Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters

By Jeffery Kurz, Meriden Record-Journal staff MERIDEN- Amy Gallatin & Stillwaters produce the kind of music that has a certain quality, even if it doesn't have a certain name. "There really isn't a name for it," acknowledged Gallatin. The music, sometimes called "Americana," is distinguished by its folk roots and its lyrical orientation. The instruments come from bluegrass. Though Gallatin was born in Alabama, her roots are in the west, where she worked as a musician and horseback riding instructor in Washington, Montana and Idaho. Much of her music is inspired by those western influences. "A song has to move you personally," Gallatin said about the music she selects. "You have to connect with it emotionally or you can't sing it. You don't just sing any old song. It has to mean something to you. People are looking for the emotionally experience that you bring to a song."