When Rebecca Folsom steps onto the stage at Wildhorse Cinema & Arts on Saturday, she’ll bring more than three decades of professional music experience — in addition to a story that doesn’t always make it to the stage.

Folsom’s voice carries a depth and complexity that has been shaped by loss, resilience and the rediscovery of joys that were lost in her youth when they were interrupted by events beyond her control.

In fact, for more than a decade, she stopped singing altogether.

“I had a family that was super musical,” she said. “Everyone sang. There was actually a rule at the dinner table that you couldn’t sing because everyone would start and it’d become a cacophony.”

By the time she was 13, Folsom was already writing her own songs. But that world quickly changed.

“My parents divorced, and my whole family split up,” she said. “I went from being really out there with music to not singing at all. I was 14 years old … and became one of those at-risk youth kids.”

For the young Folsom, disappearing was a way of surviving as she navigated unstable and sometimes dangerous situations.

“It wasn’t safe to draw attention to myself,” she explained.

At 27, she took a trip across the world with her mother. In the temples of Egypt, she had a spontaneous experience singing with a harpist.

At that moment, she said, something broke open.

“I wept and sang and wept and sang,” she said. “I came back from that trip and said, ‘I have to do this. I’m a singer.'”

At the time, she was a college student working as a bookkeeper. Within two years of that trip, she became a professional musician.

Since that moment, she’s never looked back.

Folsom is now a respected figure in both the folk and Americana genres and is known for her captivating performances as well as the emotion and social consciousness present in her lyrics.

Her most recent album, “Sanctuary,” won multiple awards.

“I have been a fan of hers for a long time,” said Arty Smith, organizer of the Wildhorse singer-songwriter series. “‘Sanctuary’ is an album that I believe should have been worthy of a Grammy Award. It was that good and so poignant.” 

The record came to be after four years of songwriting workshops with marginalized communities ranging from those who were experiencing homelessness and refugee status to veterans and at-risk teens.

“It was about bringing under-voiced stories to the stage,” she said. “It has always been my mission to use my platform to bring those stories to light.”

Folsom explained that, in many ways, she was also writing about her younger self.

“I went from being a privileged girl with everything to someone completely on the edge,” she said. “So every song I wrote with those groups, I could relate to. I sang those songs with meaning and heart.”

Since then, that “heart” has become central to every performance. It is something her Steamboat Springs audience can expect to experience when she performs as part of a trio with Tom Wasinger, who plays multiple instruments, and fiddle player and vocalist Sandra Wong.

The trio will bring a diverse musical chemistry to the Wildhorse that includes folk, blues and storytelling that has been polished over many years of touring together. Wasinger, who also produced “Sanctuary,” provides what Folsom described as depth and polish, while Wong’s vocals and fiddle add what Folsom calls raw beauty to the group’s sound.

“We’re really interested in love, in hope, in upliftment,” Folsom said. “But we also want to wake people up to what’s happening in the world and in their own hearts.”

Her influences range from Joni Mitchell and James Taylor to Bonnie Raitt, Etta James and Janis Joplin, all artists that she sees as storytellers who were powerhouses for emotion through their lyrics.

Using those inspirations, Folsom’s style is a conduit to her life experiences, willingness to feel deeply and an openness to share her story.

“I think people are numb these days,” she said. “Music has the power to wake people up and help them rally, heal and find joy. It’s priceless therapy.”

Steamboat Springs holds a special place in Folsom’s heart, as she’s played in town several times over the years, often combining her visual art with her music. She recalled one visit when she showcased her paintings at a gallery one day and performed on stage the next with her artwork displayed around her as she sang.

“I love it up there,” she said. “It’s one of the most beautiful places on the planet … playing Steamboat feels like coming home.”

The area holds sentimental value as well, as she spent time in Steamboat during the early stages of her relationship with her now-husband, which for her adds another layer of emotion to a place already rich with memories.

Whatever the topic of her lyrics, Folsom brings an authenticity that resonates with audiences. And, in a world where division and disconnection often seem louder than love and unity, she believes music still has the power to change the world, one heart at a time.

“Music hits people’s hearts instead of their heads,” she said. “And more heart is a good thing.”

For more information on Rebecca Folsom’s upcoming performance at Wildhorse Cinema & Arts, visit UndiscoveredEarth.org/events.