Katie McMahon and Sherry Minnick

Posted at 6:00 AM on December 12, 2009 by Dale Connelly (4 Comments)

Tonight on Radio Heartland on Minnesota Public Radio News Stations, I'll talk with two local singers, both originally from outside Minnesota, who have found a musical home in the Twin Cities - Katie McMahon and Sherry Minnick,

In the first hour, I'll talk with Katie McMahon. As a young girl in Ireland, she tried to imagine what her future would bring, working with her father (a hypnotherapist) to picture it in detail. Today, Katie believes she is living the life she envisioned. She joined a vocal ensemble called "Anuna" and fifteen years ago went on the road with the Riverdance troupe, not knowing where it would lead. As it turns out, that experience brought her to Minnesota, where she married and started a family - and a series of holiday concerts.

In hour two, I'll my guest is Sherry Minnick, who grew up in Rhinelander, Wisconsin and came to Minnesota to fall in love with, of all things, old time Appalachian music. She has played in bluegrass bands, appearied onstage with the History theater, led a native American children's choir, been a clogger and dance teacher, church musician and disc jockey ... and a member of the Traditional Singers Club of the Twin Cities.

Katie McMahon and Sherry Minnick, tonight on Radio Heartland.

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Comments (4)

Hello Dale and All,
Just checking in to let you know how much I appreciate and enjoy American Routes (as I scrape Thanksgiving from my kitchen to get ready for the Christmas chaos)

Thanks and thanks again.

Wondering whether you have the recording of "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" by Beasuolais (spelling?) I am pretty sure I heard it on the Morning Show a few years ago and have not been able to find it anyplace.

Posted by michelle in Winona | December 12, 2009 12:59 PM

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Hi Michelle,

I'm glad to hear you're enjoying American Routes.

The Beausoleil version of "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" is in our library on an out-of-print Keepers Christmas collection.
Name the day and time you'd like to hear it next week and I'll get it on the air for you.

Posted by Dale Connelly | December 12, 2009 4:37 PM

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Dale - it was so great to meet you and Nancy at the show last night -- what a wonderful concert! Jim and I had a great time -- and Neal & Leandra have a new fan -- my husband! We bought 3 of their CDs and listened to one or two of them already today.

And hi to Mike Pengra -- it was a treat to meet you as well. A great evening -- we definitely need to get out more. We met and lived around the West Bank area when I was in college. Such a fun area.

Posted by Joanne in Big Lake, MN | December 12, 2009 5:18 PM

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Me too - I was so glad to finally meet you, Dale and Mike, and also Joanne, and Cynthia from Mpls. even if it was almost dark. It's good to have faces to go with these names!

Posted by Barbara in Robbinsdale | December 13, 2009 10:11 PM

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