Saddle Up Concert Poster

Story courtesy of Nancy Mills of The Mills Agency:

What’s a cowboy concert without a real-life, genuine cowboy? The Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra has thought of everything.

Although he won’t ride in on his horse, Todd Fritsch, a cattle-ranching cowboy and chart-topping country music singer-songwriter will perform at the Orchestra’s February 21 “Saddle Up” cowboy concert scheduled for 2 p.m. at the Stafford Centre. Also taking the stage is fellow Nashville recording artist Dixie Trahan.

Fritsch took his “Texas Talkin’” single to the top of the HotDisc charts in 2008 after finishing #1 on the same chart in 2007 with his fan favorite ballad “First Date For The Last Time.” Both songs are on his “Sawdust” CD. A popular performer at The Hideout at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo™, Fritsch has opened for notables like Lee Ann Womack, Joe Nichols, Marty Stuart and Ronnie Milsap. He has also performed at the CMA Music Festival.

Although Fritsch is a relative newcomer to the country music scene, he’s an old hand when it comes to being a cowboy. Born and raised on his family’s ranch in Willow Springs, Texas, this down-to-earth, self-labeled “country-to-the-bone” cowboy is as comfortable riding and roping as he is in delivering his strong baritonelyrics under the big lights.

“I don’t ever want to leave ranchin’ behind,” says Fritsch. “It’s who I am; it’s what keeps me real and in touch. But I want the music, too. I’ve made some real good friends in Nashville who believe in me and the music that I make….five years from now I want to be playin’ in front of 50,000 people and be #1 on Billboard’s Country Chart.”

This marks the second time that Todd Fritsch and the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra have teamed up for an event and everybody involved seems very exciting about the upcoming re-union. Todd and his band will perform some of his fan favorites and a brand new song that will more than likely become his first single release of his upcoming new album.

“Returning to work with my friends of the Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra is a real treat; we’ve had so much fun the first time around that I immediately jumped at the opportunity to do this again. Playing again at the Stafford Centre is also exciting as we had opened for Ronnie Milsap in 2007 at this outstanding venue. It just sounds so good ….” says Todd. “It will be the perfect kick-off for our Houston Rodeo season this year.”

Dixie Trahan (www.dixietrahan.com) has been singing for as long as she can remember. Growing up as a “preacher’s kid,” she was surrounded by talented musicians both inside and outside her family. When her dad decided to evangelize through music, she spent a year performing in Branson, Missouri with her family. At age 17, Trahan went solo and has traveled from Texas to Canada sharing her music with fans.

“Country music has just always been a constant for me,” says Trahan. “Something about a great country song…you just can’t help but sing along! ….This will be an awesome event ….. I have been to multiple events of the FBSO in the past and always wanted to work with them, now I get a chance to do just that and I am also looking forward to working with Todd…”, says Dixie during a recent interview.

In 2006, Trahan traveled to Nashville to record her self-titled debut album – a charming, yet polished collection of songs that showcase her vocal prowess. Most often compared vocally to Alison Krauss, Trahan has been carving out her own niche in the Texas music scene. She was one of six finalists in the 2009 Houston Press Music Awards “Country” category.

The backup band for both artists will be made up of professional musicians Billy Hillman (guitar), Joe DeLeon (drums & percussion), Kenneth Trahan (acoustic guitar, piano & harmony vocals) and Robert DiBlanco (electric bass, upright bass & harmony vocals). Sound Engineer Tim Weaver will ensure high fidelity sound quality throughout the performance.

Both artist’s current CD’s will be available for purchase during intermission and during Meet’n'Greet in the lobby after the concert.

In addition to songs by Fritsch and Trahan, FBSO’s February 21 “Saddle Up” cowboy concert features fun TV and movie songs that evoke the old West and give a nod to the cowboy culture. Tickets are $5 to $25 each and children 12 and under are free. Advance tickets may be purchased at www.fbso.org or by calling 281.276.9642. The Stafford Centre is located at 10505 Cash Rd in Stafford.

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When: February 21, 2010 at 02:00pm
Where: Stafford Centre, 10505 Cash Rd, Stafford TX
Tickets are $5 to $25 each and children 12 and under are free

For more information, please visit:
Fort Bend Symphony Orchestra – Web, Facebook
Todd Fritsch – Web, Facebook, MySpace
Dixie Trahan – Web, Facebook, MySpace

Besides a great selection of Todd’s past hits and cover songs, they will also be doing Todd’s brand new songs, an exciting selection of music recently recorded by Todd in Nashville. “Calls I Haven’t Made” and “In A Song” are ballads, “Love Never Goes Out Of Style” is a honky-tonk tune, and “My Kinda Crowd” is an up-tempo barn burner. (Make sure you vote for your favorite by clicking here!)

Get your Thanksgiving holiday started out right with a great night of dancing and music at Sengelmann Hall! Tickets are $10 and are available ahead of time by visiting the Sengelmann Hall website.

Date: Wednesday, November 25, 2009
Time: 9:00pm – 10:45pm
Location: Sengelmann Hall
Address: 531 North Main Street, Schulenburg, TX

To book Todd for your own special event, just contact us. We’ll be happy to provide you with more information.

Cooper went to college on a percussion scholarship, earning a Bachelor’s Degree of Music in Percussion with a minor in Piano and Voice. He loves being on stage and is not afraid to incorporate a variety of instruments into his show. His most recent addition is a studio size marimba, which he introduced during a performance of Jimmy Buffet’s smash hit “Margaritaville” at Mo’s Place in Katy, Texas.

Cooper’s shows are high energy and encapsulate music from the more traditional side of country to the Texas music scene to his original compositions. His first-rate band, Unclaimed Freight, is made up of musicians who are capable of playing anything he throws at them, including the occasional rendition of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star” to the delight of his youngest audience members.

Growing up surrounded by top-notch musicians, Dixie and her family traveled around the United States and Canada, sharing their music with fans from coast to coast. They had a show in Branson, Missouri for a year, and Dixie was featured on several record albums, becoming a seasoned music industry veteran by the age of twenty.

In 2006, Dixie traveled to Nashville to record her self-titled debut album – a charming, yet polished collection of songs that showcase her vocal prowess. Most often compared vocally to Alison Krauss, Dixie has been carving out her own niche in the Texas music scene. She has been interviewed most recently for the Houston Chronicle and OnlyKaty. Besides her amazing voice, Dixie’s friendly, girl-next-door personality captivates everyone she meets.

When asked what her future holds, Dixie replies: “I’d love to have a mega-hit someday, who wouldn’t? But as long as I’m able to do what I love and love what I do, I’m a happy girl!”

To hear samples of Dixie’s music, please click here.

To book Dixie, please visit our contact us page.

To vote for Dixie in the Houston Press Music Awards, please click here.

The Woodlands Waterway Arts Festival kicks off on Saturday, April 4 with a Floating Art Parade, showcasing artwork created by local businesses and organizations. For more information, visit www.woodlandsartsfestival.com .

Todd Fritsch and his band Stampede playing the Hideout at the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo in 2008.

Todd has reportedly recorded 5 brand new songs with his new production team in Nashville, Tennessee and is ready to present the fresh material to his fans. “I am very excited about this next chapter in my career,” said Fritsch in a recent interview, “my new production team has introduced me to new songs and songwriters and I am very proud to be a part of this team. I can’t wait for the fans to hear the new stuff.”

Houston's premier groove team - The White Lion Rhythm Section

The White Lion Rhythm Section is based out of Houston, Texas and has established itself as one of the premier rhythm sections for live shows and recording sessions.

Drummer Joe DeLeon and bassist Robert DiBlanco make up this “grooving” rhythm section team that looks back on numerous years of experience in the studios and stages around the world. Artists like Doug Supernaw, Todd Fritsch, Jarrod Birmingham, Clay Farmer, Zona Jones, Johnny Bush, The Tearjerkers, Dixie Trahan, Cooper Wade, Celeste Terrell, Patrick Murphy, John Slaughter, Neil Austin Imber and many more have used the services of the White Lion Rhythm Section in the past and present because of their expertise and talent.

The White Lion Rhythm Section currently works with Sweetgrass Talent artists Todd Fritsch, Dixie Trahan, the Armadillo Playboys and Celeste Terrell.

Click here to visit the White Lion Rhythm Section on MySpace!

Excerpt of a Nashville Number System chart

The answer to all of these questions lies in a little-known solution called the Nashville Number System. This fairly simple system to write down music is widespread in the Country Music field (especially in the studio/session world). Its origins can be traced back to Elvis Presley’s harmony singers, in particular Neil Mathews of the Jordanaires. He devised this musical number system to be used in the recording studio. After Charlie McCoy saw this method he and countless other musicians and session leaders adapted the system to their own needs and used it on many sessions. Today it has evolved into a complete method of writing charts for sessions (sometimes it is also referred to as the “Nashville Shorthand”).

One of the main advantages of the Nashville Number System is the fact that its way of notating a song is completely key-independent. This comes in very handy in the recording studio, where a lot of times keys have to be changed on-the-fly to accommodate singers’ vocal ranges and preferences.

As there are no standards and rules for the Nashville Number System, everybody can and has made their own little set of rules – therefore you can find charts written in different ways for the same song. Once you ‘get the picture’ of how the system works, you should be able to quickly adapt to anybody’s customized style and play any song (in any key) right away.

To find more detailed information about the Nashville Number System, please visit Chas Williams’ website and order his outstanding book on this very helpful way to jot down the songs you learn/play.

Dixie Trahan will be performing LIVE with the Armadillo Playboys at Ropers in Sealy this Friday night, March 6, 2009. The show starts at 9 PM.

The set list will include a variety of songs from artists such as George Strait, Kevin Fowler, The Judds, Keith Urban, Garth Brooks, Marty Stuart, Vince Gill, and more.

This first-class combination of talent is one you won’t want to miss!