supporting Howlin Dog.
I am offering a few workshops this month as well, and they are great opportunities to dip your toes in and test the waters before my more in-depth Progressions classes start this fall.
August 3rd I will be teaching a Workshop on Bluegrass Singing at Swallow Hill Music starting at 7pm. We will cover the basics of singing bluegrass lead, and do a dive into some of those classic bluegrass harmony techniques that make bluegrass music so iconic.
On August 11 I'll be teaching an Intro to Songwriting Workshop at Swallow Hill, beginning at 6:00 PM. This workshop is designed for songwriters of all experience levels. Whether you've never written a song before or you've been writing for years, you'll find ideas to help you get started, break out of a rut, and discover new sources of inspiration. And if you've simply been curious about songwriting but haven't taken the leap, this is a welcoming place to explore that curiosity.
August 13th I will be teaching an Intro to Bluegrass Guitar Workshop at Swallow Hill starting at 7:00pm. This class will cover the basics of playing rhythm guitar and developing basic solos for guitarists who want to jam or even play in a band of some sort. All experience levels are welcome provided you can play your basic chords and keep a decent rhythm.
Feel free to inquire about any of these classes by responding to this email!
A few other things to keep in mind!
I will be teaching a Wernick Method Jam Class on September 19th & 20th at Swallow Hill from 9am-5pm each day. These are immersive bluegrass jamming classes where you will learn the rules, culture, and songs that make bluegrass jamming fun! It’s a great place to experiment with a new instrument, meet folks you can make music with, and improve your musical skills in real time. There is still space in the class so sign up now and come play some bluegrass!
My Progressions: Songwriting and Progressions: Bluegrass Guitar classes start up again in September. These are in-depth classes that meet for sixteen weeks, Tuesdays online and Thursdays in person at Swallow Hill. They are a big commitment, but also a big investment in your skills and musical identity. Space is limited so don’t delay in signing up if you are interested. We will have a free online Q&A session on Tuesday August 18th at 7pm.
Lastly, I teach a class called Swallow Hill Bluegrass Band which is an ensemble class that runs for sixteen weeks. It’s an audition group, so we have one person on each instrument. If you are interested in learning a full set of bluegrass music and playing it in a real honest-to-goodness bluegrass band, this is a great opportunity for you. Auditions are open now!
I have new videos posted on my Youtube Channel including a long video about shaping a song as a bluegrass rhythm guitar player. There’s also a lot of new travel blogs and other stuff on my Patreon page, and the Songsmith series (where I write and post a new original song each week) will start up again later this month.
Thanks for all your support and for being here!
Happy August!
Martin
2 weeks ago | [YT] | 10
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Martin Gilmore
Howdy friends!
I posted a new blog on my website about playing in jam sessions.
It's a pretty long read, but there's a lot of information there for folks who are new to jamming, or might feel uncomfortable in those situations.
Check it out here: www.martingilmore.com/post/bluegrass-jam-etiquette
Find a jam and get to pickin'!
3 weeks ago | [YT] | 3
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Martin Gilmore
Howdy friends!
Sorry that the video posts have been so sparse recently. I have been on tour since May and it has been hard to get videos filmed, edited and posted. I should be back on track this next week, and throughout the fall.
Meanwhile, if you're interested, check out my new podcast on my Patreon page "The Places We Play". This months episode features my friend Grant Gordy and it's free to listen to on my Patreon page (you don't have to be a paid subscriber). It's also available on Spotify.
Here are some photos from touring over the last couple of months!
Thanks for being here!
1 month ago | [YT] | 7
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Martin Gilmore
Martin Gilmore Music - May 2026
Greetings from Alaska!
I am in the Last Frontier State playing guitar with Jackson Emmer at some arts council concerts around the state. The sun is way up, and it’s reasonably nice outside so far.
April was a nice respite from the frenzy of tour life, but we are back to it now. The biggest news was that I released a new song “Last Ride of An Old Cowhand” is out now and streaming everywhere. Go listen if you haven’t already!
I got a lot of fun songs written for my Patreon Songsmith Series, enjoyed some family time, and caught up with some friends. I promoted and hosted the SWRFA New Mexico Roots Music Summit along with Lindsay Taylor and Brian Nelson from Queen Bee Music Association in Santa Fe, NM. It was great to get to know the folks from that music scene and hear about all the wonderful things happening down that way. We had the open mic at the very cool El Rey Court hotel, which is a place you should check out if you’re ever down that way. I also played a lovely house concert out there and Lindsay and Brian joined me for a few songs. I love Santa Fe, and had a great time producing the Roots Music Summit there.
May is back to full throttle.
I’m playing in Alaska with Jackson Emmer over the next several days.
April 30th - Seward, Alaska - Arts Council Concert
May 3rd - Haines, Alaska - Arts Council Concert
May 5th - Skagway, Alaska - Arts Council Concert
May 7th - Valdez, Alaska - Arts Council Concert
May 9th - Bethel, Alaska - Workshop and Arts Council Concert
If you know anyone in any of these places, or nearby (is that even a possibility in Alaska?) Please let them know! If you don’t know much about Jackson Emmer, check out his website Jacksonemmer.com and listen to his music. He’s a great songwriter and a frequent collaborator of Tom Paxton and Tim O’Brien.
May 16th I will be back in Denver, Colorado playing at Stranahan’s Distillery for their Cask Thief event. This is a whiskey tasting where they open old hidden barrels and let folks taste special batches of whiskey of different ages. I’ll be playing a songwriter’s set and trying to remember every whiskey related song I know (which are several).
May 21st I will be at Swallow Hill Music Association in Denver, Colorado for my classes and their student showcase starting at 6:30pm. It’s free to the public and you can hear some of the songs the songwriting class has been working on, the new licks and tricks from the bluegrass guitar students, and the full set from the Swallow Hill Bluegrass Band Class (this semester they are called The Rocky Flats Meltdown). It’s free to the public!
May 25th & 26th I will be in Kerrville, Texas playing and teaching at the Kerrville Folk Festival. I’ll be on stage at the Threadgill Amphitheater on the 26th at 8pm. I’ll be offering two workshops one about editing songs on May 25th, and one about character development on May 26th. If you are a songwriter, or a songwriting enthusiast and you have never been to the Kerrville Folk Festival, you are really missing out. It is one of the best places to be immersed in creativity and camaraderie around songwriting.
May 30th I will be in Boulder, Colorado playing the Stone Cottage Studios with dobro singer Abbie Gardner. She’s an amazing songwriter, musician and instrumentalist from Nashville, and one of my favorite folks to hang out with. We will be collaborating on a few songs and playing some stuff solo. I cannot recommend her highly enough, and the Stone Cottage Studios is a wonderful venue. I’m very excited for this show. Check it out here, tell your friends, and please come and join us!
May 31st I will be back at Swallow Hill at 9am producing the Colorado Roots Music Summit, which is a small music conference for DIY folk musicians in Colorado. We will have panels and discussions, performance opportunities for attendees, and the admission price includes lunch. If you are interested in the roots music business in Colorado, come join us there!
I am taking a break from teaching classes for a couple of months since my travel schedule is so crazy, but I will be offering a single day workshop on bluegrass guitar on May 17th at Swallow Hill starting at 3pm. If you want to learn some basics of playing bluegrass guitar come join me!
I am also pressing pause on my Songsmith Series on Patreon for the summer, but it will return in the fall (and I might post some bonus songs during the summer. I learned last year that it was really hard to
find the recording time to get the songs tracked so I could post them. But, the songwriting will continue!
One last thing that I wanted to let you all know about. I recently joined the board of the non-profit Howlin’ Dog Music Group (HDMG). We raise money from friends and fellow music lovers to provide small grants to singer-songwriter and give them a little financial boost to share their art with the world. With the decline of CD sales and the rise of streaming, it’s become more and more difficult to recoup the costs of recording music, so we try to help out a little bit. The organization focuses on musicians from Colorado, New Mexico, and Texas and this year we selected eleven wonderful artists from those states as grant recipients.
One reason I'm telling you all this is that HDMG could use your help in supporting the next class of grant recipients, and hopefully even increasing our reach to help more of these fabulous artists touch and uplift even more of us music lovers out in this crazy world. We think it's important work, and we'd love you to join us. If interested, just go to our website at www.howlindogmusicgroup.org/ and click on the donate button. You can become a monthly patron for as little as $25.00 per month or you can make a one-time donation. Every little bit helps! You can mail a check to PO Box 825, Alamosa, CO 81101 if you’d rather. You can check out the 2026 HDMG grant recipients on the website here www.howlindogmusicgroup.org/2026-projects .
Happy spring! Follow me on social media to see pictures from Alaska and keep up with my travels this month.
3 months ago | [YT] | 6
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Martin Gilmore
Howdy Friends!
My new single "Last Ride of an Old Cowhand" is out today!
It's streaming everywhere, but check it out on YouTube Music at:
music.youtube.com/playlist?li...
You can also watch the lyric video on my Youtube Channel!
Thanks for listening!
Oh yeah! Check out this fantastic artwork from my friend Neva Wilder!
4 months ago | [YT] | 9
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Martin Gilmore
Howdy friends!
I'll be doing a livestream concert tonight right here on my channel featuring original music from my Patreon project the Songsmith Series.
Each week I write and post a new original song on my Patreon and tonight I'll be playing some of my favorites from that project. I'll also talk about my creative process and tell stories about each song and where it came from.
Come hang with me!
youtube.com/live/idi_XvAibHo
5 months ago | [YT] | 1
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Martin Gilmore
Martin Gilmore Music - February 2026
Happy February friends!
There were signs of winter all around here in January, but not much of what we could really call a standard “winter.” To complicate things, I traveled quite a bit this month and had the good fortune to spend much of that time in warmer weather—which definitely didn’t hurt my feelings.
I had a great short run of shows in Texas in January. My friend and talented Instagrammer Traveler Tattooed joined me for the trip. He hosts a travel podcast and has some new projects in the works, so it was fun to have him along for the ride. I played at Kojack’s in Houston for the Houston Songwriter’s Association, and the next day we visited the National Museum of Funeral History and ate barbecue (a very Texas pairing). I also joined my buddy Hudson Mueller at Location Six Brewing in Waller, Texas. From there we made our way to Austin after stopping at the Menil Collection back in Houston. I played a show at Arhaven House Concerts, and then we headed home. It was a really nice weekend run, and it’s always good to be in Texas playing songs for people, especially when it means escaping the cold.
I also attended Folk Alliance International in New Orleans. As a board member of the Southwest Regional Folk Alliance, I spent a lot of time helping with our events, networking, gathering information for future plans, and catching up with friends. It was my first time in New Orleans, and even though I didn’t get to explore as much of the city as I would have liked, what I did see exceeded my expectations. I played two showcases, but just as meaningful was reconnecting with people and sharing ideas with folks who are out on the road making this music business thing work.
I had the opportunity to present a lecture at the Colorado Music Educators Conference in Colorado Springs on starting bluegrass ensembles in the classroom. The talk was geared toward music teachers, and it was encouraging to see a small but growing movement across the state to bring a wider range of musical styles into schools. Many programs are now offering rock band classes, ORFF instrument classes, and other non-traditional ensembles.
As a bluegrass music educator, I think bluegrass ensembles have a lot to offer. They work especially well in small schools, have flexible instrumentation, feature approachable music, and help students develop musical habits that translate across every genre. If you’re a music educator, or know someone who is, feel free to reach out. I have resources that can help get these programs started.
And finally… I released a new song!
It’s always a big deal when a recording actually makes it out into the world, whether it’s a single or a full album. It takes a lot of organization, patience, and follow-through, but it’s incredibly fulfilling to finally hear the music out there on its own.
The new song is called “The Dry & Dusty West,” and it’s streaming everywhere now. It tells the story of a young man who heads west seeking adventure and joins a cattle drive—but after accidentally causing a deadly stampede, he begins to realize that maybe the West isn’t for him after all. I’ve been performing this song with the Colorado Symphony as part of their youth concert programs, and this recorded version features a full bluegrass band with Mollie O’Brien singing harmony.
You can listen wherever you stream music, or purchase it directly at martingilmore.bandcamp.com.
February is a little less busy travel-wise, but I still have some good things coming up.
From February 13–15, I’ll be at the Midwinter Bluegrass Festival with my new bluegrass band, The Otherners. This group features some of my favorite people in bluegrass music: Jordan Ramsey on mandolin, Justin Hoffenberg on fiddle, Dave Richey on dobro, Chris Elliott on banjo, Eric Thorin on bass, and me on guitar. I love hanging out with these guys and playing bluegrass with them, and Midwinter is one of my favorite festivals anywhere. If you enjoy bluegrass, or if you’re curious about the genre, come join us over Presidents’ Day weekend for a great community festival.
On February 20, I’ll be in Paonia at the Paradise Theatre for their Troubadour Takeover songwriter series. The night will feature three songwriters: myself, Antonio Lopez, and Mike Finders. If you’ll be on the Western Slope, we’d love to see you there. These guys are some of the best songwriters I know, and I’m always happy to have an excuse to spend time in beautiful Paonia.
On March 1, I’ll be doing an online concert of songs from my Songsmith Series on my YouTube channel at 7:00 pm Denver time. This will be a one-hour concert of new original music. If you’re wondering what the Songsmith Series is, it’s an ongoing project on my Patreon page where I write, record, and post a new song every week. Many of these songs have made their way into my live shows, and others are finding homes in future projects. The series is accessible at the lowest Patreon level ($5 per month) if you’d like to check it out.
If you haven’t subscribed to my YouTube channel yet, there’s a lot of good stuff over there. I regularly post songs, live performances, and guitar lessons. One of my recent lessons on basic bluegrass rhythm guitar, just passed 100,000 views, which was very exciting. I’ve got several more lessons in the works, so take a look if that’s your kind of thing.
I hope 2026 is off to a good start for all of you, and I’m wishing you well this month.
Martin
6 months ago | [YT] | 3
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Martin Gilmore
Howdy everyone,
I have many new videos coming soon, but the holiday, a tour to Texas and now being sick keep getting in the way.
Stay tuned though! Many new lessons in the works!
Thanks for watching!
Martin
7 months ago | [YT] | 2
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Martin Gilmore
Howdy Y'all!
My new song "The Dry & Dusty West" is streaming everywhere now! Go and check it out!
It’s a story of a young man who rides west chasing adventure, only to turn back after a single careless moment leads to loss he can’t undo.
Sometimes the journey doesn’t take you farther...it sends you home.
Bandcamp - martingilmore.bandcamp.com/track/the-dry-dusty-wes…
YouTube Music - https://music.youtube.com/watch?v=B7K...
Spotify - open.spotify.com/album/53pFyVvZG823UOmQp847vr
Itunes - music.apple.com/us/album/the-dry-dusty-west-single…
7 months ago | [YT] | 4
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Martin Gilmore
I have a new single available on all streaming platforms today!
Go listen to "The Dry & Dusty West" anywhere you get your music, or watch my lyric video or solo performance here on YouTube!
Download it at martingilmore.bandcamp.com
Links below!
Lyric Video - https://youtu.be/kNphrdAp_mY
Solo Performance - https://youtu.be/paMcDngGc4Q
Purchase & Download - martingilmore.bandcamp.com/track/the-dry-dusty-wes…
7 months ago | [YT] | 0
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