In this heartfelt episode of Beyond the Arts, we sit down with Cary Morin, a master of American Roots music and Crow tribal member, to explore his four-decade journey from playing piano as a child in Great Falls, Montana, to becoming an internationally recognized guitarist and songwriter. Cary shares how picking up his brother's guitar in sixth grade sparked a lifelong passion, and how his sound evolved from bar band productions in Colorado to the sophisticated finger-style acoustic work that defines his music today. His journey includes navigating industry changes—from the drinking age shift that emptied clubs to the internet revolution that transformed how artists connect with audiences.

Cary discusses the transformative moment when a friend gave him a guitar tuned to an open tuning, urging him to stick with it despite the initial confusion. That single gift unlocked a completely new approach to finger-style playing and chord voicings that has defined his sound for the past 20 years. He opens up about stage anxiety—surprisingly more intense in intimate venues with silent crowds than in large halls—and how mastering his material became the cure. The conversation includes memorable moments from the road, including the surreal experience of Jackson Browne handing him a guitar during an encore, and playing NPR's eTown after listening to the show for decades.

The episode explores Cary's perspective on indigenous identity and artistry, addressing the question his management posed: "Are you a native person who is a songwriter, or a songwriter who happens to be native?" Cary chose to be known first as a songwriter, believing that the quality of the songs and the stories they tell should take precedence while still honoring his Crow heritage through gospel tunes for his Christian family, historical narratives about his people, and the story his great-grandmother told at his naming ceremony. He discusses the pride he feels seeing indigenous artists excel across all art forms, the ambitious Turtle Island play that brought 50 performers together (including his mother and all his children), and his latest album Innocent Allies—13 songs inspired by Charles Russell paintings that he describes as a "Western album" rather than country or rock.