Press
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} Publication: Round Rock Leader
} Date: February 2002
} Author: Lorelei Laird

Music teacher Rick Steinburg's singer/songwriter career is a family affair
What did your teacher do during summer vacation?

If you’re a music student at Spicewood Elementary School, the answer might be “sold a CD of original songs around town.” Or perhaps “played a mini-tour in the Chicago area.” In fact, Spicewood music teacher Rick Steinburg might seem dangerously close to developing a second career, with occasional gigs around town and a second CD in the works. But he says it’s not something he wants to do for a living.

“It’s a fun career,” said Steinburg. “It started as a hobby and grew.”

Steinburg has been teaching at Spicewood for 19 years, but it’s only in the last five or so that he’s been performing. “I was really kind of a late bloomer with music,” he said. Though he’d written a couple of songs in high school, for much of his life, he pursued visual art. Then, around 1980, he picked up a guitar, learned to play it, and developed a love for music.

“It’s a passion in my life,” said Steinburg, “and so is my family.”

Those are passions that Steinburg is combining more and more, as he looks for gigs where he can be comfortable bringing his wife and daughters along. The entire family is musical. “They can’t help it,” says Steinburg with a laugh. “They’re surrounded by it. We spend a lot of time in the kitchen with everybody singing and dancing.” While Steinburg sings and plays the guitar, his wife, Deby, is on hand with percussion and spoons, and 17-year-old Lauryn plays the penny whistle, while 9-year-old Delleney plays the mandolin and the spoons. Mykaela, 5 1/2, sings sometimes, although she’s a little shy. Her dad’s cool with that: “I want it to be a joyful thing for them... I don’t want to push them.”

Passion for family comes out in Steinburg’s songwriting as well, where it plays a prominent role in his lyrics. “One of the things I do with lyrics is blend family stories or legends into songs,” he said. One of his songs is about the experience of his father’s family, who lived alternately in San Antonio and Chicago during the Great Depression. Another song concerns his wife’s parents, who have passed away. “Of course,” he said, “there’s a lot of fiction too.”

Steinburg’s first CD, “Every Little Moment”, follows this family theme. He recorded it entirely at home, with simple digital recording equipment. Though he says he recorded it “mainly to sell at gigs,” it was an experience he learned a lot from, and he’s already started on another. This one’s going to take longer — his whole family is contributing this time.

“It’s taking some time because there are more voices [to work with],” he said. “It’s such a learning experience.”

The first CD is available at his shows, as well as at stores around town like Barnes & Noble and Waterloo Records. Online, songs and concert information can be found at http://www.mp3.com/ricksteinburg/.

Steinburg’s love for music has its uses at work too — he writes songs for his students to sing.

“I think kids are a good judge of a song,” he said. “They’re so open.”

Sometimes, in fact, his students surprise him, like they did when they wanted to sing a song he wrote about the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, which he thought was too grave to appeal to elementary students.

But although he writes songs for, about and with kids, Steinburg says he doesn’t think of himself as a writer of children’s songs, at least not exclusively. “I really try to write things that I would like to sing myself.” If the music on his CD has a genre, he says, it’s “Americana” or “Austin music,” a mixture of blues, country, roadhouse rock, and folk. He’s been compared to Steve Earle, Bob Dylan, Bruce Springsteen, Tom Waits — “all those guys with gravelly voices” — and counts many of the same artists among his influences, along with older blues artists like Blind Lemon Jefferson. With the whole family performing, though, his songs take on “almost a gospel feel.”

Steinburg doesn’t think performing and songwriting will ever replace teaching for him. Rather than limiting his pursuit of music, though, his teaching job is freeing in a way. “[Because I perform part-time], I’m able to do it with a lot of joy, on my own terms. Very few people are able to do this as a full-time job.”

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} Publication: San Antonio Express-News, Night After Night
} Date: Fall 2002
} Author: Jim Beal

Rick Steinburg & the Stonecastle Family Band
Chuy's (7 p.m.) — Led by music educator and singing songwriter Steinburg, the Austin-based family band spends the summer touring. The tour is over so the family will work close to home and get ready for another school year. Steinburg's latest disc, full of fun, clever and thought-provoking story songs, is "Every Little Moment." And Steinburg has some tales set in S.A.

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} Publication: The Sentinel-Record, Arts Ect.
} Date: July 14, 2002
} Author:

POPs Slates Music Show
Breaking tradition for a month by having it on the third Saturday instead of the second Saturday, the POPs Acoustic Revue @ Friendship Hall will host its monthly music show July 20 featuring two very different acts.

The music will start at 7:30 p.m. with the wit and character of Some Guy Named Robb, which is really Robb McCormick and Ben Smith of Russellville. McCormick is known for his interesting lyrics, poems and strumming guitar style, while Smith joins in vocals and percussion. Listeners may feel McCormick is telling the truth about him being "In Love With the Grocery Store Girl," one of his classic songs.

Following on stage at 8:30 p.m. will be Rick Steinburg and the Stonecastle Family Band. Steinburg is a popular Austin, TX, artist who generally plays solo. During the summer he enlists the aid of his wife and daughters and goes on the road playing family venues. He has trademarked more than 100 songs and focuses more on folk and gospel while traveling with his family.

Steinburg's influences run deep since he's a music instructor in the Austin school system.

His new CD, "Every Little Moment," sounds more hill country-Texas roadhouse blues than folk.

POPs Acoustic Revue is held at Prince of Peace Church in Friendship Hall. Admission is $5 for 12 and older, or $10 for mom, dad, and the whole family. Baby sitting is available on site. Coffee and light refreshments are available at the show. Prince of Peace is located one block east of the stoplight at Central and Hobson Avenues in Hot Springs. Free parking is available.

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