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<< Previous   of   Next >> (click to enlarge) Singer Beth Whitney is scheduled to play at the Greater Maltby Community Summer Concert and Barbecue Aug. 24. The Snohomish native has two albums to her credit. (click to enlarge) Stillwater members Kris Forster (left), Jeanne Whitney and Bob McAllister are scheduled to play at the free Maltby concert.   ADVERTISEMENT   CONTACT THE HERALD Robert Frank, City Editor frank@heraldnet.com   Published: Saturday, August 16, 2008 Snohomish singer plays Maltby concert By Leita Crossfield Herald Writer MALTBY -- For a few hours on a Sunday afternoon, the harmonies of guitar, fiddle, mandolin and drums are set to rise up from the lives of a mother and her daughter. Harmony is what Jeanne Whitney has always loved to sing. It's what she taught her six children. Her daughter Beth Whitney, 24, grew up in Snohomish, singing musical rounds and four-part harmonies in the back of the car, on trips to Little League games and sporting events with her brothers and sisters. On Aug. 24, Beth Whitney, Aaron Fishburn and the band Stillwater are the featured entertainers at the first-ever Greater Maltby Community Summer Concert and Barbecue. It's set to take place from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Maltby Congregational Church, 21111 86th Ave. SE in Snohomish. The music and barbecue are free. Event organizers plan to serve hamburgers, hot dogs, pop, water, chips and salads along with treats from the Snoqualmie Gourmet Ice Cream Shop and The Maltby Cafe, said senior pastor Ken Collins. Beth Whitney plans to sing songs from her newly released album, "Leave Your Shoes." Jeanne Whitney plans to sing an eclectic mix of gospel, folk and bluegrass -- with a good streak of Celtic and Norwegian fiddle tunes. It will be a day to dance barefoot on the lawn. And to open up your soul. Beth Whitney is a budding songwriter with two albums already to her credit. "Leave Your Shoes" was recently signed by Seattle's Malmute records. She has been writing songs since she was 16, she said. She also plays guitar. Each song she writes is the product of a months-long journey. It's born out of the joys and pains of life, etching her soul. In 2003, when Beth Whitney was 18, her brother Jeff was killed in an automobile accident. He was 21. That dark time gave birth to many songs, Beth Whitney said. On her latest album, songs like "Busy Bee," "Wayfarin' Stranger," "Lights Out" and "Miss Misery" give glimpses into life's joys and pains. The message is one of hope, that God is always there, in good times and bad. Beth Whitney's soft, lilting voice -- and the stories she tells -- might prick your heart, make you cry. "Part of my ministry is coming to a state of vulnerability where you're not putting up a front," she said. "There are a lot of unspoken insecurities and there's also unexpressed joy." Behind the music is a story about harmony. It's a story about a mom who gave up her musical dreams to raise her children. Along the way, her daughter began to sing and play. The mother, inspired by her child's confidence, picked up a mandolin and joined in. "I've always been a singer, but I would sing despite my nerves," Jeanne Whitney said. "Beth was such a good example about if you have a gift, you just do it. That gave me confidence." There was a time when Jeanne Whitney would cry when she would hear others play music. No longer. "If you've got an ache in your heart, there's something you're meant to do before you die," she said. Reporter Leita Hermanson-Crossfield: 425-339-3449 or lcrossfield@heraldnet.com. Free Maltby concert and barbecue Greater Maltby Community Summer Concert and Barbecue, with music guests Beth Whitney, Aaron Fishburn and Stillwater, runs from 4 to 7 p.m. Aug. 24 at the Maltby Congregational Church, 21111 86th Ave. SE, Snohomish. The concert and barbecue are free. Donations accepted. Beth Whitney also plans to perform at 2:15 p.m. Friday at the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe. Call 360-668-3921.

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