We were lucky to catch up with Merna Lewis recently and have shared our conversation below.
Hi Merna, thanks for joining us today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
People ask this a lot, and my mind always trails back to getting to perform for our troops. A good friend of mine, Judi, asked me to play in her band, Wild Gypsy for a few tours for AAFES (Army & Air Force Exchange Service) and the USO (United Service Organizations) to perform for the American troops. We traveled to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba; Andros Island, Bahamas; Thule, Greenland (twice!); and a tour through Italy, Spain and Germany. These have by far been the most meaningful tours I’ve been on because they are the most captivating audience. They really get into the music and have a good time. We played for some the night before they were shipping off – on Christmas Eve. That was a special one – I felt like playing for them was my way of giving back and saying, ‘Thanks!’ My favorite still is when we finished our show, we opened up the band stage for anyone to get up and sing/play in a live-band karaoke setting. In Greenland, we stayed up until the sun went down – yep – we were there twice for their festivals of first night and first light – 24 hours of darkness/light. Pajama party and all!
Merna, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
I was born in the 80’s… just kidding, I won’t go that far back! I grew up in Colorado and I come from a long heritage of musicians, notably violinists and fiddle players. My late Aunt Bettie Freel, well-known musician and music teacher in the San Luis Valley; and deceased Grandmother Virginia Marie Bond Riggenbach, violin virtuoso, The Juilliard School of Music graduate and teacher of violins at the Brearley School for Girls in New York City, and founder of Riggenbach School of Music in Alamosa, CO. Before Grandma Rie’, my great-grandma Merna played piano and her daddy, my great-great grandfather Billy Bogart also played fiddle. I almost feel a high responsibility to keep the music going! Music was always around me growing up. My Aunt Bettie, Uncle Dan, Aunt Bonnie, and Mom had a little bluegrass band and would perform at local and regional festivals and other events. After a few years of playing, I joined the band, as well as my dad, brother and occasionally my Aunt Billie, and we played together for many years – we were the Bowen String Band (from the Bowen community in Monte Vista, CO.) Those years really started my music endeavors. I played with several country bands in the area after Aunt Bettie got sick from breast cancer treatments, and attended a music program in college that all gave me a good start to what I wanted to do for the rest of my life.
My career spans over 25 years now playing everything from bluegrass festivals and fiddle contests, to artist tours, TV shows, major sporting events, high profile clients’ events and parties, tributes, theater and classical ensembles, music videos and artist albums, radio commercials, playing for the troops and veterans, magazine article features, interviews, celebrity fundraisers and auctions, sync license music, radio jingles, weddings, funerals, divorce and birthday parties, and so much more!
I’ve been told I have a great ear and I believe I can play a wide variety of styles of music – bluegrass, western swing, traditional and current country, contemporary Christian, a little bit of jazz and blues and some classical because I do read music as well.
Currently, I play full time in Nashville with various artists live as well as studio recording.
I’m known as The Barefoot Fiddler, most of the time, you can find me on stage without shoes. That started when I was in college and has carried on to now, and I can honestly say, I’m a lot more comfortable playing out of my shoes! There are times I choose to wear shoes depending on the event or venue I’m playing or if it’s really cold! I introduce myself to people and here lately, I’ve gotten the response, “Oh, I know you, you’re the barefoot fiddler!”
We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.
Yes, I’d love to. When I was 14, Aunt Bettie got sick with breast cancer and fought for many years. She had been playing in a couple bands in the region, and even when she was sick, she would still play. She also had 40 fiddle and piano students a week that she was teaching. I know her treatments made her so sick, but she would work as often as she could. Unless you knew what she was going through, it wasn’t on her face and she didn’t complain about it.
She had this fancy blue wig with silver strands in it that she would wear because she lost all of her beautiful red hair and her head was cold! Everyone loved it! Sometimes she just didn’t feel well and have to sit on a chair or barstool on stage, but she didn’t let it stop her most of the time. I’ll never forget her example of that strength.
She pretty much played right up to the end – she probably would have if she’d had her fiddle! She just wanted to play. There are times that I don’t feel well, just like anyone else, or have had back or neck issues because of the amount of stress I place on my body every day. I just go back and remember, anytime I feel sorry for myself, my memory goes back to Aunt Bettie, sitting on that chair with her blue hair and her beautiful smile. I’m not going to say I’m perfect, but I try to be grateful for every opportunity I get to play my fiddle. I know, long ago I stepped into some grand shoes, not just Aunt Betties, but Grandma ‘Rie’s as well, and I strive to carry on their legacy and dreams, as well as continue pursuing and creating my own.
Have you ever had to pivot?
There are a few times I’ve considered pivoting, but I’ll share one in particular with you. In 2006 or 2007, I had been on tour with a couple of artists, and for one reason or another, the job just didn’t work out. So I came off the road and headed back to the scene playing the Lower Broadway honky tonks here in Nashville. They have live music all day long from 9 or 10am to 3 am every day. Each band plays a 3-4 hour shift, non-stop, for tips in most of the venues. When I moved to town, this is where the guys on the road would come down to and play to make some extra money, work on their “chops”, network, etc. It’s non-stop music, usually cover songs you hear on the radio, for request money and tips, and can be a grind and grueling if you are doing it constantly.
For those of us without road gigs, it was a full-time job. My husband also played bass at the time, so we had fun hanging out and just being a part of the community. I got to the point that I was playing 12 hours a day, every day or every other day, and I just got burned out. I was sore all the time, tired of playing with bad musicians, or musicians who just wanted to party and weren’t serious about the music, so I just decided to stop playing and get a “real job.”
For 9 or 10 years I stopped playing full time – I would still pick up a few gigs here and there, but I wasn’t pursuing it fully any more. I cleaned houses, I worked part time at a music store, I worked in a customer service job, and for a long time was an administrative assistant at a retail music catalog company. I enjoyed the regular paycheck and hours, I felt like I was doing the ‘adult’ thing and had a ‘real job.’ My husband and I even started a couple of online businesses that we still operate today. However, it came to a point in my job where I was feeling under-valued and put up with a lot of inconveniences – but mostly, I truly felt like my soul was dying.
I hadn’t picked up my fiddle in over 6 months and something (probably my Grandma and Aunt Bettie!) was nudging at me that I was letting my amazing talent and gifts just waste away. My parents were worried that I was never going to play again. My husband was supportive no matter what, but growing up a musician as well, he knew I wasn’t happy. So we decided to give this Music City dream another try. I gave my notice and let my network of music friends know that I was back and looking for work. Thankfully, I had previously established myself well enough, that it didn’t take long for me to start getting calls again. The music business is definitely not for the weak heart. There’s a lot of climbing and falling and climbing again, but I truly don’t know who else to be!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.thebarefootfiddler.com
- Instagram: @thebarefootfiddler
- Facebook: @thebarefootfiddler
- Youtube: Youtube.com/@
thebarefootfiddler - Other: TikTok: @thebarefootfiddler
Image Credits
Durant Studios