This week's (and last weekend's) adventures were one for the books!! Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), East Tennessean 2023 Readers Choice Awards, ETSU alumna receives Presidents Lifetime Achievement Award, Next on the queue: Netflixs Murdaugh Murders, Traveling exhibit visits Culp Center as part of Black History Month, Bluegrass features musical talent in showcase performance, Chanticleer vocal group performs at Martin Center, Pantsuit Politics co-hosts part of Festival of Ideas, Free pop-up shop continues to grow on campus, Access ETSU partners with regional music group for event, Baseball shuts out App State in 5-0 home win, HASCA President on what it means to be a leader. She is a She was introduced to bluegrass in her early teens, and quickly fell in love with the music. Aynsleys parents One of those great bands is Carolina Blue from Brevard, NC. a little outdated, and I would love to be able to use my English to write more about In order to further hone her craft, Aynsley enrolled in East Tennessee State University's Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies degree program in 2013, and . Were still together almost a year and a half later. 2022 SM Living, LLC. She was introduced to bluegrass in her early teens, and quickly fell in love with the music. Formed in 2020 by Aynsley Porchak (fiddle), Lincoln Hensley (banjo), John Meador (guitar), Gracie Meador (bass) and Tim Laughlin (mandolin). Playing via Spotify Playing via YouTube. Dan Eubanks, bassist with Special Consensus, and Aynsley Porchak. And from an impromptu jam session comes the high harmony of twin fiddles. I grew up hearing loud preaching and attending homecomings and Saturday night singings, Boner says. Formed in 2020 by Aynsley Porchak (fiddle), Lincoln Hensley (banjo), John Meador (guitar), Gracie Meador (bass) and Tim Laughlin (mandolin). Her victory allowed her to fulfill another dream, an appearance on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry, where she played the tune Fiddle Patch.. ~ Carry On is a free, 30-minute YouTube Live program that explores traditional music and the people who make it presented by the Northeast Ohio Musical Heritage Assn. A true brother of the banjo! level. Im so excited and honored to be a part of a program I have admired so much since I became aware of it, and the brilliant graduates that have come through it, to join the ranks of successful professionals in the roots music world, not to mention the world class faculty. Click here if youre interested in buying an ad. After all, we've got some of the best bands in the business making plans to be with us next month and what's not to love about that! Including individual instruction courses, total headcount in the program now exceeds 200. Some have built on those projects by adding more songs and putting out records., According to Blue Highways Tim Stafford, This program is helping ETSU take the worldwide lead in educational leadership in the field of contemporary music studies.. Her parents As I argue, one particular duo of Appalachian musicians, the . Aynsley is also an experienced contest fiddler. I look forward to passing on my knowledge to students and helping them become just as passionate about learning as I am!. He'd been a fool, but he'd had to forgive himself for worse. Chat email or call (480)-624-2500. To me, that experience really speaks to one of the things that I find most fascinating about the nature of music, " it is an inclusive way of communicating thoughts and culture across the boundaries of regions, and even nations, she says. top U.S. fiddle championship the previous four years, twice placing as high as sixth, Her life became a series of quartets and orchestras and Gilbert and Sullivan operas. I went to church every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night, and I played guitar in church., Boner says there was no order of worship in his great uncles tiny church. Porchak had found the program she was longing for and enrolled at ETSU in the fall of 2013. In 2012, after years of lessons, Porchak traveled with her family to Nashville to participate in the Grand Masters Fiddle Championship. Thank you. Aynsley spends her time off the road as a private fiddle instructor, session musician, and author. Aynsley Porchak (2018) (of Carolina Blue) - Instrumentalist of the Year. This is Aynsleys second year teaching at the Monroe Mandolin Camp, and she is excited to share her love of old-school bluegrass fiddling with her students! For more information about ETSUs blue grass roots or interested in playing for yourself, contact the music department at 423-439-4270. schooling to help with my bluegrass major, as well. The thesis is a lyrical analysis of Louvin Brothers songs and how the brothers bridged the gap between the sacred and the secular, Porchak says. Woodstock, Ontario, native Aynsley Porchak is a perfect example of this very heart and soul. From a little girl, my teachers always talked about competition, said Porchak. Just to even go to the Opry has been a dream She plays in the ETSU She graduated in 2017 with an additional bachelors degree in English, and completed her masters degree in Appalachian Studies in 2020. When she isnt on the road, she teaches privately and in the Junior Appalachian Musician program on the ETSU campus. Notoriety for the ETSU bluegrass program began building as bands were invited to perform at the Smithsonian National Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C., and for a Christmas party at NATO Headquarters. TENNESSEE BLUEGRASS BAND From east Tennessee. Big Stone Gap, Virginia, native Tyler Hughes, a 2015 ETSU alumnus, divides his time among playing in the Empty Bottle String Band, calling square dances throughout the region, and teaching banjo and dance at Mountain Empire Community College in his hometown. Very cool. ETSU student Aynsley Porchak (right) is the only person ever to win both the American and Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Championships. Mommy, right there! That happened repeatedly, and her parents eventually thought In addition to these adjunct hires, a broad search is currently underway for the Artist in Residence in Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies. Very cool. Aynsley spends her time off the road as a private fiddle instructor, session musician, and author. Ive tried dabbling in other instruments, like mandolin, but I keep coming back to the fiddle because its my true love. In 2017, she became the first person to win both the Grand Master Fiddler Championship and the Canadian Grand Master Fiddle Championship. The program also wants to remind everyone of their newest faculty opportunity, an Artist In Residence position, starting this Fall. Madly, crazy in love withBLUEGRASS!! In 2018, Aynsley joined the . At a banjo pickers convention in New Zealand, Trenwith and her band met American folk singer Mike Seeger. There was one It doesn't always work out that way, but when it does, it's generally, Aynsley Porchak, a recent graduate of the ETSU Bluegrass, Country & Old Time Music program has won the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Championship, just one year after winning the US competition last year. of Jerry Douglas, Shawn Camp, ETSU alumnus Barry Bales, Charlie Cushman and Johnny In this thesis, I demonstrate how analysis through literary criticism can provide a commentary on Appalachian song. So did the divine right of kings. ETSU wasnt the first higher education institution in America to offer a degree in bluegrass and other traditional music. She frequently makes obscure literary references, and even enjoys literary criticism. With a new album already completed for Billy Blue Records, and a solid year of dates booked, There's a brand new bluegrass band recently formed in east Tennessee that is sure to please anyone who enjoys solid, traditional bluegrass music. . Music is such a beautiful way to bring people together, and if I can make someone forget about whatever sadness they have going on in their life just for a little while through my playing, I feel like my job is done, she says. Banjo breakdowns ring out. Shortly after winning, she learned that she was the first person ever to win both Canadian and American Grand Masters fiddle championships. Aynsley Porchak plays Fiddle Patch, which, she says, is everything that I like The future holds many possibilities for Aynsley. Im honored to begin this amazing opportunity to work with ETSU, its faculty and students.. This fund has been established to assist the Hensley family of Flag Pond, Tennessee in their husband's and father's medical bills. He introduced himself as Dan Boner, Director of the Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies Program at East Tennessee State University.. Website design and development by Camellia Digital Agency. She graduated in 2017 with an additional bachelors degree in English, and completed her masters degree in Appalachian Studies in 2020. His academic background in bass instruction and professional experience in bluegrass will serve our students well. I love the diversity [of ETSU], we have so many awesome teachers here, its a blessing, said Porchak. Oh, and shes also the current Grand Master Fiddle Champion, having won the 44th annual contest last fall a contest she did not think she was going to attend. In fact, the fiddle player did not even intend to compete in the 2017 Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Championship due to time constraints. Following an invitation that the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) extended to its members that they share a memory from "75 years of bluegrass," we thought that we would collect a few to share with you. They bring the total of such teachers at ETSU Bluegrass to 27, including such instrumental notables as Wyatt Rice, Brandon Green, Hunter Berry, and Thomas Cassell. Then, finally, late at night, I go back to my bunk and write until I fall asleep.. of the fiddle players who influenced Aynsley the most as a young musician. ), doctor of nursing practice (DNP) and doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees on successful . Soon the band was invited to perform on television. Named simply The Tennessee Bluegrass Band, this quintet features some of the brightest lights among our music's youth, What happens when you take all the super talented and artistic musicians in the world, and shut them all in for a year with next to no live performance opportunities? Pittsburgh-rolling hills, winding hig 16 years old, I went to Weiser, Idaho, for the National Old Time Fiddlers Contest, Since they were here last, they have enjoyed three IBMA nominations and earlier this month, won four SPBGMA Awards for Entertainers of the Year, Bluegrass Band of the Year (overall), Vocal Group of the Year, and Album of the Year for I Hear Bluegrass Calling Me. There have been as many as 42, says program director Dan Boner, himself an accomplished guitarist and fiddle player. but she hesitated because the festival was only two days away, and she had not practiced. All rights reserved. John Meador and Hensley have played gigs together although they performed with separate bands, (John with Kentucky Just Us and Lincoln with the Price Sisters), and Meador is married to . We asked them to share a bit about how they got their start and we hope you enjoy their "love story" as much as we do. 24 / 7 Professional Support The Bluegrass, Old Time and Country Music Studies program at East Tennessee State University has announced the hiring of two touring professionals in the bluegrass world to positions on their faculty. dont mind, but Mr. Spicher, Ive just got to tell you, Im such a fan of your music, Opening Act-The Mosley Brothers. It just so happened that time fell in Porchaks favor, and she was able to compete and also win. of Bluegrass, Old Time and Country Music Studies in ETSUs Department of Appalachian Here he is playing with Alison Krauss and ETSU alumnus Barry Bales, then with Krauss and her band, Union Station, in 1991. ETSU graduate student Aynsley Porchak is quickly making a name for herself in music circles, recently becoming the first person ever to win both American and Canadian Grand Masters fiddle Find a band near you or share your band info with the world! This is an historic first, making her, We've just received the results from the 2015 Grand Masters Fiddler Championship, held September 26-27 at the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum in Nashville. Aynsley is also an experienced contest fiddler. As Johnson City lies at the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains, the perfect location of the Tri-Cities allows bluegrass music to expand its deep roots, yet true bluegrass is not determined by the location; but rather, the heart of the artist. Blue Added to East Public Relations /a > Aynsley Porchak fiddled for the now disbanded Carolina.. She also received the 2018 IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year award. said, My name is Dan Boner, and Im director of the Bluegrass, Old Time and Country At the end of every semester, ETSU bands perform at a Johnson City institution, The Down Home, which opened in 1976. a passion for boots. But on the buildings third level, theres a different kind of activity altogether. May 16 1932-July 5 2019Recorded on The Vox (Custom Sho. She is a connoisseur of tea. Her friends joke that she pays rent at the library. Aynsley Porchak began playing fiddle at the age of 9. Logout, The Tennessee Bluegrass Band, surely one of the most highly anticipated young bands in our music of late, is already dealing with personnel changes. The band includes Reese Combs on bass, James McDowell on banjo, as well as Aynsley Porchak, an American and Canadian Grand Master Fiddle Champion. For example, some textbooks are Aynsley Porchak wins Canadian Grand Masters. We live in capitalism. Those interested may apply at jobs.etsu.edu.. A violin in Porchaks possession that is too precious for public performance belonged to her great-grandfather, Cazmir Porzak, who left Poland in 1913 when he was 16 with only the clothes he was wearing and his treasured instrument. Its power seems inescapable. with internationally known, award-winning musicians like Ricky Skaggs and Sam Bush, they took such an interest in this style of music as to start a degree program for Porchak also loves the sense of community here at ETSU; as well as just being around such great music. Her thesis topic is the music of the Louvin Brothers, Charlie and Ira, from the Sand Mountain region of northern Alabama. After this amazing achievement, Porchak plans to focus on earning her graduate degree. Find an instrument for your child or donate one of yours. While literary analysis of both sacred and secular song lyrics is an approach that is largely overlooked in this region's traditional music, it nonetheless provides insightful perspective on the art form itself. Bluegrass, Old Time and Country Music Studies program, Jake Workman releases 20 Flatpick Standards, Vol. We were in this tiny restaurant a little Her love of classic cars (she collected die-cast cars as a youngster) led to her hobby of photography. it was probably the fiddle which attracted her to the music. When they found out that it was the fiddle that I liked, they took me to watch some of the fiddle competitions close to my home, and I fell in love with the music I heard. One year, while she and her parents were in Nashville for the Grand Master contest, She was Blessed to win the Grand Master Fiddler Championship in 2015 in Nashville, Tennessee, and in 2017, she also became the Canadian Grand Master Fiddle Champion, making her the first person to win both competitions. Read Aynsley Porchak's bio and find out more about Aynsley Porchak's songs, albums, and chart history. He had grown up among a group of West Virginia expatriates who had moved north to find jobs in the glass industry. Natalie and her music, so when I was 9 years old, I started taking fiddle lessons. In 2015, she won the Grand Master Fiddler Championship in Nashville, Tennessee, and performed on the Grand Old Opry stage. The late fiddle great Benny Sims (right) was a friend of the ETSU bluegrass program from almost the beginning, and the university now offers a scholarship in his memory. ETSU musicians meet the late Bill Monroe, backstage (above) at the Paramount Center for the Performing Arts in Bristol, Tennessee, in September of 1995. Boner joined his first southern gospel group when he was eight, and by the age of 11, he was playing fiddle with the Strings of Gospel. This was right after the O Brother, Where Art Thou? phenomenon, and programs like ours were exploding, Boner says. Despite busy weekends touring to places like Branson, Missouri; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; and Nashvilles famed Station Inn, Porchaks academic work continues. Aynsley is also an experienced contest fiddler. Fiddle contests are a really big deal in Ontario, so I began to compete on the circuit. The Tennessee Bluegrass Band is shining a light on the importance of traditional bluegrass. Maybe the newest great love story to emerge, is that of Carolina Blue's James McDowell and Aynsley Porchak, aka "Jaymsley." When the students are done with their degrees, they get to have in their hands a product they can use for promotion, Boner says. The three musicians who have directed the Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies Program at ETSU. Its not unusual for students to secure jobs well before graduation. Two years later, she won the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Championship. But that wasn't all. Word about her musical past spread quickly on campus, and by the time she had achieved sophomore status, she was hired as an adjunct faculty member. ", 2023 East Public Relations | www.EastPublicRelations.com. But the program had its beginning back in 1982 when Dartmouth-educated mandolin player Jack Tottle first started teaching courses in the music of the region through the universitys Center for Appalachian Studies and Services. The thought of their daughter playing the Opry certainly never crossed Aynsleys parents minds when she was a toddler in Canada. He was like a one-man bluegrass band. 2023 California Bluegrass Association. In 2018, Aynsley joined the SPBGMA award-winning band Carolina Blue, and performed with them for four years before becoming one of the founding members of The Tennessee Bluegrass Band in 2021. jazz program, and (there were) lots of classical programs, but nothing like bluegrass New Zealand had one channel in the late 1960s, Trenwith says. When Carolina Blue co-founder Bobby Powell left the group, he took the name Carolina She also keeps busy with sessions work recording for other musicians. It was the last violin he would ever make. In 2018, Aynsley joined the SPBGMA award-winning band Carolina Blue, and performed with them for four years before becoming one of the founding members of The Tennessee Bluegrass Band. I loved 3739 Balboa St. #5090San Francisco, CA 94121-2605(844) BLU-GRASS(844-258-4727), CBA EventsCalendarFeature ArchiveBluegrass Breakdown. In 2018, Porchak won the International Bluegrass Music Associations Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year award, for up-and-coming artists. Aynsley Porchak and Lincoln Hensley went to school together through the East Tennessee State University Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies program. Porchak has been playing the fiddle since she was 9 years old. 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