A Southeast Texas born and raised artist who finds balance between work and play. Her debut album, “Simple Things”, was released November 2015, her second album, “Tattered”, was released November 2018, with her current work, “Growing Pains” which was released digitally June 3, 2022, and physically released at her venue 7 Oaks on March 4, 2022. It is a true representation of her growth as a songwriter and woman, containing songs that touch on topics ranging from suicide/grief to rainbows and hope. The “Growing Pains” album is a culmination of her life as a mother, teacher, wife, daughter and now a music promoter. The title track of her third album was a song that due to time and money didn’t make her 2018 album and it has since unintentionally became the self derived theme of her current work. The album was tracked and finalized during 2020 and 2021, the same year she lost her father to COVID. The last song on the album pays tribute to her dads songwriting influences and completes the legacy of “blooming where you are” that has been a subliminal message in Courtney’s life since the song was written by her father, James T Hale, back in 1989. Courtney didn’t realize this song was indeed her fathers until she found it in his book of songs, August of 2021, just two weeks after his passing. In reflection of the completed album, Courtney finds the theme of “blooming where you are” to be mentioned in multiple songs including, “Rainbows at Night” and “One Way Out” giving power to the overall spirit that has come to be known as her album, “Growing Pains”. Courtney is unapologetically a confessional songwriter. As the daughter of a songwriter, she has experienced first hand the importance of story telling and putting both experience and truth to music. She sees her purpose in entertaining, educating and inspiring. Her music is an eclectic mix of country, alt rock, Americana, spiritual and folk. Twenty-five years of being a mom, teacher, wife, daughter and friend have lended itself to influencing her work. Courtney was inspired by her first ever listening room experience when she opened for Bob Schneider at Courville’s of Beaumont Texas in 2016. She opened for Cindy Cashdollar and Johnny Nicholas in January of 2020 at Courvilles and Kevin Galloway of Uncle Lucious January of 2020 at the Old Quarter and November of 2021 at Courville’s. She started hosting house concerts in 2018 and has transformed that into an actual venue on their property. A listening room known as, 7 Oaks Event Garden LLC. She has hosted performers like Redd Volkaert, Brian Pounds, Susan Gibson, Robert Cline Jr., her father, James T. Hale, Mean Mary, Dean Dillon and this fall 2022, Bob Schneider. Watching her father write and play music all his life, being a singer songwriter herself in an area of Texas that needs more venues for original artist has been her inspiration in advocating for the art and the artist. In January of 2022, Courtney has rebranded her acoustic sound under the name of Rustic Bird. A name inspired by the passing of her father, James T Hale in July of 2021. The acoustic sound pays tribute to her bluegrass, folk and blues roots.