IM 2009 -10 Speakers Bruce and Susan Matley

Bruce and Susan Matley perform an average 175 times each year at fairs, festivals, libraries, schools and other events. They share in singing, narrative and live instrumentation. Bruce is a third generation Nevadan and fourth generation rancher and has worked with cowboys who started their careers in the 1890s. He has 40-plus years of musical performance and professional theatre experience in both acting and academics. Susan has directed and performed in college, semi-professional and community theatre productions and has played in orchestras and bands. Working as Cimarron Sue has fueled her passion for western history and she has expanded her studies in that direction, including five generations of family history in Washington State.

Cowboys & Cowgirls in Story & Song
Contemporary life in the American west is profoundly influenced by our rich heritage in the legend and lore of the early cowboys and cowgirls. In song, cowboy poetry and story, this colorful program relates expressions of the work ethic, hardships, and joys of frontier life. These traditions continue and are strong and vibrant in present day agricultural life. The Matleys’ storytelling approach combines narrative, poetry and music.
Program note: the Matleys provide their own sound equipment, suitable for most auditoriums and small venues.

History at Your Front Door
In 1806, the Lewis and Clark expedition passed 50 yards from the future location of Bruce and Susan Matleys’ front door, near present-day Prescott, WA. Those who came afterward blazed a trail that carved the State of Washington out of a landscape untouched, save by the stewardship of the Native Americans. Nineteenth century Washington State is the rich tapestry from which the Matleys explore the lives of the men and women who shaped this land of promise that we share today. Their tale is told through historic overviews, stories of those who made the crossing taken from contemporary sources, original songs encapsulating the emigration and homesteading experience, and sing-along medleys of traditional songs of the era.