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The Tombstone Western Music Festival — beginning today and running through the weekend — aims to let its audience “hear how the west was sung.”

“It’s a chance for us to promote and preserve the integrity of the music,” said Richard Dollarhide, vice president on the event’s board of directors.

The festival began eight years ago after Dollarhide and wife, Esther — who is president of the board of directors — said they thought the town could share in their love of country music.

“It’s a unique setting (Allen Street)…it’s a historic district, people can take in the history while enjoying the music,” Dollarhide said.

The Tombstone Western Music Festival includes roughly 14-16 acts, including solos, duets, and bands, spread over the three days. The band Journey West will be attending the festival for the third year. Its members said the band plans to perform traditional, western music.

“We’re looking forward to it,” said guitarist and lead vocalist Audrey McLaughlin. “We always have fun there.”

Journey West won the 2008 Western Music Award for best trio harmony and is nominated for best group and best CD at the 2009’s Western Music Awards, which take place Nov. 18-22. The award ceremony is held in Albuquerque, N.M. and is hosted by the Western Music Association which, according to its website, wishes to promote and educate the public about Western music through numerous performances, workshops and seminars.

Besides McLaughlin, the band includes, sisters Dawn Pett and Gale Rogers who sing both harmony and lead vocals, and husband and wife, Ken and Nancy Bucy who provide instrumental backup on the bass and clarinet.

McLaughlin, Pett and Rogers said they have been singing together for more than 25 years in one various form or another, but it wasn’t until five years ago that they decided to go in a western direction and form Journey West.

McLaughlin had originally been a part of the group, Daughters of the Purple Sage, but when that group split, McLaughlin asked his long-time friends Pett and Rogers to put on their cowboy hats and fill in for a gig in Phoenix. It was scheduled to be a one-time deal, but after the performance, the group received great feedback and continued on, said Pett.

“I didn’t want to wear a hat, it would mess up my hair,” Pett said. “But, the performance went great, and my sister said to me, I think your going to have to get that hat.”

This close-knit and family of a band is strictly dedicated to bring its listeners the best of western music — which they say is not to be confused with country music.

“It can be like being married to four other people,” McLaughlin said. “You have to trust and like each other…music can be very personal. We’re putting part of ourselves out there.”

Western music is more about the life of a cowboy, tradition, and the way of the west explains the band. They also explain that the music serves to paint a portrait of that time and lifestyle.

“The music is great, but different. You’re singing about the sky, dust and tumbleweeds,” Pett said.

For Journey West, the Tombstone Music Festival, is not only great practice for the Awards, but is also a great time to catch up with old pals and to have fun, members of the band said.