By Peggy Ratusz
When Tammy and Al Sheppard contacted me to ask if I’d be interested in resuming my feature “Women Making Music,” for their new women-focused magazine, I was more than thrilled and I accepted readily. Humbled by the positive feedback I received for twelve years writing this monthly column for WNC Woman Magazine, I aim to continue the tradition of spotlighting in these pages now, area female musicians who by and large, have manifested their desires, making a living via their respective creative musical talents.
As a woman of age, I have been performing for nearly forty-four years–the last seventeen of them in this area. I have come to know Asheville and surrounding regions, to be a loving, net-working family whose motivation is to welcome and lift up natives to newcomers, within the music community.
I am continuously heartened by the number of musicians and venue owners who pay attention, who strive
to do their best to support female artists, bridging the gender disparity gap. Women supporting women co-creating and co-producing collaborative shows and showcases, has become a regular occurrence.
While I feel I have done and will continue to do my part to advocate for girls, young women, women of age and those who identify as women, where I and as I can, there are women who came before me and an increasing
number of females who spearhead events who also continue the advocacy.
As our scenic, inspiration-evoking and beautiful WNC continues to grow, there comes with that growth, the conundrum of when will we, or have we already reached our tipping point? It’s especially challenging for us musicians to reconcile the dilemma that opportunities coming from a thriving cultural and creative music scene (supported in part by tourists) brings, versus the gentrification of certain neighborhoods and areas (because of the influx of residents and hotels), that leaves some having to get creative on a whole different level, in order to afford to stay.
As I ponder this trade-off as it relates to the women making music around these parts, I am compelled to concentrate on the positive aspects the aforementioned conundrum stirs.
For instance, there has never been more female instrumentalists, whose presence on stages further chips away at the disproportion between men and women that still exists. Just last night, I attended Russ Wilson’s weekly, “Wine, Dine & Dance with his Foundry Hotel Orchestra” series at the new Foundry Hotel. On saxophone was Jackie Tatsch and on banjo was new mom, Annie Erbsen.
You can find Linda Shew Wolf or Ruby Mayfield wailing their superb phrases on saxophone at the Wednesday night Blues Jam at the Block off Biltmore at 8pm, or The Guitar Bar’s weekly Saturday jam from 5pm-7pm. Ruby’s got her own band and Linda is now a member of the Rewind House Band. Another notable female saxophonist and one of the founding members of Empire Strikes Brass, is saxophonist, Debrissa McKinney. All of these fine women horn players are becoming more and more sought after.
More and more we find women fronting bands playing killer guitar riffs too! April Bennett, Nicole Nicolopoulos, Lyric and Maddie Shuler come to mind. Female bass players like Kayla Lynn, Aileen Pearlman and Mira Spiritvoice are being recognized. There are drummer/percussionists like Eliza Hill, Nancy Asch and Amanda Hollifield who play regularly. Keyboard players who also write and sing include Rachel Waterhouse, Carrie Morrison and Marika Straw. Fiddle/violinist Lyndsey Pruitt, cellists Melissa Hyman, Brooke German and Jamie Leigh Bennett who have all been classically trained add their feminine juju to a plethora of musical configurations, shows, and acts.
The list is long when it comes to the number of female piano, string, and woodwind players who also teach or play in various area symphonies and orchestras. There’s Rosalind Buda (bassoon, small pipes, and bagpipes), Gabrielle T, Linda Gaines and Rebecca Modrzynski (piano), Holley Ross, Linda Kendall Fields, Anastasia Yarbroough, Mandy Guilfoyle (Suzuki violin, viola, cello, ukulele), Karen Bell (claw hammer banjo) are just a few of the women, that a little digging on the internet will find you.
As for vocalists, you cannot find a better flock of sister songbirds than here in the mountains. Rhoda Weaver, Wendy Jones, Linda Mitchell, Mare Carmody, Ellen Trnka, Paula Hanke, Rebecca O’Quinn, Christina Chandler, Laura Blackley, Melodee Edington-Leyshon, and Whitney Moore are just a few of the premiere singers who reside here. Scratching the surface of vocal instructors and/or voice coaches include Nancy Simmons, Pam Jones and myself.
Nationally and internationally acclaimed female musicians coming out of Asheville proper include Amanda Anne Platt of the Honeycutters (Americana band) and Caitlin Krisko of The Broadcast (Soul, R&B and Rock band.) Next month, I’ll be profiling another fine feminine, nationally and internationally known player, singer and songwriter, Anya Hinkle from Tellico (Bluegrass/Americana/Roots). She will have just returned from several weeks, touring Europe and she’s going to tell us all about it!
You’ll find no shortage of women musicians, vocalists, and singer songwriters appearing on our local stages in the month of September in the meantime. Below is a list of just some of the show and gig dates of just some of these daughters of the trade. There are so many others that my word-count will not allow me to mention. And to you fantastic females especially whom I did not have room to mention, I invite you to contact me via email, for mentions of your performance dates. Be sure to do so the first of the month prior to the month your performance date.
I will do my best each month, to profile individually, women from all genres and ages, who are working their tails off. Those who co-create, co-produce shows and write original music, those who record, sell and market themselves, sometimes on a shoestring. All of them continuously hone their crafts in order to attract you, the local music supporter, to their performances.
Women musicians, vocalists, and singer songwriters appearing on our local stages in the month of September
Sept 4th Ruth Cooney, featured artist Southern Appalachian Brewery Jazz Jam, 6:30pm
Sept 6th Lyric (Leeda Jones), The Spillway, Marion, NC, 8pm
Sept 7th Hope Griffin, Sanctuary Brewery, 8pm
Sept 7th Jesse Barry, Mountain Brook Vineyards, 5pm
Sept 8th Paula Hanke with the “World Beat Band” at Jubilee! Community Church, 7pm
Sept 14th The British are Coming Show featuring among others, Peggy Ratusz,Isis Music Hall, 8pm
Sept 20th Linda Mitchell, (The Live Wires) Southern Appalachian Brewery, 8pm
Sept 21st Westsound, Soul R&B band fronted by Gina Duke–Echo Depot for the Arts Council, 7pm
Peggy Ratusz is a vocal coach, song interpreter, and songwriter. For vocal coaching email her at [email protected]