Annual Snowbird Concert Series kicks off winter

In true Texas fashion, country music was the herald for this winter season with the kickoff of the annual Snowbird Concert Series, which will include a free concert on the first Thursday of the month until March. Terri Hendrix and Lloyd Maines, both Grammy award winners, have been playing music together for decades now, in addition to the work they’ve been doing for over ten years for Own Your Own Universe, Hendrix’ nonprofit. It makes perfect sense that the pair would head the series.

In its infancy in 2014, Hendrix said the Snowbird Concert Series was at the Quail Creek Country Club and has since moved to St. Mark's Episcopal Church, located at 3039 Ranch Rd. 12. She said the sound technicians and musicians get paid a fair wage, which is gathered through fundraising and a small grant from the city of San Marcos. The lineup includes musicians that are also educators: January is Possessed by Paul James, February is The Flyin’ A’s and March is Stringtown Texas.

“I always thought that a free concert series was important for a community for social reasons [and] financial reasons,” Hendrix said, adding that many in the OYOU community are on a fixed income or have disabilities that render them unable to work or pay for concert admission. “To charge a ticket [price] would actually hurt the series.”

The OYOU is an organization with the aim of bringing affordable and free arts and music to the public, particularly those with special needs, with a reasonable wage paid to the artists who perform or conduct classes. She said helping those with disabilities is particularly near and dear to her heart as she has battled with her own health challenges, including Dysphonia, a voice disorder causing involuntary spasms of the voice box, and Epilepsy, a disorder involving recurring seizures.

“And I’m still making my living as a singer/ songwriter in spite of that,” Hendrix said. “Maybe it's for selfish reasons. I get a whole lot out of doing programs that I know help me, and that’s the type of programs we have here and that helps other people. The arts transform lives.”

Maines said despite Hendrix’ ailments, she still “busts her butt” to do everything she has to do for the OYOU and her music career.

“It’s humbling how hard she works,” Maines said of his long-time friend. “And she’s just got a great heart. … Kids love her.”

The reason Maines started working with Hendrix in the 90s was two fold. He was given her mixtape by an engineer at the Fire Station, the recording studio on S. LBJ Drive.

“I was blown away. Her songs were totally original; You could tell she didn’t copy anybody,” Maines said, adding that they finally met at South by Southwest where she was loading her entire band's equipment alone. “I noticed she had dirt underneath her fingernails, and I was thinking, ‘This girl is not afraid to work.’ We’ve been working together for 26 years. She’s the hardest working girl I’ve ever met.”

Both Hendrix and Maines have been successful in their own right, making a free concert with the pair all the more valuable to the community.

Maines has played with and produced for many famous artists. He has produced the Terry Allen album Lubbock on Everything, played Pedal Steel for Joe E. Lee, played with and produced six of Jerry Jeff Walker’s albums, produced five of Robert Earl Keen’s records, has won a grammy for production of the album Home by The Chicks, has two plaques in the Buddy Holly Walk of Fame in Lubbock and was the third artist inducted into the Austin City Limits Hall of Fame — following Willie Nelson and Stevie Ray Vaughan. He and his wife, Tina May Maines, have been married since 1970 and have two children, one of which is Natalie Maines from the Chicks — an apple that clearly did not fall far from the tree.

“I’ve been doing this since I was 14,” Maines said, adding that he started in The Maines Brothers Band. “I’ve never taken myself that seriously, but I take my work really serious.”

Hendrix has won a grammy for co-writing Lil’ Jack Slade by the Chicks, was recognized as one of Texas’ 20 essential contemporary singer- songwriters by Acoustic Guitar Magazine, has a star on the South Texas Music Walk of Fame, has her master recordings and archives at the Wittliff Collections at Texas State University, has received a San Marcos Arts award and has been inducted into the San Marcos Women’s Hall of Fame.

With all of those accomplishments, both musicians are in agreement that the most important work that they do has been for the OYOU. Maines said being involved in the nonprofit has really enriched his life.

“When Terri and I are around, they [adults and kids with disabilities] come to life because we teach them to write songs,” Maines said. “It just grips my heart. … If I had to stop playing right now, I’d be totally satisfied.”

Go to ownyourownuniverse. org/calendar, to see what events are upcoming for the OYOU.