You'd forgive them for thinking so. After all, they are the parents of a woman who graduated summa cum laude from Harvard University, an ethnomusicologist who shrugged off all the careers a Harvard degree could have brought her and instead put a guitar around her shoulder and hit the road.
But no, Liz isn't crazy, her father said. Ray Carlisle just figures his 23-year-old daughter, a born-and-raised Missoulian and graduate of Hellgate High School, just has her heart in the right place.
The passion is paying off. Carlisle, a folk and country storyteller, singer and songwriter, has become a big name on the country touring circuit. Fresh off a new CD, “Big Dreams,” Carlisle is touring the United States, opening for such names as LeAnn Rimes, Travis Tritt, Diamond Rio, Miranda Lambert and a host of other country and folk greats. That tour included an acoustic concert on Friday at the Crystal Theatre in Missoula.
And last winter, she sang the national anthem at the New England Patriots-Chicago Bears game in front of 76,000 people.
But the biggest thrill for Carlisle is not that her name is in lights, but the fact that she gets to share her music and stories with an ever-growing audience.
“The most rewarding part of all this has been the personal connection I've had with my audience,” said Carlisle. “That's at the center, and that everything has to come from.”
Carlisle recorded “Big Dreams,” her fourth CD, in Nashville. It was the first time she ever worked with professional studio musicians in the heart of country music, a sure sign that this is an artist on the rise.
Yet Carlisle isn't living like a country queen. She still hits the road in her Subaru Outback with her producer, co-songwriter and musical companion Russell Wolff, stuffing her gear in and traveling from town to town. As rich and rewarding as her music is, it hasn't exactly made her rich, at least not yet.
Not that she cares.
“At this point, I don't have to think about the next album or the next step,” she said. “I'm just getting out there and connecting with more people.”
Above all, said Ray Carlisle, his daughter is a woman of poise and self-confidence, and a hard worker who will always survive and excel. Money? Eh, that's not a worry.
“She's incredibly frugal,” he said. “Her friends ask me sometimes, ‘Will she be able to make a living doing this?' The answer is that she can live on less money than anyone I know.”
The very seeds of Liz's success were planted in Missoula, said Ray, because the town is so supportive of its young artists.
“We feel so lucky about raising our kids in Missoula,” he said, “because the community is a big part of why she has that self-confidence. She got so much positive reinforcement and encouragement here.”
She also brought it on herself. Liz has been an accomplished athlete, musician and student all her life. Whether it was earning a spot in all-state band, playing for the Hellgate girls' basketball team, competing in the state spelling bee or graduating at the top of her class at both Hellgate and Harvard, she's always found herself on the top end of the achievement arc.
While at Harvard, Carlisle began playing open-mic nights and coffee houses. She also began writing songs and producing and recording her own CDs. One summer break, she toured the United Kingdom on foot, with nothing much more than a guitar around her shoulder.
After graduation, she set out on the road full-time.
Where her career goes from here, of course, is unknown. But Carlisle clearly is on to something here, with her “crazy” dream of making music.
“(My parents) always knew we had big dreams,” she said, echoing the title of her new CD. “And they knew that we'd find our own way.”
On the Net
Go to www.lizcarlisle.com, where you can buy Liz Carlisle's new CD, “Big Dreams,” and read more about the artist. The CD is also available at local music stores.
Reporter Jamie Kelly can be reached at 523-5254 or at jkelly@missoulian.com
|
 |
 |
Add your comment now! Write your comment in the form below.
(Email address is for verification only. If you'd like to email a story, look for the link above)