Theme: Desert Vibes

We gather at 5:00 P.M. to begin our musical journey listening to local mariachis, and playing artisan build instruments in the theater. The talks begins at 6:00 P.M.

Our host for the evening is Linda Chorney, a Grammy-nominated musician who will guide us as we tune our ears to the vibrations of the desert.

Speakers will weave stories and music into a magical evening.

Howe Gelb: a local sonic instigator with global cult impact. Along with Rainer Ptàček, begat the indie-rock outfit Giant Sand in 1980. has recorded/released/produced over 50 albums.

John Coinman: an award-winning singer-songwriter whose folk and americana music has appeared in numerous movies. He performs with Kevin Costner's Modern West Band.

Drew Cooper: a red dirt country musician who grew up in Tucson and has made his own brand of country music that’s distinctly Arizonan.

Roger Clyne: a successful, truly independent musician for 20 years, he has toured around the world over. Starting with Phoenix punk luminaries The Refreshments, and now with his band The Peacemakers, Clyne penned the theme song for the TV show “King of the Hill.”

Our host for the evening is Linda Chorney. She is the first truly independent artist to receive a Grammy nomination for Best Americana Album in 2012. She is an award winning filmmaker, author, public speaker, and self-proclaimed "Jack&ss of All Trades."
Born before the war, she started singing as a fetus, received a standing ovation in the delivery room and has been singing ever since. Her body of music includes 3 cassettes, and 7 CDs.

We will end the evening with refreshments, one-on-one conversations with the musicians and even more music, giving the audience a well-rounded perspective on the desert sound, the characters it molds and the art it inspires.

TEDtalks are for everyone, and TEDxTucson is made to be accessible for music aficionados from

Rialto Theater
318 E Congress St
Tucson, Arizona, 85701
United States

Drew Cooper

Musician

Drew Cooper has always loved music. He may have grown up in Illinois, but since moving to Tucson as a child, he added the Tucson sound as one of his inspirations. Drew spent his college years at the University of Arizona, and while he has the strong presence of a linebacker, he was a cheerleader in college. A self-taught guitar player, who never let the blisters on virgin fingertips slow him down. His lyrics are inspired by the sounds of his past, his strong love of his family, and the country he holds dear. Son, brother and most importantly, Daddy are all names bestowed upon Drew. The music that he writes shows that strong family bond and commitment to the country values he was raised with. You can feel his heart when you see his smile, and you can hear his relentless love of music in every chord he plays.

Howe Gelb

Musician

Howe Gelb is an American singer-songwriter, musician and record producer here in Tucson. Gelb is a man who’s done acoustic sets where he sings into the pick up of his guitar, he’s rocked out with Giant Sand, re-shaped alt-country and has a back catalogue that’s nothing short of “im-press-ive”. He knows a melody when he plays it. And, play he does – over 50 albums. In 2013, he worked with the Scottish singer/songwriter KT Tunstall on her fifth studio album Invisible Empire // Crescent Moon. He co-wrote and co-produced, and sang on several songs.

John Coinman

Musician

John Coinman is an award-winning singer-songwriter who grew up on the Kiowa Grasslands in northeastern New Mexico. He has recorded five solo albums, had numerous songs in films and on television, and collaborated with many notable artists including John Densmore of The Doors, James Intveld, Michael Blake (the writer of Dances With Wolves), Amy Rigby, Tony Gilkyson, Troy Olsen and Teddy Morgan, as well as being the bandleader for Kevin Costner & Modern West (KCMW). He has been touring with KCMW since 2006 and has recorded 5 albums of original songs with the band including the companion CD to the award winning miniseries Hatfields And McCoys. His newest solo CD, “Already Are”, was released in Europe in July 2015 on Cavalier Records. John was also the Music Supervisor for the movie Dances With Wolves.

Roger Clyne

Musician

Roger Clyne is a successful, truly independent musician for 20 years, he has toured around the world over. Starting with Phoenix punk luminaries The Refreshments, and now with his band The Peacemakers, Clyne penned the theme song for the TV show “King of the Hill.”