Starry Nights star visits Sisters schools

Leslie Satcher made some new friends at Sisters Elementary School last week. From left: fifth grader Samantha Malone, Satcher, music teacher Debi Schlatter, Leslie's husband David Allen and fifth grader Landon Andresen. photo provided Acclaimed singer-songwriter Leslie Satcher made a detour from a concert stop in Santa Barbara last weekend to head north and introduce her new husband, David Allen, to the town of Sisters.

"I figured that since we were already out West, we should just take a few extra days and come back to one of my very favorite places before we went home to Nashville," Satcher said. "I've told David all about this community, the beautiful scenery and the wonderful people I've met here and really wanted to share it with him."

Satcher has been catching up with old friends, sightseeing, shopping and dining out. She also visited an assembly at Sisters Elementary School and the Sisters High School Americana Project class last Wednesday, October 20, where she discussed the art of songwriting, conducted question-answer sessions from music students and performed some of her own hits.

"The students enjoyed hearing about a singer-songwriter who started playing the guitar at a young age, like themselves," said elementary school music teacher Debi Schlatter.

"Leslie inspired students to be creative in their songwriting and singing."

High school music teacher Tara MacSween added that her Americana Project students so enjoyed Satcher's session that they wanted her to stay over for the next class period.

Satcher first visited Sisters in 2002 as part of the Vince Gill and Amy Grant Starry Nights show. She returned the following year for a vacation and wound up not only visiting the schools, but headlining an impromptu fund-raiser at the elementary school that raised several thousand dollars for the Sisters Schools Foundation.

The Texas native, whose debut album "Love Letters" was met with rave reviews by critics nationwide, will release her second album later this year. As a songwriter, her credits include "When God-Fearin' Women Get the Blues" by Martina McBride; "This Is A Honky Tonk Song" by Terri Clark; "You Remain" for Willie Nelson and Bonnie Raitt, and cuts by Lee Ann Womack, Randy Travis, Vince Gill and others.