Sunday, June 23, 2019

Gigi Love, Amtrak And The NPS Partnership

By Robert Cox


When it comes to long distance train trips, few people expect live entertainment on board. While this is the case, Gigi Love is considered a Rails and Trails Troubadour participating in a joint program between the National Park Service or NPS and Amtrak. For, the young singer songwriter often sings songs on-board different Amtrak routes.

Singing onboard trains is only one aspect of the program. For, Gigi has now visited over two dozen National parks. While in the parks, Gigi absorbs the environment, learns the history of the park and area, then writes lyrics associated with the experience. In fact, Gigi now has an album out titled National Parks Centennial Songs in which, according to the Acoustic Outpost, singles off the album were chart toppers on a number of Folk stations in 2016 and 2017.

Later, the singer-songwriter performed on four different trips in the Summer and Fall of 2017. While visiting several National parks, the artist once again thrilled travelers with acoustic guitar and vocals. Whereas, on this tour, Gigi also performed in a number of the parks.

The folk artist writes songs which are honest, bluesy songs which tell stories depicting the singer songwriter's dreams, vision quests and travels. In most cases, songs which enrapture audiences by taking listeners on a musical journey. As a born and raised Dallas, Texas girl, the singer songwriter began singing and playing the guitar at 7 years old. Then, when Love was 12, the singer began performing at a number of well known venues in Texas.

If Love's name sounds familiar, it could be from a performance at the closing of the Winter Olympics which was televised, or when opening for Dave Matthews at an Amphitheater at the Columbia River Gorge. After which, Freedom Zone, the same company which promotes Mountain Dew picked up Love who then toured Texas and areas west of the Mississippi. Following the tour, Gigi could often be heard on airways of local college and community based radio stations around the country.

The singer-songwriter has also debuted at the New England Regional Folk Alliance's Suzi Wollenberg Folk DJ Showcase. In addition, the artist has continued to open for well known artists since first appearing at the Olympics. One of a number of artists for which the singer has now opened for is that of Utah Phillips. After which, Love created a rendition of Utah's song "Going Away, " which can be heard on Pandora radio.

Gigi has also graced the stage of a number of national folk festivals. The festivals at which Love has performed include Kate Wolf, Moab, Nedfest, Arise and Desert Rocks. Whereas, more recently, the singer songwriter has opened for the likes of Tim Reynolds, John Gorka and Christine Lavin.

Ultimately, the singer-songwriter's mission is to promote the care, protection and preservation of the National Park system. For, while Love enjoys writing and performing, the artist also cares deeply for the earth and all living things, of which many would no longer be alive if not for the National Park system. As such, the mission is one that is clearly defined in lyrics written by the singer-songwriter.




About the Author:



No comments:

Post a Comment