Carin Mari
  pours heart into Western Music
     Read the article

      written by Amelia Nielson_Stowell

                  Carin Mari Lechner of Buena Vista, Colorado, returned home from the North America Country Music Associations, International Competition (NACMAI) with three new honors. The week long competition, which was held at the Country Tonight Theater in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, wrapped-up with the Awards Show on Sunday, March 15th, where Carin was awarded the title of  “2009 Female Entertainer” – (Youth) Traditional Country. This award is for the greatest competence in all aspects of in-person performance; stage presentation, attitude, and overall image in their category.  She also won “ 2009 Songwriter of the Year” – (Youth) Traditional Country for her song "Always A Road".  Carin (17), and her brothers Evan (14), and Colin (19) were especially honored when their newest CD – “Follow the Trail” won “2009 Most Promising Album of the Year “- (Youth) Traditional Country.  This was recorded, produced, and mastered by Golden Eagle Recording. There were competitors from 16 states and 3 countries that participated in the international competition, which just celebrated its 12th year.                         

            NACMAI is an organization that promotes the development of the Country/Gospel Music Industry in each state and country through an International Association. Each state/country is required to hold state/country wide awards shows for these aspiring artists with the understanding that the winners of the various categories will be able to compete in the regional runoffs, with the winners going to the International Finals.  Colorado has a “Western” category, which Carin and her two brothers, who make up “Pony Express”, won first place in six areas. The National level competition calls it “Classic Country”.




    Carin Mari & Pony Express won first place in six categories at the Colorado County Music Awards after two days of competition in Canon City.  Carin, Colin, and Evan Lechner of Buena Vista were named “Best Band” and “Best Vocal Group” in the Western music category.  Sixteen year old Carin was named “Female Vocalist” and “Female Entertainer of the Year”, and she took the top two honors in the Western songwriting competition; “Follow the Trail”, which is the title track from the band’s newest CD, took second place. The album received the highest honor of “Best Western Album of the Year”. Carin said, “We are especially honored to take first place with our CD, since I wrote seven of the songs, and Colin recorded, mixed, and mastered it.”  Carin’s newest, and not yet released song, “Always a Road” received the highest honors and a perfect score from the judges in the songwriting competition.  They are eligible to compete at the Nationals to be held in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee in 2009.






  American Cowboy Magazine    May/June 2006                                             

     trailblazers                                            

   Hang on       
   toYour 
   Hearts!     
                                     A COLORADO
                                                      TEEN
                                           CHANNELS
                               PATSY MONTANA 
                                         AND SHOWS
                                          THAT SHE'S
                                    NO ORDINARY
                                            COWBOY'S 
                                     SWEETHEART.


By: Steve Lipsher 
                                                                                                                          
When Carin Mari and Pony Express first take the stage, the first reaction in the audience is: "Oh, how cute - a bunch of kids."

That patronization quickly diminishes once 14-year-old Carin Mari Lechner, backed by her two brothers, starts belting out polished Western music standards punctuated by jubilant yodels.

"Dang, she's good!" is usually the second reaction.

Carin Mari (pronounced: kah-RIN Marie) may be young, but she's got the stage presence and talent of a refined performer, even if she is dwarfed by her custom-made black cowboy hat and hand-me-down hand-crafted guitar.

With older brother Colin heating things up with his mandolin playing and younger Evan playing a cool bassguitar behind her, Carin Mari brings a palpable joy to songs such as "Don't Fence Me In" and "I Want to be a Cowboy's Sweetheart," the Patsy Montana clasic that she has reclaimed as her own.

"I think that it's the best thing that I could be doing right now," she said from her family's ranch home outside of Buena Vista, Colo. "The fact that we can do something like this that we love to do and get paid for it is pretty cool."

Polite and charming, Carin Mari counts none other than musician Michael Martin Murphey among her greatest fans.

"I've seen lots of kid act," Murphey said, "They're always cute. But she's one of the most poised, graceful little child performers I've ever seen in my life. She puts something into it that makes people enjoy what's going on. It's more than just rooting for a little kid."

One of Carin's most endearing qualities, he added, is that she still remembers to be a teenage girl on stage, humorously chiding her brothers and innocently flirting with the audience between songs-- and thunderous ovations.

Murphey took Carin under his wing, providing her with the 1978 custom guitar that she taught herself to play and bringing her on stage anytime they're in the same town.

"To have a big famous guy like that come down and give you the boost that he has, it's just amazing," said Carin, who obviously reveres her mentor.

Parents Lee and Nancy Lechner school their kids at home and encourage them to maintain other interests beyond music, refusing to push them but supporting them as they accept regular invitations to perform and collect awards around the country.

"If this ground to a halt tomorrow, it would be fine as long as they found something else that was positive," Lee Lechner said. "We don't let it be overwhelming. They're still kids, but they really enjoy doing music above and beyond anything else."

22     American Cowboy  May/June 2006

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