Amber Rubarth "Washing Day"

Working as a live music publicist I sometimes learn about several new artists a day, or get to catch up on older ones. Assembling bios and media kits etc. can lapse into busywork since I've done it for so long. I sometimes find I've put a new show up on the web and gotten all the pieces together for the marketing campaign and haven't stopped for more than a few seconds to LISTEN AND WATCH. Amber Rubarth is playing at the Iron Horse with Chris O'Brien on February 1st. While listing the show at IHEG.com, this video held me in its grip from start to finish. Thanks for reminding me why I do this Amber. Love, Jim



Amber Rubarth Autobiography (Excerpt):

When I was three my mom came home one day and found me on the piano playing (by ear) everything my older brother had learned in the past six months of his piano lessons. She quickly signed me up for lessons too and I took them but after about a year and a half I decided to quit, I didn't like lessons. So I quit and didn't really play much piano after that.

I picked it back up a little more during my early teenage years, and when I was thirteen I had my first "love" interest go wrong and wrote my first 3 songs with lyrics, I wasn't thinking of doing much with them but then an opportunity came up for me to go to europe if i raised money so i went into a recording studio and played all of my songs i had written (and made up a few there) and put out my first CD. Only 3 songs with lyrics, the rest were instrumental. I sold it and raised money to go to Europe.

I was VERY shy and didn't like performing in front of people (I didn't mind if my back was turned but when people were looking at me it made me so uncomfortable) so I didn't play out much.

After high school I was planning on going to college but while riding my bike through Lake Tahoe one day I discovered a little sign for an apprentice program being offered at a wood sculpture studio and decided somewhat on a whim to postpone my plans for college and become an apprentice instead, learning how to make custom wood sculptures and sculptured furniture. So I moved from California to the little town of Carson City, NV and picked up a chainsaw and learned to sculpt. I'm so glad that I did it because I learned so much about how to realistically make a living with art.

After almost three years of doing that I had a very pivotal conversation with the head sculptor of the shop about the importance of pursuing your biggest passion because during hard times there needs to be something more you're working towards, something bigger that pushes you forward. And something struck a chord in me at that moment, and I knew that I was meant to pursue music as my life calling because that has always been my true love.

So I put down the chainsaw and picked up a guitar.