Hearts of the West
KC LaCourse is a woman who honors the West through poetry and her online showcases, “Hearts of the West.”
I met her through my book Lilian’s Legacy. She agreed to read and review for me and from there, a friendship was born.
She’s a poet, a producer, and one heck of a woman.
She’s been previously featured on my blog, then called Western Women. Check out her story here.
Without further ado, let’s meet KC and learn about her online video showcase, “Hearts of the West.”
How and when did you start the showcase?
I think I started it in 2018 or 2019. I couldn’t afford to go on the open mic circuit and didn’t want to be forgotten. So I thought of all the other people who were like me with a voice, but maybe not the opportunity to get out there and show what they have and share their love of Cowboy the Cowboy culture.
From there, I created a platform for everyone and for myself to come on and share their songs, their poetry, and their lifestyle.
What does the showcase mean to you?
Everything, it’s my life.
I created “Hearts of the West” for the love of spoken word and to keep this historical legacy in the public eye. It’s not about me but, it’s about the cowboy culture and what started many years ago with cowboys sitting around the campfire.
They wanted to talk about their day and about their work. Because they didn’t have pen and pencil, they sat down and talked about their day at night around the campfire. They spoke in rhyme so they could remember it. That’s where Cowboy Poetry started.
This is why cowboy poetry is important to me. It’s an honor to have this legacy handed down to us and to share it. Never let it die or be overlooked.
There is a program called the Red Carpet Awards/Fairplay Country Music based in Holland, Europe. There are over 250 categories of nominations for this awards show. Gaby and Peter Agrikola are the hosts and chair members of this program.
Just these two people produce this huge awards show. Many worldwide performers are nominated for the Red Carpet Award Show. However, they did not have a category for Cowboy Poetry. So I emailed Gaby Agrikola and asked why not.
She answered, “We don’t know what that is.”
Wait. What? “Let me tell you,” I told her.
With a quick turnaround, I sent her some MP3s and links to my showcase. Needless to say, Gaby replied how much she loved my Western poetry. She invited me to attend the Red Carpet Awards show in Holland to present my poetry to the audience. Which I did.
Because it’s not about the money but sharing the cowboy culture, I went on my own dime. Gaby agreed that if they liked my performance and the poetry, they’d accept the category the following year.
I recited my poetry. Did my best. Had a blast. And they accepted Cowboy Poetry as a category. What an honor for my friends to now have another platform to share their poetry. And in Europe! I immediately reached out to my peers to enter. The announcements of winners should come in August.
Where do you find talent?
Social media and listening to what’s going on across the world. For example, Clint Bradley is a well-paid performer out of the UK and has millions of followers. He came across my path through social media. Why not invite him? I messaged him and requested he appear on my showcase. He was very nice and said, “Sure thing!”
He’s an enormous performer and quite talented. He’s been on my showcase two or three times. I’m very fortunate because this platform has me around the world. I’ve shared cowboy poetry across the globe. I simply keep my ear to the social media ground and find the talent. Sometimes the talent seeks me out too.
Do you have a favorite showcase?
I think my favorite showcases are with new performers who, like me, can’t always attend live gatherings, etc. “Hearts of the West” gives them an opportunity to showcase their work and tell their friends and family, “Hey, guess what? I’ll be performing on an online event.”
Where is the showcase played?
The showcase is shared around the world, mostly in the UK and Australia.
And of course here in the States.
The showcase is a lot of work, it takes hours to get all the videos formatted correctly to my software program. I use Adobe Premiere Pro, one of the best professional industry software. I get to research every performer to create the write-up for introductions, and some of the performers live remotely, so it can be challenging to get their videos to me.
It’s all part of the process. All the showcases are archived and stored forever on all my media platforms.
One thing I want to note is that you don’t have to live the ranching life to write cowboy/Western poetry. It comes from the heart. My pioneers speak to me every time I write. I’m never alone, their struggles, love, and lives are with me every day.
Thank you, JC (That’s what KC calls me) for this wonderful opportunity.
And thanks to all the DJs who support “Heart of the West” and cowboy poets. You’re all pretty amazing.
Watch “Heart of the West.”
Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/kclacourse1?mibextid=LQQJ4d
Instagram
https://www.instagram.com/kclacourse?igsh=MTdvcWphdjJhY2NvZA%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/@kclacourse5869
There’s also “Books of the West.” I’ve had the honor to be her guest a few times. You can see those showcases on my website under books.
KC loves to hear from readers and listeners. Did you check out one of her showcases? What did you think? Drop your thoughts about cowboy poetry and KC’s showcase in the comments.
