Spotlight on Christina Chandler

Spotlight on Christina Chandler

by | Dec 3, 2019 | Asheville, Music, Women

By Peggy Ratusz

One soulful, assertive artist, this Memphis, Tennessee native has been writing songs since age six. A graduate of The University of Memphis, she performed with the school’s renowned band Sound Fuzion. Then she joined local Memphis band, Venus Mission, and made it her mission to build a fulfilling and honorable reputation on the local scene. Asheville welcomed Christina Chandler and her reputation to our local scene in 2009.

In every good way, this was the longest phone interview I have ever conducted. Chandler’s life has been longer than the years it represents. She knows what she wants to say. She has a lot figured out. I wish I could include 1000 more of her words because when she gets on a roll, it’s educational, inspirational, and mesmerizing.

We traded remedies for sinus infections; we debated generation and gender gaps from our two perspectives; Christina being a 30-something and me being a . . . well, you know. We delved into challenges relating to being female artists and the pros and cons of “branding.” We delighted in the breadth of talent coming in and out of our city these days. It was indeed a wonderful way to spend an hour and a half together!

Tell me about the North Carolina Songsmiths and how you got involved.

NC Songsmiths originated in Durham, founded by my business partner, Brian Hill and Bob Funck, the original NC Songsmith. It’s a showcase model that morphed into a weekly tour series for vetted songwriters residing in North Carolina. As a way to bring our area artists into the model I started ringing up contacts asking them questions to discover who could pull off a week-long, already curated tour. That started in June of 2018 and continues today. Venues that host our concerts include Whole Foods in Asheville, The Local in Boone, MadCo in Marshall, 185 King in Brevard, Brown Mountain Bottleworks in Morganton, Lookout Brewing in Black Mountain and Ginger’s Revenge here in Asheville. We’ve executed over 500 events and worked with over 54 original artists! (For more information, please visit their website: ncsongsmiths.org/)

The duo, Free Wheelin’ Mamas; tell us more.

The band started as an A-Capella trio and I was invited by one of the mamas, Shalene Hill, to sit in with them at a house concert. That manifested into my organically taking the place of founding member Joy, who wanted to pursue other endeavors. In time, Shalene also decided to pursue other interests. So now it’s Sarah Easterling and I singing and playing guitar, banjo, ukulele, and percussion. We do a mix of original and cover music. Freewheelinmamas.com (Youtube live on Acoustic Asheville: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSkBZ0nyDGA)

What motivates you to pursue opportunities to work with others?

I am all about integration in my own life and in the community. As artists we are conditioned to focus on our own projects and we forget that sharing the load can make things easier. I started working with NC Songsmiths, for example, because I wanted to create a cocoon where people feel safe to share and ask for help. I knew I needed to ask for help from people who have been touring longer than I have. Running our own tiny businesses can feel isolating, lonely and competitive; all these things don’t contribute to quality of life. If we share the load in a smart way, we all elevate the baseline of expectations.

What do you look for in partners?

An ability to see the big picture; evidence that intention and action aligns. Here’s a line from one of my songs: “like that river wide, I’ll roll you over if you don’t do what you say and say what you’re gonna.” Obviously we don’t always accomplish what we say we’re going to do, but I think the sincere effort in putting my words into action for myself or someone else is an admirable trait and I look for it in potential partners.

What drew you to learning the instruments you play?

When I moved to Madison County, I didn’t play an instrument. I soon realized that living on the outskirts with two little ones (daughter Shaelyn and son Jack), was going to be hard, especially after being a full time singer and booking agent in Memphis. I felt I didn’t have a way to pursue music, without learning to accompany myself. I started teaching myself how to play guitar. I played in the Junior Appalachian Musician Arts Council Program here in Madison County by volunteering when my daughter started taking lessons there. The guitar teacher at that time was the former guitar player for Rising Appalachia, David Brown and when I started helping him, he showed me a few things! I like playing solo gigs, but I really love that I’ve gotten to the point on guitar now, where I can take solos.   

Explain your approach to song writing and if it differs from your approach say five years ago.

Yes! Five years ago I was working exclusively with a song writing partner, Adam Jennings who lives in Tennessee. He’d send me instrumental recordings that I would then write lyrics over. That gave me the confidence to send him my song ideas and we started a true collaboration called “The states apart sessions.” A few years ago I started writing songs on my own again which brought me full circle from when I started writing songs at age six. My mom recognized my penchant and encouraged me by setting up voice lessons and lining up mentors to help me develop my compositions. These days I’m more about developing a signature sound, applying it over the genres I’m drawn to write within. I’m successfully conveying what I hear, to partner musicians on stage and in the studio.

I came away from our conversation, realizing profoundly that Chandler is a unifier. She’s a mover and a shaker with a voice, soulful like Patty Griffin or Aretha Franklin, and melodic like Dolly Parton or Linda Ronstadt. A songwriter who is inspired by universal themes, she scribes struggle and joy with potent abandon, helping make life bearable for those hungry and savvy enough to listen.

To discover when Christina Chandler will be playing next, visit her website christinachandlernc.com/bio

December
Music Calendar

Alexa Rose: Medicine for Living

Alexa Rose: Medicine for Living

by | Oct 31, 2019 | Asheville, Music, Women

Photo by Jonny Himsel of A Song Catcher

By Peggy Ratusz

She grew up in Clifton Forge, VA. A small town where she says, “You can’t go to the grocery store without bumping into somebody you know.”

Thankfully for us, she now calls Asheville home, and has been telling the truth in songs to a plethora of audiences, for many years. Her latest release, Medicine for Living is acclaimed and award winning!

I met Alexa Rose through a mutual friend and heard her sing for the first time several years ago at an open mic. I remember turning to the person sitting next to me, and we both nodded with delight from her first turn of phrase.

We’re all in for a delightful experience as we get to know better, this weaver of deep and profound lyrics; this owner of a warm and flavorful vocal timbre that begins and ends with melodies pure and true. I sent her a series of questions for this feature and she answered them in her own thoughtful words:

How did you decide to become a songwriter?

I never really decided. One day I just began and haven’t stopped. I wrote my first song around age 13. It probably sounded like Regina Spektor or Ingrid Michaelson, my teenage songwriter crushes who, around this time, found their way through my small town radio speakers. No one ever showed me how to write a song or suggested I try it. I’m a firm believer there is no incorrect way to write a song.

Tell us about your writing process.

I love talking about process because it seems different for everyone. Sometimes I just pick up my guitar, play a chord and see what comes out of my mouth. I don’t dwell much on perfecting the lyrics in the beginning stages of the song. It’s common for the music and lyrics to find me at the same time, usually in an inconvenient place, like in the shower or on the way to work. I try to go as long as possible without writing anything down. Using the writing area of my brain tends to stunt my creative process.

Do you have a favorite original song?

On my new album, Medicine For Living, the title track is my favorite. I don’t really fall in love with my songs. I’m learning to be more gracious with them as it pertains to moderation. I don’t eat the same sandwich for lunch every day, and it’s the same thing with overplaying my songs. I try to give them rest and focus on new material.

What have you learned about yourself since you’ve made music your career?

That I’m blessed. This job is a privilege. I want to use my power carefully to say what I mean and lift others up. I’ve learned its good practice to step outside my bubble, walk in an unfamiliar neighborhood, keep friends who are and aren’t artists. Songwriters tell the story of the world as we know it and our responsibility is to challenge our paradigms, if anything, for the sake of the songs we leave behind.

Talk about your proud moments.

Winning the Chris Austin Songwriting Contest at Merlefest this year was big for me. Making a record with Big Legal Mess was another. The act of making music my career makes me proud.  We are taught to dream as children, and then later told that we shouldn’t follow it simply because it doesn’t align with capitalism. I moved to North Carolina with zero connections.  I owe my zest, to aligning with the music community here. It continues to encourage me.  I’m proud I found the courage to steer my life in a direction meaningful to me.

Tell us about your fans.

They are amazing! Once a fan drew a picture of me riding on a giant armadillo (I love armadillos). One woman drives several hours to shows anytime we play even remotely near her. I’m their fan, because they show up and make what I’m doing worthwhile.

Talk about the amount of time and how you spend it, honing your craft.

The process is elusive. True inspiration comes in waves. I write often because it’s good to keep my mind in the habit of writing. A few years ago, I lived in the country with no electricity and more free time, so I tried to write a song a day. I wrote some bad songs and a few I kept that I wouldn’t have had otherwise (the final track on my latest album, “Untitled No. 47,” is a remnant of that project). Then sometimes I go six months without writing. I write best when there’s a pile of laundry on the chair and a little chaos in my life.

What is it about performing that keeps you pursuing opportunities to do so?

I love the variety of audiences, the changing landscapes of America, the ebb and flow of good fortune on the road. What really keeps bringing me back is when someone comes up to me after a show and tells me how a particular song is like a part of their own story, how it moved them in some way. Hearing that is totally redeeming.

Are there marked differences between what you write about and how you approach songwriting now vs. what it was, five or ten years ago?

Absolutely! Songs I wrote in my twenties were about relationships and changes all specific to my own life. After all, your own story is the one you tell with the most authority. Now I feel like I’m reaching for different subjects, as an observer. It’s a challenge because in telling another’s story I feel a larger sense of responsibility.

What are you working on now?

I’m writing songs about what I see happening in our country, about love, about change, about my great grandparents. I’m riding my bike more, cooking meals for my friends, and cuddling with my dog.

What can audiences expect to experience at one of your performances?

I tell the truth. Sometimes I bump my nose on the microphone when I close my eyes. And my bandmates always wear good hats.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Be yourself, send postcards, keep a sense of humor, and call your friends after you move away from them.

Rose is going on tour in November, but to keep up with her upcoming local performances, visit her website: alexarosemusic.com

Peggy Ratusz is a vocal coach, song interpreter, and songwriter. For vocal coaching email her at [email protected]

November Music Calendar

Seasoned by travels across the world and back…Anya Hinkle

Seasoned by travels across the world and back…Anya Hinkle

by | Oct 1, 2019 | Asheville, Music, Women

By Peggy Ratusz

“There’s always this fear when I schedule a big show, as to how many people I’m going to see sitting in the audience. To sell out a show at the Grey Eagle was a dream of mine.  This comfort washed over me while driving over for sound check, knowing all the seats had been sold.” These were Anya Hinkle’s thoughts this past January after one of her biggest local shows to date. She and her producer John Doyle who is a Celtic phenom, along with her stellar string band Tellico, presented their latest studio recording, “Woven Waters” at the Asheville music venue.

Woven Waters was voted #9 on WNCW radio’s “Top 100 Albums in 2018.” And since its release, Anya has been making the rounds; from her latest jaunt to France, Montreal, Virginia and Tennessee, to all parts of North Carolina. She’s newly equipped with critically acclaimed tunes like “Courage for the Morning,” (#1 on Folk Radio Music Charts) and the Merlefest’s Chris Smith Songwriting competition’s Bluegrass category winner, “Ballad of Zona Abston.”

It is her recent tour in La France profonde (deep France) that I was eager and delighted to talk about with Anya.  But first, let me delve into a little bit of her history for those of you who are unfamiliar. This world traveler has encountered an array of landscapes, sights, and sounds; whether visiting or staying a while in places like Virginia (her home state), Japan (her husband’s native land), California, Pacific Islands, New Zealand, Fiji, Hawaii, and Costa Rica. By the time she planted in Asheville of 2006, she didn’t quite know how to musically and creatively intertwine the mix of cultures she’d encountered, with the traditional sounds of her new home in Appalachia. 

Once she began to attend local bluegrass jams and making friends on the scene, she created a domino that lead to this “trip of a lifetime” recent tour in France.

Once you returned, can you describe how you felt about the overall experience?

“I had mixed emotions. Clearly it was fabulous. The food, the sights, the sounds, and the people I met; all that was wonderful. On a personal level though it was challenging bringing a band together for my first European tour, and present my music in a country where I didn’t speak the language.”

Luckily she discovered that European audiences are extremely receptive to American music, allowing for a cyclical reception of curiosity being satisfied. 

“My grandfather played in a Jazz group in the 1930’s. He and his amateur bandmates took the maiden voyage of the famous SS Champlain to Paris in 1932 for a summer tour. I imagine during that depressive time people yearned for a feeling of worldly sophistication. American music elicited that for them.  Following in his footsteps all these years later, bringing my roots music to a part of the world that resonates with its origins as much as Europe and France in particular does, has influenced me and my purpose as an artist in new ways.”

How did you put the band together?

“The band was primarily an American band. On fiddle was Asheville native and Nashville transplant, Julian Pinelli. Columbian born Canadian Dobro player Jose Mejia was someone I met through Billy Cardine and Marius Pibarot, a French-American bassist and fiddle player, I met through another musician friend.”

When they all landed in Paris, they quickly went into rehearsal mode, concentrating on a mix of traditional songs that Anya suspected would help her connect to audiences coming to hear particular instrumentation. She pulled from her songs on Woven Waters and tunes from her years with a previous band she fronted called Delia Low. 

During shows, how did you work around that you don’t speak French?

“Marius, my bass player translated when needed, but I also thought it was nice to use the opportunity to not talk. I think we feel compelled to talk on stage, and I wanted to use the music to connect.”

What was the highlight of the tour?

“The Laroche Bluegrass festival, which is the biggest festival of its kind in all of Europe, was the highlight for sure. It was a thrill for us to headline. Meeting musicians in the Bluegrass and Roots worldwide community, through the late night jamming in the French Alps, in the town square, calling songs and playing sometimes until three in the morning was magical!  We enjoyed sharing and hearing cultural interpretations from all these nations and continents, as we bonded through our common love of Roots music. It was a beautiful scene!”

A link to a video from her set at Laroche –

youtube.com/watch?v=NLZ5cF1I4Z0&feature=youtu.be

What was the biggest challenge? 

The weather! France was experiencing record heat levels; over 105 degrees!

Where did you stay?

“We were mostly in Eastern France in an area called Bruyeres. Brueyeres was liberated from German occupation by a Japanese-American battalion who went behind enemy lines to rescue the “Lost Texas Battalion” so it’s the site of one of the most famous battles of WWII. Being right there, on what was once that battlefield was powerful for me. Hearing people speak about how everyone once lived in the hills but after the wars, because there were so many dead bodies, they all moved into the cities. To get a gig in a more than 500 year old farm house was an experience of a lifetime. The walls were two feet thick and it was like performing in a cave or a wine cellar, making the acoustics ideal.”

Here’s a link to a YouTube video of a French song that Anya and her band played in this farmhouse:

youtube.com/watch?v=1tuNFf4nL4g&feature=youtu.be

Gathering a group of musicians who didn’t know each other before the tour is an exciting and brave choice, but it’s one that many musicians like Anya, who live their lives out loud, are naturally drawn to do. 

“It was a bonding experience, trying to navigate daily logistics, rehearsals and performing. Late night exhaustion and lack of food can really challenge a person. But I found this group of young, talented, international musicians to be understanding, flexible, and professional. At our lowest moments we worked it out just fine, and our highest moments, we were just having a ridiculously good time.”

Next up for Anya is Japan later this year. Please visit her website at tellicoband.com for updates on that tour, as well as all the venues regionally and locally that she’ll be performing until then.

Women Making Music

Women Making Music

by | Aug 29, 2019 | Asheville, Music, Women

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]

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