In this season of Thanksgiving, I am grateful to STAR STUDENT Maggie Rose for making the world a better place, just by being herself and especially by making music that is authentically soulful and unpretentiously intelligent. She is one of those vanishingly rare performers who can actually throw down a live vocal at least as good as her recordings. To prove it, here she is in a live-in-the-studio rendering of her current project, “Have a Seat”, recorded at legendary Fame Studio in Muscle Shoals, Alabama — the first song immediately filled my cup to overflowing :)

I first started to work with Maggie shortly after her move to Nashville around 2008. The moment I heard her sing, I was instantly knocked out by her huge vocal talent as well as by the maturity and depth of her musical feeling. As musicians like to say, she has “big ears” — a great compliment. Our guitar lessons together are a delight: Maggie works hard (look at that beautiful bar chord!), asks smart questions (every teacher’s dream), and loves learning new things (jackpot!).

Maggie has produced several albums to great acclaim and has toured with acts as diverse as Heart, Joan Jett, Emmylou Harris, & Jason Isbell. Never one to rest on her laurels, though, she has recently delved more seriously into building her guitar skills as a way to more fully own her creative expression, whether in songwriting, intimate solo performances, or as part of the rhythm section in her band. If only every artist were as humbly and deeply committed to developing his/her craft and to continuing to grow musically and artistically.

Maggie is also a fascinating person to talk to — on a recent walk together my brain was exploding with all the interesting things she has to say on a wide range of subjects. She is also the opposite of a diva, generously and consistently championing her fellow creative spirits. That’s why you will love her podcast, Salute the Songbird, where you’ll hear candid and thoughtful conversations with female artists like Brandi Carlile, Martina McBride, Mickey Guyton (another STAR STUDENT!), Melissa Etheridge, and lots more — you’re welcome!