"As far as "what is key to a music life well lived"? I think if you're true to yourself personally and musically and have a good work ethic, are kind to those you work & travel with, and give your all to the ones close to you when you're home, that's a pretty decent way to try and go about it!"

Cindy Cashdollar: A Musical Slide Touch

Cindy Cashdollar grew up in Woodstock, New York. Cashdollar is an old local family name. Her great-uncle Albert Cashdollar was the Town Supervisor and the family ran Locust Grove Dairy. The whole musical community watched as Cindy’s talent swiftly grew on the Dobro and then lap steel as she played with everyone in town during the late 1970s and ‘80s, The demand for her musical touch led her to touring and performing regionally with local Woodstock luminaries Levon Helm, Rick Danko, bluegrass singer John Herald, blues legend Paul Butterfield, and folk heroes Happy & Artie Traum. However, in 1992 her restless musical quest took her to Nashville where she met and landed a job with America’s premiere Western Swing group Asleep At The Wheel, leading her to Austin. Expanding her instrumental prowess to the steel guitar, Cindy’s taste and style added to the band’s sound as she toured and recorded with them for nine years. During her time with the band she had the chance to collaborate with legends such as Willie Nelson, Merle Haggard, Dolly Parton and Lyle Lovett, among others, and won five Grammys.                                       (Cindy Cashdollar / Photo by Sergio Kerhajec)

Upon leaving AATW to once again engage in a wider variety of music, the names of those who sought her out and hired her to add fire and sweetness to their music are lifted out of the record books: Ryan Adams, Bob Dylan (on his Grammy winning Time Out of Mind album), Van Morrison, Dave Alvin, Rod Stewart, Albert Lee, Marcia Ball, Rory Block, Jorma Kaukonen, Leon Redbone, BeauSoleil, Peter Rowan, Sonny Landreth, Amy Helm …and on and on. Dobro, lap steel and steel guitarist Cindy Cashdollar, five-time Grammy recipient, had a beautiful self-produced release, Waltz for Abilene (2020) on her own Silver Shot Records label, featuring guest artists including Sonny Landreth, Albert Lee, Marcia Ball, John Sebastian, Rory Block, Amy Helm, and Ray Benson. From Americana and the blues to bayou and swing, the sublime beauty of Waltz for Abilene embodies the spirit of an artist whose musical touch transcends any genre.

Interview by Michael Limnios               Archive: Cindy Cashdollar, 2015 interview

How has the American Roots Music influenced your views of the world and the journeys you’ve taken?

Live music was a large part of growing up in Woodstock, NY, and the folk music boom was also occurring everywhere. The lyrics, the music, the tumultuous times, the war protests and ongoing prejudices all made for being very aware of the world we were living in at a very young age. It made me more aware of the human condition.

How do you think that you have grown as an artist since you first started making music?

That's a very broad-based and therefore challenging question to answer! I've grown in a lot of areas, the most obvious being musically. One can't help but keep improving artistically when faced with different musical challenges, you just want to keep growing, learning, and improving. Hopefully that never changes, it's important to keep yourself open to new things and learn. As my steel guitar mentor Herb Remington once said, "You never stop learning" and he stressed the importance of that. Technically I've grown too, to keep up with the best gear that'll serve me well. There's always something new to check out!

"Live music was a large part of growing up in Woodstock, NY, and the folk music boom was also occurring everywhere. The lyrics, the music, the tumultuous times, the war protests and ongoing prejudices all made for being very aware of the world we were living in at a very young age. It made me more aware of the human condition." (Cindy Cashdollar / Photo by Frank Serio)

What has remained the same about your music-making process?

I'll use recording an album as an example of how my process usually goes: First I listen to /read the lyrics of the song. I always want to know what the song's about. It helps me to get a feel for both the artist and the song, what they're feeling and conveying. Then I listen to the instrumentation behind the singer (or find out what it WILL be if it's not there yet). Sometimes, but not always, that'll dictate which of my instruments might be the right fit, not only with the song & vocalist but with the other players. Same would go if it was just an instrumental. Once I have an idea for those things I move on to knowing the melody and all the nuances, how to weave/blend/harmonize/what kind of a solo to do, whatever serves the song. If it's a live situation and I'm suddenly called to sit in or play a show of music I've never heard before, I try to listen closely to everything going on around me and fly by the seat of my pants at the same time!

What has been the hardest obstacle for you to overcome as a person and as artist and has this helped you become a better musician?

There were a few obstacles. Being very shy as a child and a young adult was one. Learning different styles/genres of music and learning new instruments and applying them to each band situation was another as my career rolled along, in its many different phases. I started out on guitar, went to Dobro, then lap steel, steel guitar, etc. Being committed to each thing and seeing it through helped me to become better in all those areas you mentioned of person, artist and musician.

What moment changed your music life the most? What do you think is key to a music life well lived?

I was about 12 or so and it was a local concert my mom took me to because my guitar teacher was playing. It was a benefit for a local musician (John Herald) whose house had burned down. There were many different artists on the bill, some of whom I would end up working with decades later such as Happy & Artie Traum, Jim Rooney, Van Morrison, John Hammond Jr., & John Herald. They were all living here in Woodstock at the time. Additionally, there was Odetta and a few other acts, but the evening was an epiphany with the energy that came from the stage as well as the audience.

As far as "what is key to a music life well lived"? I think if you're true to yourself personally and musically and have a good work ethic, are kind to those you work & travel with, and give your all to the ones close to you when you're home, that's a pretty decent way to try and go about it!              (Cindy Cashdollar / Photo by Sergio Kerhajec)

"I believe we all possess a spirit that gets us through life, maybe guides us at times, and music just happens to be mine. It certainly makes life have a purpose that feels meaningful, and it's also enriched my life by meeting so many people, traveling many places, and experiencing different cultures, both here in the USA and overseas. The meaning of life sometimes changes, depending on where we are in it, but we can all hope that no matter what, our spirit will get us through."

What's the balance in music between technique skills and soul/emotions?

It's good to have both, although there's definitely folks who don't need skills, they just seem to be inherent! Once you have the skills to become one with your instrument (and therefore make it easy instead of a struggle to play), the soul and emotions that have always been there will be free to come out in many ways.  

What are some of the most important lessons you have learned from your experience in the music paths?

I've always loved the saying "Be nice to people on the way up, because you never know who you'll see on the way back down"! 

Are there any specific memories of Levon Helm, Rick Danko, and Happy & Artie Traum that you would like to tell us about?

I was such a huge fan of all of them! Too many memories to pick, but I loved the first time I met Rick & Levon.  My husband at the time, who played bass (Frank Campbell), and myself got invited to a New Year's Eve party at Levon's house and we were told to bring our instruments. We all had a fun time jamming and a few days later we got a call to do an acoustic show in NYC with them, which over time turned into a lot of shows and many years of friendship.

It was the same with Happy & Artie, at first, I think it was being invited to play on one of the "Woodstock Mountains Revue" albums, then gigs, a radio show they hosted called "Bring It On Home" and so much more. I still work with Happy a couple of times a year, and recorded with him on his newly released album, "There's A Bright Side Somewhere". I'm so thankful for these wonderful people who came into my life and into my heart, valued friendships always.

"I was about 12 or so and it was a local concert my mom took me to because my guitar teacher was playing. It was a benefit for a local musician (John Herald) whose house had burned down. There were many different artists on the bill, some of whom I would end up working with decades later such as Happy & Artie Traum, Jim Rooney, Van Morrison, John Hammond Jr., & John Herald. They were all living here in Woodstock at the time. Additionally, there was Odetta and a few other acts, but the evening was an epiphany with the energy that came from the stage as well as the audience."

(Cindy Cashdollar / Photo by Michael Bloom)

John Coltrane said "My music is the spiritual expression of what I am...". How do you understand the spirit, music, and the meaning of life?

I believe we all possess a spirit that gets us through life, maybe guides us at times, and music just happens to be mine. It certainly makes life have a purpose that feels meaningful, and it's also enriched my life by meeting so many people, traveling many places, and experiencing different cultures, both here in the USA and overseas. The meaning of life sometimes changes, depending on where we are in it, but we can all hope that no matter what, our spirit will get us through.

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