Wow, the last time I blogged was after I met the Ghost Adventures guys in JULY... it is now November and I have been living in Nashville for three months. THREE MONTHS! Those three months just FLEW by, I'll tell ya. While I've been here, I've been experiencing some pretty exciting stuff - from a free Eric Church/Alan Jackson concert on one of the biggest streets in Nashville to my very first CMA Awards Week experience, I have been in country music industry heaven. Last time I sent out an update was through email, where I talked about seeing Charlie Worsham for the first time (and since then, I've seen him twice more... that should tell you how long it has been!) and going through the first month of so of classes. As I sit here, I have a week and a half left of classes before finals and Christmas break... I honestly cannot believe my first semester is almost over already. That blows my mind.

Since that September email, amazing, amazing things have been happening. This is going to be a long and informative blog post, but I promise I will keep it flowing and keep it interesting. :)

On September 15, I went to the Grammy U Fall Kick-Off Party at The Recording Academy, where I got to hear Dave Barnes sing and speak for a little while. If you don't know who Dave Barnes is, well... you should, but if you love country music, you know one of his songs! He wrote "God Gave Me You", the song Blake Shelton had a hit with this season. It was amazing to hear him sing that song in person... there's something so special about hearing a writer play a song they've written that someone else has taken to the top. More on that later...

On the 22nd of September, my best friend Jenna and I went down to Demonbreun St. to the Capitol Street Party - a huge, FREE concert featuring Eric Church (my FAVORITE), Alan Jackson, and newcomer Eric Paslay (who wrote Barefoot Blue Jean Night - Jake Owen's big hit!). It was my first time ever seeing Eric Church live, which was absolutely incredible, and I still can't believe that the whole experience was absolutely free... and we were almost in the front row! Eric Paslay recently released a video for his single 'Never Really Wanted', and Jenna and I are featured in it quite a bit from 2:33 to the end of the video... so, here, watch it!

I was able to see Eric Paslay perform again at a Writer's Night a few weeks later and I got to talk with him for a bit. He's amazing (and really tall!) and gave me some great career advice.

A few days after the concert, I accepted a bid from Kappa Alpha Theta, the newest sorority on campus at Belmont University! Since bid day, I have gone through the new member program with Theta, learning about what it means to be a Theta - from our history to our philanthropy and our values... it has been an incredible experience. I was initiated a couple of weeks ago and have been having the time of my life as an active member. I would not trade this experience for anything and I highly recommend Greek life to anyone starting college... My sisters are 124 of the most beautiful women I have ever met and have provided nothing but support and encouragement for me since day one of this experience. I wear my letters with such pride and I feel extremely blessed to be a part of such an amazing family. Here are some pictures of us!

On October 6, I had what might be the greatest experience of my entire life so far. My friends and I went to the taping of "Holiday Notes from Home" - a country Christmas special at the Grand Ole Opry featuring Clay Walker, Little Big Town, and LeeAnn Womack. The show was amazing (watch for us on TV!), but after the show was what was really special. My friends and I rushed to the stage to be able to meet the stars who had just performed. When Clay Walker came over, I introduced myself and told him that it was my dream to sing on the Opry stage. Without hesitation, he invited me up on stage with him and told me to sing. So... naturally, I did. I sang Independence Day on the Opry stage, with Clay Walker, while Little Big Town and LeeAnn Womack (as well as Nan Kelly from CMT!) watched. I may not have technically "played the Opry", but I did get to live out one of my biggest dreams thanks to Clay. I will NEVER forget that feeling. Hopefully this video works! Clay was SO sweet to me and said such kind things to me after I sang... he kept coming back over to talk to me too. I loved that entire experience. Thank you SO much, Clay!

Fast forward to November 2 - I finally got to see one of my favorites, Hunter Hayes, live at 12th and Porter! My friends and I were front and center for the show, which made for some incredible videos, and we made a lot of new friends (Hi Emily!). Hunter put on an amazing show - that guy has SERIOUS talent, both with his vocals and his instruments (apparently he plays over 30 of them...). Check out this picture to see how close we were!

On November 6, Belmont got a real treat when they put on a panel/acoustic performance session featuring Jake Owen, Clint Higham (his manager!) and Gary Overton, CEO of Sony! It was really amazing to hear such influential members of the industry speak on such a personal basis and I felt that I learned a lot about my own career and what paths I want to take from hearing their words of wisdom. Jake performed three songs acoustically (including Barefoot Blue Jean Night, at the request of my friends and I!) and afterwards, we were lucky enough to be able to meet him and talk to him for a bit! Yes, he's just as good looking in person... and he's completely sweet too! We were even able to "kite" him, which is a Theta tradition... check it out!

Then... then came the madness that was CMA Awards week. On the 8th, my friends and I went to downtown Nashville to take part in an Ellen Degeneres taping (yes, we saw ourselves on TV!!). What went from a contest to win CMA Awards tickets turned into an incredible surprise appearance by Lady Antebellum! So, even though I didn't technically "meet" them, I got to shake their hands and tell them that I loved them... they were SO sweet... and it was one of the highlights of my time here. It was totally a surprise - no one was expecting it at all.

The next day, my friend Maura and I got to attend the CMA Pre-Party at Warner Music Nashville (yes, INSIDE the record label!! I was more excited about that than anything else...). We got to meet some amazing people, INCLUDING one of my favorite YouTube friends, Taylor Edwards! I know I have talked about her before, but you HAVE to go check her music out. CLICK HERE to listen to her music! She was so sweet and I can't wait to see her again. Love you, girl! We also got to meet some pretty amazing people including the darling Hunter Hayes! Funny enough - Hunter and I talked about how we both have performed at The Merc back home in Temecula... small world! He was so precious. I loved meeting him!

Finally, we concluded CMA Awards Week by attending the taping of the CMA Country Christmas special, which really brought the Christmas season in (a little too early, but oh well... who doesn't love Christmas music?!). A lot of amazing artists were there, including my HERO, Amy Grant! I have been listening to Amy's Christmas music since I was a baby in the car rides up to Oakland to visit family... she's one of the biggest influences on my music and it was incredible to see her live. :)

Finally, just a couple of days ago, I got to see my dear Charlie Worsham live again. He was amazing and I was so proud of him... you know I love you, Charlie! I'm excited to be working with Charlie on some awesome things, so stay tuned!  Everyone should go check him out. Go. Do it. Right now. GO WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? :)

In other news - Belmont's basketball season is HERE! We played Duke and lost by only ONE point... amazing, amazing game - I was SO PROUD of our team. My Alabama football team has been doing well too (just don't bring up the LSU game... sore subject!). I love Belmont with all of my heart and I have never once doubted that this move to Nashville was the right thing to do. I love this city and I am incredibly blessed to be here.

Thanks for reading this monster of a blog, by the way... I know it was long... but I love you and I have missed you more than words can say. I have some big things coming up in regards to music...

So. That's all for today. :)

xo CM

Aside from all of THAT excitement, I have been PACKING MY LIFE up into boxes for the move to Nashville which is happening SOON! It is taking awhile to go through everything, but in doing so, my family and I have dug up some very old things, including things I had written at a very young age! It's strange to look back on the early years of my life, now that I am preparing to go to college.

I have a busy week ahead of me - my friend Lauren from Belmont is coming from TEXAS tomorrow and we have a few days filled with fun California stuff, including seeing our dear friend Jenna for a Disneyland trip and some LINE DANCING!! Yeehaw! I know my blogs have not been jam-packed lately, but that's because my LIFE has been full of PACKING and not much else! 

Don't forget, I have a show at Country at the Merc on July 30 at 9:00 PM - my LAST show as a California resident! Tickets are available here, if you want to come hear myself, The Brewer Boys, Kanan Road, and Jim VanNewKirk as well as the Ranch Rockers ROCK! Click here for tickets if you are interested!  I would LOVE to see you guys there.

I will mostly likely have a video blog posted next week, so keep your eyes peeled for that one. (That is such a gross sounding expression...). Thank you for always staying tuned in. I am so happy to have you guys in my life. :)

xo CM

My 4th of July was spent with some good friends watching the fireworks from our backyard! We have a view of about 8 different fireworks shows up here, so it's always a treat to be able to watch them and feel so American! Earlier in the night, we were able to see the International Space Station fly overhead, which was unbelievable. I have always been fascinated by space. :)

I have a SHOW announcement to make... my LAST show in California before I move!! Tickets are not available yet, but as soon as they are, the info will be posted on my Facebook page. However, I can announce that I will be having a "going away" show on July 30th at 9:00 PM at The Merc in Temecula. Joining me for the show will be The Ranch Rockers, Kanan Road, The Brewer Boys, and Jim VanNewKirk! I am so excited to have these people, who have helped shape my musical journey, with me to celebrate the beginning of a brand new chapter. Put July 30 at 9:00 PM on your calendar because I would LOVE to see you there!

Lastly, I know I mentioned getting to see my dear friend James last week, but I didn't receive our group photo until THIS week! I thought some of my fans and friends might like to see this picture of me and my good friend Mary with the boys of Big Time Rush!

I don't have too much else to blog about... I have been keeping busy but just by doing busy work... I HAVE been playing my banjo a lot, though. I am in love with it. :)

This has been a short blog, but I love you just as much as always... probably MORE! :) Have a beautiful week and leave a comment if you want to! 

xo CM

I have had an incredibly eventful week and looking back, I am just excited that it all happened. It started out with some at-home upgrades (technologically) that I will be able to explain in more detail once everything is set up. It is in regards to my music, obviously, but I don't want to give too much away until I have everything ready to present. Just be ready for some big changes coming your way... good changes, of course! 

I was able to see two country music legends live at the San Diego County Fair this week (ugh... it will always be the Del Mar Fair to me!) - The Charlie Daniels Band and Travis Tritt! Charlie Daniels was incredible, as always, and I especially loved hearing 'A Few More Rednecks', one of my favorite CD songs. (click that link to listen to it... it's amazing!). Travis Tritt was SO amazing to see live. It was my first time seeing him and I was truly blown away! His stage presence was so great, his guitar playing was perfect, and his voice was gorgeous! My favorite song of his was 'I'm Gonna Be Somebody', which really hits home with me. I'll put that video here; It's so worth watching:

I got a lot of good songwriting done this week - including a new song all about, well... a truck! I know, I know... I am a walking stereotype for country music BUT, I think it's a song that will surprise you. It's not your typical truck song. I don't want to say too much! You will hear it soon enough. I've been playing a LOT of banjo lately as well. I love that instrument so much and I can't wait to debut it. Speaking of debuting things, I have my final show at Country at the Merc on July 30 at 9:00 PM. Details will be posted on my Facebook Page when they are available! I am so excited. :)

Probably the highlight of my week was getting to see my dear friend James and his band Big Time Rush perform for a sold out crowd at the Del Mar Fair on Friday with my good friend Mary. I am incredibly proud of the work they have done and it was totally surreal to see someone I consider a brother to me rocking out in front of 3000 screaming fans who knew every word to every song. I may have shed a tear or two thinking about that, but it was the time I got to spend with him afterwards that was the most fun! We don't get to see each other too often, but when we do, it makes the waiting worth it. I love you! I also finally met Carlos (who is a country music fan!) and got to talk to him for a bit. Here are some pictures:

That's all for this week. It was full of excitement and time with friends, which is always good! I have to run now, as my hot dog is ready to be eaten, but I hope that you all have a beautiful 4th of July... and remember why we celebrate it. It's not all about the delicious BBQ and fireworks, although those are what make it fun! :) I love you! Leave a comment if you read this far! 

xo CM

First of all, I want to extend a HUGE congratulations to my good friend and incredible artist, Kelsie Martin, who starred in an episode of MTV's Made last week, where she won the opportunity to release a single produced and distributed by Grammy award winning producers! I probably messed up those details, but the major point is that Kelsie won a HUGE opportunity... and you should all go buy both of her iTunes singles now! 'Empty Ocean' is the song that won on MTV... so go search 'Kelsie Martin' on iTunes and support her! 

I released my most recent record, 'It Starts Today' a few weeks ago, but this week I uploaded one of my favorite songs, 'Give It Back', to ReverbNation for your listening pleasure! Often, online music stores only provide a 30 second preview of songs before you buy them, but ReverbNation allows you to listen to the entire song... as many times as you'd like! Give It Back is one of the most "fierce" songs I have ever written (with the lovely Ken and Becky Rash, of course) and I cannot wait to start performing it live. Check out the song here: http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_9134459 and let me know what you think about it! Thanks!

Speaking of 'It Starts Today', the song by the same name has been chosen to be a part of the MakuaMix compilation CD, where artists use their voices to give back to children in need. All proceeds from the CD go to Makua - Friends of Voices for Children, which helps children in San Diego. 15 songs have been chosen to be produced and distributed up to 10,000 times on this CD, and I am honored to have been selected! I write and sing to make other people feel less alone, so this CD is only helping that mission. You can find out more about Makua and Voices for Children here: http://www.voices4children.com/ 

I will be solidifying the date for my last performance at Country at the Merc ( :( ) this week, so keep your eyes on my Facebook page (please click LIKE if you haven't!) and the website for that announcement! I'm hoping to be able to get all of my Merc friends there for that show... but details will come at a later time. :)

Lastly, I did a photoshoot with Cortnie Dee at the fair this week... here are some of my favorite shots! 

Thank you all so much for your constant support, commitment, and encouragement. I am so excited for the next chapter of my life... and I am the MOST excited to take you all with me. I love you all!! Comment if you feel so inclined! :) 

xo CM

A sailor's sky made the perfect sunset and that's a day I'll never forget.

I graduated from high school on June 10, which was a very surreal event. I still have trouble wrapping my mind around the fact that I am no longer in high school. I can begin sentences with "When I was in high school..." and "Remember back in high school when...". It makes me feel so old! But I also cannot believe that there are people out there preparing for their freshman year of high school, looking at four crazy years ahead of them. I was there four years ago, but it doesn't feel that way! It definitely flew by... Here are a couple of pictures from Graduation:

Marissa, above, was my first friend at Mater Dei!

After my graduation, we had a graduation party at my house with tons and tons of amazing people! I am so happy that everyone who came out did, because it made me feel very special. :) The amount of support I receive from the people in my life is amazing. Here's a picture of my family:

The best part of graduation, though, was my graduation gift from my mom... she TOTALLY surprised me and gave me the best gift I could ever ask for - a BANJO! If you know me, you know that I have been planning on learning the banjo for a few years now... and now I finally am able to! I have already jumped right into learning it and cannot wait to be able to debut it in a show. :) Ignore my face in this picture and just concentrate on the instrument! I am SO in love with it. 

After graduation and all of the festivities, my family headed off to Nashville for my Belmont University orientation, house-hunting, music, and fun! I am excited to say that the next time I am in Nashville, in about six weeks, it will be for good! We had so much fun in Nashville - I don't know where to begin! The first thing we did was find our home for (at least) the next two years... and find it we did! We are going to be living in the Bellevue area (if you know Nashville), which is about fifteen minutes from Belmont. Our address is still considered Nashville, TN, though... so I am definitely going to be living in Nashville! :) I have a nice, big room and I am excited to start being able to plan decorations and the layout and everything. I will have pictures once we move in! I also got to spend time with one of my best friends in the WORLD, Nicole, and our friend Kennedy! I love them BOTH and we had our traditional Nashville Joe's Crab Shack lunch together! :) 

Belmont orientation, or TT (Towering Traditions), was SO much fun. I met so many people finally that I have been talking to on the Belmont official Facebook group, including some of my closest friends, such as Lauren, Regan, Toni, the other Lauren, and met new friends like Garrison, Kelsey, Colby, Joseph, Savannah, Abbi, and maaaaany many many more people that I know I forgot. I always feel bad listing names because I ALWAYS forget people, but just know that there are so many of you that I was incredibly excited to spend time with! As far as registration goes, I got into some amazing classes, included Survey of Music Business and History of the Recording Business, as well as three Honors classes with my honors friends! I am in LOVE with my fall semester schedule and I cannot wait to get started. I will be spending a lot of time at my new favorite coffee shop, Bongo Java, as well... :)

I also performed in my first ever Nashville show at McDougal's in Franklin with the producer you all know and love, Ken Rash! His friend Mike Broward invited us to play at his show, so Ken and I played 'It Starts Today' and 'Boy Behind the Radio'... completely winging it since it has been awhile since we've played the songs together! We had a good time, and my good friend and amazing musician Tyson Bowman joined us... and then joined Ken onstage where they collaborated for the first time (with Ken never hearing Tyson's music before!). It was truly a magical experience, something expected in Music City, USA. I feel so lucky to be able to move to one of THE music capitals of the world... music is bursting out of every door on Broadway... you can find music anywhere you look, truly. I think it's time to show you some pictures! 

I think that just about does it! My mom will probably comment and mention something I have left out, but I think this blog is quite long enough and has covered just about everything that has gone on in my life in the past two incredibly eventful weeks... I apologize for its length, but I am just so excited about everything! :) 

Don't forget that you can listen to and purchase my new album at http://cdsdirectmusic.com/store//catalog/product_info.php/it-starts-today-p-128 or on iTunes, or ReverbNation. I would love for you to buy it and let me know what you think about it... and what your favorite song is! :) Remember, the older songs are completely redone, so you'll want to have the new versions as well! 

Thank you so much for your continued support. I have so much to release in the next few weeks. Stay tuned! And send this along to a friend you think will like my music or my story. :) 

I love you!

xo CM

I feel like I haven't blogged in so long! I have been so ridiculously busy these past few weeks with school ending, finals, the album release, and getting ready to graduate! Not much has happened, except that I was able to perform for Congressman Duncan D. Hunter at a beautiful Memorial Day ceremony. I sang the National Anthem at the event (although I was suffering from a head cold... lame...) and I was excited to talk to the congressman about how I had sat in his desk chair in 2009 in Washington D.C.... he said that was alright by him! :) He was such a sweet man and had some incredible things to say about this country, Memorial Day, and his own personal experience in the Marines (he has served three tours in the Middle East... and he is still young!). His strength, courage, and dedication to this country is incredibly inspiring and I was beyond honored to not only meet him, but honor what he has done for our nation through my music. Here's a picture of the two of us!

IN STUDIO NEWS: I released my newest record 'It Starts Today' in May and there are new options for purchasing the CD online! I would be honored if you purchased a physical copy of the album because we put a lot of work into the liner notes, album art, and production, so if you can, please order one of those! However, we do have CDBaby and iTunes up and running for digital downloads. Links are below.

CDsDirect (the BEST place to purchase the CD... I recommend you buy from here!)

CDBaby (physical copies and digital downloads...the physical copy is only one CENT more! so please buy it :) )

iTunes : Please know that, although the three songs from the first EP are on this new record, they have been COMPLETELY remastered and redone, so I would love for you to purchase the album as a whole to feel and hear the complete package as it was meant to be heard! The older songs have been given new life and are worlds better, at least in my opinion, so please please please don't skip over those songs and buy only the new ones! 

Thank you for your support of this new album. I know it took forever to release, but now that it is done, it feels totally worth it. I am proud to be walking into Nashville with my cowboy boots on and this record in my hand. 

I would just like to leave you with this quote by Brad Paisley, written in the liner notes of his latest record 'This Is Country Music', which is an embodiment of everything I love about country music... I highly recommend it to anyone and everyone who likes country! He says, "I am proud to be in country music. Even though in some circles it is not given the respect it deserves as an art form, I am constantly reminded of its strengths. See, country music is unique. It is brave. It is not afraid to deal head-on with subjects like disease, death, religion, drinking, family, or anything else that qualifies as life. It isn’t above the fans. It is about them. It is the soundtrack to my life and probably yours. I get to be more than just a recording artist. Country singers are present at weddings, funerals, graduations, and the most impactful moments of our fans’ lives. In exchange for singing a few songs, we are loved unconditionally and we are given loyalty beyond what we deserve. Every style of music thinks it has the best fans in the whole world. But this country music. And we do."

And there you have it folks... that's why I do what I do. 

xo. CM

Instead of explaining the CD in text, I made a (slightly long) video with all the information you could ever want about the record... Including samples of every song and a little background on why the songs were written and chosen for this project! 

IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PURCHASING THE RECORD, please please PLEASE follow this link. Scroll down to below my music video and you will see an option that says "Add to Cart". Then, click "Checkout". http://cdsdirectmusic.com/store//catalog/product_info.php/it-starts-today-p-128

Thank you so so so so so much for everything you have done for me. I am so excited to finally be able to release the CD, as we have worked for months and months and months, fine tuning everything... it was WORTH IT! I love you all so so so much. I am going to save updates on life for next week's blog, because I want nothing to take away from the importance of this post! 

Please, let me know if you are planning to purchase a CD! Unfortunately, the CDs do not come signed, as they are prepackaged and sent from the printer's, but if you are dying for something signed, shoot me an email or Facebook message and I'll see what I can do! :D

Again, the LINK to purchase the new records is http://cdsdirectmusic.com/store//catalog/product_info.php/it-starts-today-p-128

I would be honored if you would spread the word, tell your friends, tell your cousins, aunts, dogs, teachers, priests, UPS men... whomever you think will love the CD. And again, let me know if/when you buy it and which songs you fall in love with.

THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU

This is just the beginning.

xo. CM

The new record, 'It Starts Today', should be finished printing this week! As soon as I get them in my hands, be prepared for a very cool video to be posted... more details on that next week, when I should have it up! :) I'd show you the album artwork, but it is not saved on my computer because we created it with the designer. So, unfortunately, you will have to wait until I have the CD's in my possession to see the finished product! I apologize... but I also would rather everyone see it when it's COMPLETE! Which should HOPEFULLY be by Friday! :)

I posted a new YouTube video last week and I would love for you to watch it. It is a cover of Taylor Swift's latest single, 'Mean'. I love that the lyrics can relate to any person who feels targeted by someone who is just "mean". Some people may think it is petty or immature (plenty of my close friends think so!), but I believe the lyrics are raw, honest, and something every single one of us has thought before...  :) It's okay to admit that you've felt this way, because we all have! Enough with the explanation... here is my cover! 

Thank you so much for watching, if you did! I wanted to extend a HUGE congratulations to Miranda Lambert and Blake Shelton who are getting MARRIED this Saturday in Texas!! I have been a fan of this couple since BEFORE they were a couple (when there was definitely chemistry!!), so I am so excited that they are finally getting married. No, I don't know them personally, but I love love stories and happy endings and you all KNOW how obsessed I was with the Royal Wedding... let's just say, this is Nashville's Royal Wedding. Big time. :)

Thanks so much for stopping by this week. I know I don't have much to say but that is because this last month is being dedicated to finishing high school... which I will be doing in less than a month... WHAT?! I love you guys so much... be on the look out for the new record (release of brand new songs!!!) in the next week! I will keep you updated. :) Thank you for your continued support! 

xo. CM

In Christine Marie-world, something pretty exciting happened this week as well! The team and I made the trek up to the CD production company to finalize the artwork and layout for the new EP and, well... WE FINISHED! Aside from printing and reproduction (which is happening right now), everything is complete and it will be ready for release in about two weeks. YEEEEEEHAWWWW! I am so excited to show you what the CD looks like! Then... it will be for sale on many online stores so GET READY! :)

I am honored to announce that I will be singing at a Memorial Day celebration on May 30. I will be singing the National Anthem, one of my favorite songs in the ENTIRE world to sing. I am humbled to say that I will be able to perform in front of one of my favorite congressman, Congressman Duncan D. Hunter, and Admiral Len Hering. I had the opportunity to meet with Congressman Hunter's staff when I was in Washington D.C. a couple of summers ago, but Mr. Hunter was on holiday so I was not able to meet him. I am excited to be able to meet him finally and sing for him and the Admiral. Here's a picture of me sitting at Congressman Hunter's desk! 

That is all for this week - I have a few exciting announcements coming up in the next couple of weeks, so keep your ears and eyes open, but for now, I think it is time to call it a night! I headed back to school today, but I am in my last month of high school which is SO weird/exciting/scary/fantastic/etc. I'll check in with y'all next week. :) Thanks for always keepin' up with me! :)

xo. CM