After a whirlwind couple months on the road recording my new album, working with the Be An Artist Program and performing at gigs, I'll be spending some time doing what I love to do most: write songs. But it won't be the usual Austin or Nashville scene. For my next SongWritingWith sessions in early May, I'll be teaming with aid groups in South Africa and Botswana. Look for me back in Texas at the end of the month at the Odeon Theater (May 26) in Mason. Please visit On The Road for details.

The new year found me participating in another songwriting weekend with wounded American soldiers. Building on a project that began with the song "Angel Flight," this collaboration with LifeQuest Transitions helps put a voice to the stories of these amazing men and women. The results from our previous retreat, "Faces of Freedom", can be downloaded from iTunes. Read more here and find terrific stories, videos and photographs on this weekend of storytelling in the Washington Post and the Denver Post.

If you're not familiar with The Be An Artist Program, there's never been a better time to learn more. The songwriting concept I created for schools is now at the heart of my work with homeless youth at Covenant House, a shelter in Newark, New Jersey; with soldiers returning from combat; and with business students at Oklahoma State University, where I'm the Arts Entrepreneur in Residence at the Spears School of Business. Take a few moments to learn how you can be a part of The Be An Artist Program.