Karen Chronister profile picture

Karen Chronister

About Me

CONSIDER THE VIEW
sometimes songwriting is all about recovery.
getting on your feet.
pushing up to your tiptoes.
hoping to get a better view of what just happened.
or what might happen.
or what happened a long time ago and something brought the memory rushing back.
it's a refusal to punt when you find yourself holding the ball.
kc 2007..
"...earthy, honest, blues-tinged and never far from Americana roots. As a singer/songwriter, Karen has performed for the past eight years as a duo and with her band 'The Collective" at festivals, coffee houses, special events, writer's nights and churches.""I loved my small town "Huckfina" Americana childhood...barefoot and stringy hair, swinging on "monkey" vines, swimming in the creek, making wishes on stars, reading, Shakespeare in the park, and dreaming of becoming a writer. I had three wishes as a child--oh, your normal wishes, I suppose--to have a broken arm, to sing and make people happy, and to have a horse...well, two out of three ain't bad..."I've been a writer as long as I can remember, but I guess it became official when I first labored over it. Somewhere along the line, I fell in love with songwriting. It feels like home. I love everything about it--'seeing' the inspiration, the creative process, the re-writes, the FELLOWSHIP of co-writing, working through the fear of 'showing', watching something that moves me move someone else...so, welcome welcome to my music site. it's a cool way to hang out with other musicians and music lovers and be inspired and amazed at all of the creativity out there in the universe."Freelance Writing Website -- www.kchronister.com Get this FREE MySpace layout and more at MySpaceOrYours.net

My Interests

Music:

Member Since: 28/03/2006
Band Website: kchronister.com
Band Members: Kevin Smith -- guitar, tenor banjo
Michael J. Keesee -- acoustic and electric guitar, mandolin, percussion
Cat Mummert Criswell -- background vocals
Steven Criswell -- bass
AFFILIATIONS... NSAI (Nashville Songwriters Association)
World Vision Artist Associate
ASCAP
WAJ Alumni :)
NEAG (North East Artists Guild/National Expressive Arts Group)
Sonicbids
PENN STATE Alumni - Go, Joe-Pa!
Penn State York Alumni Board
York County Chamber of Commerce
BETTER THAN NEW (Chronister/Logan 2007)
In the spring of ‘82
We were brand new
Love lived in these walls with me and you
Dancin’, dreamin’, laughin’, singin’
Playing house like little children do But who knew?In the fall of ‘92
We painted them blue
Walls of stubborn pride we couldn’t walk through
Fightin’, hatin’, prayin’, cryin’
Playin’ tug of war like children do
But we knewWe had to...
Undo these layers
That hold up this house
Tear down these walls that are keepin’ Love out
If we go back to the promise
And unprove this doubt
We can take it down to just a brick or two
And make it better than newFound a window open wide
It’s time to fly
Dancin’ through the darkness and the light
We know better when we’re building
A love that’s strong enough to prove us true
And we knew….
We had to...
Undo these layers
That hold up this house
Tear down these walls that are keepin’ Love out
If we go back to the promise
And unprove this doubt
We can take it down to just a brick or two
And make it better than new
Influences: Wayne Kirkpatrick, Amy Grant, Dave Barnes, Bonnie Raitt, Patty Griffin, Shawn Colvin, Barry Dean, Sue Smith, Dave Clark, Tony Wood, Bob Dylan, Beth Nielson Chapman, Matraca Berg, Joni Mitchell, Jennifer Knapp, Keith Urban, Sheryl Crow, Vince Gill, Jewel, Fleetwood Mac, Norah Jones, Diana Krall, Sara Evans, Bebo Norman, Jonatha Brooks, Rob Thomas, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash
Sounds Like: me
Record Label: Unknown Indie
Type of Label: Indie

My Blog

What the heck is "shoegaze" music?

is that like navel picking?  gross.  any Shoegazers out there? i surely do wish to meet you.k
Posted by on Wed, 01 Jul 2009 07:32:00 GMT

Song Credits

Comeback -- co-writers, Jason Cox. Vocals -- Jason Cox.Better Off Broken -- co-writers, Shirley Logan, Jason Cox. Vocals -- Me.Love Don't Know -- co-writers, Jason Cox, Brent Baxter. Vocals -- Jaso...
Posted by on Tue, 10 Feb 2009 05:40:00 GMT

Shirley and Puckett’s Grocery

Shirley Logan, my incomparable and lovely, many-talented friend and co-writer...uh, and house sister and confident (the list goes on)...decided to haul guitar over the Puckett's Grocery in Leiper's Fo...
Posted by on Sun, 02 Nov 2008 21:35:00 GMT

Hotel California

So, I went to Walmart on Friday night. I kept hearing "Hotel California" running through my head...."you can check out any time you like, but you can never leave..."
Posted by on Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:36:00 GMT

PLEASE READ -- Myanmar, Help

5/8/08The letter below came in my email box today. As many of you know, I have been working with and for World Vision since 2000 as an Artist Associate, advocating for sponsorships for children in ov...
Posted by on Thu, 08 May 2008 19:29:00 GMT

"Work Tapes"

I decided awhile ago to put up work tapes of the newest songs I am writing with some really talented co-writers I've acquired over the past two years. If you hear a man singing....then that's my co-w...
Posted by on Thu, 17 Jan 2008 07:52:00 GMT

before the birds chirp

i tossed and turned from 4am to 5am...words dancing in front of my closed eyes.  words to unfinished songs. words to someone i have let down. words to my children. words. i did something unusual ...
Posted by on Wed, 07 Feb 2007 04:47:00 GMT

here's how i see it...

look--here is how i see it--laugh every chance you get, love beyond blood, sweat and tears, and live...like, just LIVE, you know?  life is hard. people will fail you.  you will fail peo...
Posted by on Wed, 17 May 2006 18:29:00 GMT

Welcome home :)

Welcome to my MySpace Music home :)  What a cool place to share music with other musicians and lovers of music.  Please take a moment to listen, to leave a comment.  I will love to hear...
Posted by on Thu, 30 Mar 2006 22:17:00 GMT