Introducing Della

Ah, my little Della Bella.  When did I fall so madly in love with her?  I think it may have been in an Italian port-o-potty. 

We were the short-haired gals in the music department.  We have the brains for classical singing, but our hearts beat for country and rock.  We both struggled through the piano proficiency.  We ran away from home and moved to our respective music meccas.  We are good storytellers.  She is the soprano to my alto, but we like to switch roles when we sing Dixie Chicks and Nelly Furtado. 

Della has inspired me in many ways.  She is luminous on the stage.  During a performance of City Called Heaven, in the middle of singing the rollicking chorus, Della turned to me and yelled, "I LIKE SINGING NEXT TO YOU!"  I almost fell over.  When I got carsick on the bus in Italy, the sound of Della crunching Melba toast comforted me.  Della made sure to pack plenty of Melba toast each morning.  She packed up the Jimmy and left for Nashville before Chicago was a twinkle in my eye.  And when I came to visit her, she threw me onto the stage within 2 hours of my arrival.  Della is my favorite songwriting partner.  I trust sharing my ideas with her more than anyone. 

My best day with Della was when I knew she was about to leave town.  We found ourselves in a bar in El Paso (I honestly can't remember the occasion), and she drove me home on the old highway.  The old highway takes a lot longer than I-10, and it is bumpy.  I couldn't imagine a better backdrop for my introduction to the Dixie Chicks.  She popped "Fly" into the CD player, and told me what each song meant to her.  Della turned up the volume on "Heartbreak Town," looked me in the eye, and told me that this song is about our lives as female musicians.  It is so true, and I can't sing that song without tearing up.  Della and I got a chance to sing "Cowboy Take Me Away" at a wedding.  I don't do well with duets.  Della is my singing sister.  This duet felt perfect.  The Dixie Chicks' music has become sacred to me since. 

I miss college.  My friends were all at arms length.  We had the time to drive around aimlessly and listen to CDs.  We collaborated regularly.  We dreamed of the future.  The future is here, and Della and I are both working hard.  I know that someday we will get together and do something.  And that something will be big. It may be an album.  It may be a foundation that helps young artists get started.  We might open our own school that teaches little girls that it's okay to be independent, it's okay to cut their hair really short, and it's okay to laugh and sing the loudest.  Who knows?