Women | thesofiamagazine

Women Making Music – A nod to the past year and a look ahead to 2022

by Peggy Ratusz | Nov 29, 2021 | Asheville, Music, Musician, Vocal Coach, Women

2021 has been another extraordinary year for Women Making Music in WNC. From my interview with soulful Rhythm and Blues singer/songwriter, Nicole lúnd back in January to catching up with the queen of her heathens, Ashley Heath in our November issue, it hasn’t escaped anybody in the past 22 months, just how incredibly fragile life can be. But more importantly, just how incredibly innovative, tenacious and inspiring the female and identifying female musicians in WNC are!

Funk, hip-hop and soul guitarist April Bennett experienced an opportunity of a lifetime this past summer when she was cast in a dual role to be a boat crew member and a rhythm guitarist in a 4 pc band on a new reality TV show called Yacht Stops. The Amazon Prime network show premiered in May of 2021 and is described as a combination between “Below Deck” and “The Voice.” The premise of the series brings musicians together who’ve never played or lived or worked together before and gives viewers a chance to watch them navigate the high seas and the music business as they sail from port to port, rehearsing together and then playing shows for vacationers and locals up and down the eastern seaboard. You can see excerpts from several episodes on their facebook page here: facebook.com/YachtStops. April’s music page on facebook is here: facebook.com/ AprilBandTheCool

Not only is Caitlin Krisko one of the most phenomenal vocalists among us, she’s also a third-generation tarot card reader who has, since April of 2020, amassed over 2000 clients and acquired over 42,000 followers on social media. Caitlin’s style of practice is “rooted in intuitive communication with spirit guides” through tarot. A Detroit native and WNC transplant by way of Manhattan, Krisko’s 6 piece original Rock and Blues band, The Broadcast is back to touring and releasing new music. To connect with Caitlin for a reading, visit candleinthecave.com and to keep up with her music go to thebroadcastmusic.com

Caromia Humphrey unveiled 3 releases in 2020-21, 2 of them musical and one of them was just a few weeks ago when she gave birth to her beautiful baby daughter with Rock guitarist and songwriter, Ram Mandelkorn. D’Orsi Bosca Tula Lee is destined for a beautiful, harmonious life with these two tuneful minstrels as parents. Check out my interview with Caromia from June where we discuss her self-produced all original EP releases, “Green” and “Sunday Land.” These records are ethereal, rhythmic and healing. www.thesofiamagazine.com/spotlight-on-caromia-humphrey-and-her-beautiful-and-intimate-ep-releases-green-and-sunday-land/

Self-described “Singer of stories, massager of hearts, teller of the truth in all its jagged and sparkly forms and a rabble-rousin’, mountain songstress” Jane Kramer and her husband, Ashevegas editor and founder Jason Sandford gave birth to their first child, Marigold True Kramer-Sandford (aka, Goldie) this past August. We’ll circle back around to find out how motherhood and music are going for Jane in 2022! But in the meantime, I invite you to visit her website for upcoming performance dates: janekramermusic.com/

Winner of Best vocalist in Asheville, Classic Soul, Motown, R&B singer Rhoda Weaver has been entertaining locals and tourists for over a decade. I think of her as the Queen of the Pivot. From move to move and change to change, her grace, humor and candid demeanor helps us all stay motivated when navigating our own lives. Her facebook posts read like a modern day Ann Landers column. From administrative assistant to Uber and Uber eats driver to her own taxi business, Weaver’s tenacity and heart inspires everyone she meets. A wife, mother and grandmother she walks the talk, encouraging us to mirror her random acts of kindness. She’s one of our all around finest women making music.

A true survivor is none other than Hendersonville’s sweetheart, Ellen Trnka. Before being diagnosed with stage four breast cancer in the autumn of 2019, Trnka feasted our ears with Blues, Jazz, Folk and Americana classics and originals on a more regular basis. Throughout the pandemic she’s faced her treatments with the kind of courage we all hope we could muster given such shocking news. Her fans will be delighted to learn that Ellen is currently preparing material for one-set gigs. Her post diagnosis debut showcase was this past October at Southern Appalachian Brewing. I was there and to hear her sing again with such power, panache and elegance was utterly inspiring. If that sell-out crowd is any indication, her full-fledged comeback will be epic!

The trio I co-founded called Love Bubble released a debut record in July and we call it “Love Revolution.” The harmony driven group has a bubble gum psychedelic 60’s throwback sound and consists of Paula Hanke on vocals, flute, banjolele, and uke. Hank Bones, who plays nearly all the instruments on our debut, wrote 9 of the 13 songs on it, plays guitar and sings at our live shows. Yours truly on vocals, cajon, hand percussion and harmonica. Paula and Hank wrote a romantic poem set to the most beautiful melody called “Warm and Cozy” and Hank and I wrote a song we dedicate to everyone, titled “Beautiful Soul.” All the songs are uplifting with hook lines, verses and choruses guaranteed to turn any frown upside down. Links to all the platforms we’re on can be found here: lovebubblewnc.hearnow.com/love-revolution

One of our newest transplants, is one helluva songwriter, multi-instrumentalist and singer, Abby Bryant. Fresh from her sold out record release show at Asheville Music Hall in October, this powerhouse mama with a message graces stages all over the country with her fantastic outfit, The Echos. “Not Your Little Girl” is her first full length album that dropped last month. Link here spoti.fi/2ZzEyu0 to listen on Spotify and add to your favorite playlists. Visit the band’s online store to pre-order the double vinyl album coming in early 2022: abbybryantandtheechoes.com/store

Abby is just one of the many phenomenal artists I aim to interview in 2022. Alex Krug is another gifted songwriter and it will be my pleasure to feature them as well as singer Marsha Morgan, the aforementioned rock guitar goddess, April Bennett, multi-instrumentalist Melissa Hyman, saxophonist Ashley Hammer Prichard and others TBA.

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

Unique Topical Uses of Olive Oil

by admin | Oct 28, 2021 | Asheville, Beauty, DIY, Women

Olive oil is a staple in cooking and in many dishes and marinades. And for good reason! In recent years, more and more research has demonstrated the health benefits of olive oil. But what about using it in ways that don’t involve cooking and eating? Here are 7 unique — but very effective — ways to use olive oil on your body.

As a moisturizer. Whether you’re prone to dry skin year round or the weather has you reaching for an extra-strength moisturizer, olive oil can help. Just a small amount on your dry areas (and even in your nail beds!) will act as a deep moisturizer.

To reduce frizziness and split ends. We’ve all had those days: you’re put together in every other way, but the weather or a busy schedule rendered your hair a little (or a lot) frizzier than you’d like. A little olive oil over your ends and throughout your hair will help de-frizz and give it a healthy gloss.

As chapstick. To make a soothing lip balm, simply mix olive oil with a little sugar. Olive oil is hydrating — and it might not taste like the artificial candy chapsticks you can buy in stores, but it doesn’t taste bad, either!

As a shaving cream substitute. Not only does olive oil double as a chemical-free shaving cream, it will also moisturize your skin and allow for a close, precise shave.

As a makeup remover. Out of makeup remover? No problem. Use a cotton pad dipped in olive oil to remove your eye and face makeup.

To remove chewing gum or paint from hair. Don’t chop off your beautiful locks just yet! If you got something like chewing gum or paint in your hair, massage the area with olive oil, wait a few minutes, and then gently remove the substance.

As a face or hair mask. Goodbye, expensive treatments! You can easily make face or hair masks at home, using olive oil and other ingredients you probably already have on hand! Not only are these easy on the wallet, they’re also hydrating and cleansing, without all the weird ingredients you can’t pronounce.

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup

by Laurie Richardone | Oct 28, 2021 | Asheville, Cooking, Recipes, Women

Serves 6

2 large butternut squash

2 tbsp. olive oil

1 tsp. sea salt, or to taste

1/2 tsp. ground black pepper

2 sprigs thyme tucked into squash when roasting

1/2 cup carrots, small chop

1/2 cup celery, small chop

1/2 cup onions, small chop

2 garlic cloves, smashed

2 tbsp.raw honey

6 cups vegetable stock, or Pacific organic vegetable stock

4 tbsp. unsalted butter, optional

1/4 cup plain yogurt

1/8 tsp.freshly grated nutmeg

1/4 cup chopped walnuts, toasted

1 granny smith apple, cut into small cubes

A squeeze of fresh lemon

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Squash can be roasted a day ahead, to cut down on cook time.

Line a small baking sheet with parchment paper. Cut both ends of the squash off. Cut squash in half and scoop out and discard seeds. Brush each half inside with about 1 tsp. of the oil. Sprinkle the cavities with salt and pepper and tuck a sprig of thyme into each. Place cut-side-down on a baking sheet and roast until tender, about 45 minutes.

Remove and let cool, then scoop out and reserve the flesh.

Put the remaining oil in a stockpot over low-medium heat. Add the carrots, celery and onions and cook, stirring often, for 6 minutes. Add the cooked squash, garlic, 1 tsp. salt, and 1/2 tsp. pepper and cook gently for 3 minutes. Stir in the honey and cook, stirring, for 2 to 3 minutes. Add the stock and bring to a simmer and cook for 20 minutes.

Remove from the heat and discard the thyme. Transfer the soup to a blender, in batches, and puree. Taste the soup and adjust the seasoning.

Let the soup cool, then refrigerate until ready to serve.
Stores up to 4 days.

Gently reheat the soup until just hot. If it is too thick, add more stock, or water. Heat a skillet over high heat. If using, when the pan is hot, add the butter. Rotate the skillet over the heat as necessary to brown the butter evenly. As soon as the butter is a hazelnut brown, pour it into the pot of soup, and stir.

To Finish, ladle the soup into six serving bowls. Top each with a dollop of yogurt, cubes of granny smith apple, and toasted walnuts. Grate nutmeg on top, with a drizzle of fresh lemon.

For scheduled Cooking Classes in Asheville, Visit: LaurieRichardone.com

A Squash in the Kitchen

by Laurie Richardone | Oct 28, 2021 | Asheville, Food, Holidays, Women

To have an understanding, and the quiet confidence, that creating a meal means creating your own reality.

Do you really need a recipe? No. Does it have to be more complicated than knowing how to choose an
ingredient, what to look for? It does not.

What you do need to know is the seasons of the garden. Butternut Squash is grown in summer, however, for peak flavor it takes 3-4 months to mature. As the weather gets cooler, squash gets sweeter. It is now a blank canvas for you to express your own culinary creativity.

“Let’s all play with our food, I say, in doing so let us advance the state of the art together” Julia Child

A Few words about Squash…

Squashes are one of the oldest known crops –10,000 years by some estimates of sites in Mexico.

Squash has an abundant amount of powerful antioxidants, including vitamin C. Antioxidants help prevent
or slow cellular damage and reduce inflammation.

There’s a whole world of squash varieties, from starchy kabocha to versatile delicata, and everything in between. I will offer creative ways to cook them so you won’t find yourself bored of gourds by November.

Thanksgiving is around the corner. The ubiquitous sweet potatoes, and I dare say, the bland butternut squash soup arrive at the table.

You don’t get much more classically “fall” than squash soup.

This unique and exciting version gives it an infusion of new life, with the tartness of granny smith apples, tanginess of sheep yogurt, and crunch of toasted walnuts.

Remember… You do not have to cook complicated elaborate masterpieces.

Just cook good food, from fresh local seasonal ingredients.

To your good health ~ Laurie Richardone

If you are a curious cook, join me on my Podcast ~ “A taste for All Seasons”

It is a cooking, cultural, and inspirational way for us to explore the world of food. And… as always, l will share cooking tips, seasonal shortcuts and kitchen essentials that will make your life easier in the kitchen.

You can now listen to all the shows, on Spotify, Apple Podcast, and Google Podcast. We talk to local farmers, where you can learn how to cook your way through the seasons.

Visit: A Taste for All Seasons Show Page @ WPVMFM.ORG. This Podcast is in conjunction with WPVM FM 103.7 in Asheville, NC.

Laurie Richardone is a seasonal gluten free chef and certified health coach.

To work with Laurie, visit LaurieRichardone.com

Top 10 Recommendations for Women Business Owners

by admin | Oct 28, 2021 | Asheville, Business, Leadership, Management, Women

By Susan Clark Muntean

As a consultant, mentor, and advisor to entrepreneurs over the past two decades, I have identified patterns, principles, and paths for entrepreneurs to follow. My passion is to support women as entrepreneurs and my expertise is in how to connect women with the resources they need to succeed. These are my top ten pieces of advice and words of wisdom to support you on your journey. You’ve got this!

Seek Mentorship
Seek out inspirational role models and establish a mentoring relationship with them. Establish yourself with mentors who will be honest with you and who will respect you. Seek well-connected members of your community to advocate on your behalf and who will offer to connect you with important stakeholders. Don’t forget to seek mentors of the opposite sex as well.

Find Your Tribe
Find a supportive community that will nurture your soul, feed your ambitions, sell your expertise and creative genius, and help you to market yourself and your business. Leverage both formal and informal networks to spread the word about you and your business. Connect and support others and pay it forward.

Secure Sensible Funding
Seek low interest loans, SBA loan guarantees, forgivable and/or flexible low interest loans, and government or non-profit sources of funds for launching and growing your business. In addition, consider equity investment, especially among family and friends as well as crowdfunding campaigns. Avoid high interest credit card debt at all costs.

Listen to Your Customers
Design your product or service around the needs and wants of your target market. Solicit frequent and honest feedback. Get a minimally viable product into their hands early on and use the beta version of what you offer to improve what you produce. The customer is queen and should be an integral part of the development of your business model, product lines, service delivery and customer relationship management strategies.

Use Weak Ties
Research shows that women tend to rely on close connections, family members and close friends when networking to generate new business and when seeking financing, partnerships, and support while men tend to use distant connections and engage in transactional networking using so-called “weak ties”. In the business world weak ties—those expansive loose connections of friends of friends who know people—are critical to scaling your business and selling more products and services. Get on LinkedIn and connect with second and third level weak ties.

Find Support Organizations
Entrepreneurship is a significant driver of economic development and local, regional, state, and federal governments allocate taxpayer dollars to supporting inclusive entrepreneurship as a means to economic growth. There are so many free and low-cost resources to take advantage of as an emerging entrepreneur or as an established business owner. Seek out the assistance of small business centers, women’s business centers and networking groups, business incubators, accelerator programs, community colleges that offer instructional programming for entrepreneurs, and shared co-working spaces that support entrepreneurs.

Manage Bias
Gender bias is a well-documented all-to-common experience that women face, especially when seeking equity financing and the support of resources critical for success. Don’t gaslight yourself if you experience very subtle forms of discrimination or exclusion or if the services you are receiving feel in any way disrespectful. Manage systemic bias by preparing responses to it in advance. You are not alone on your journey, and you are inherently powerful, capable, intelligent, and worthy of support and the respect you deserve. Don’t forget it!

Differentiate Yourself
Small business owners need to compete on specialization, uniqueness, customization, and delightful experiences that customers rave about relative to existing offerings. How are you better than the competition? Why are you special? Communicate how you are above and beyond the rest with crystal clarity. Own and exude your unique, amazing brand and be consistently clear in communicating that to your target market.

Expand Your Entrepreneurial Mindset
Work on your capacities to identify opportunities, take calculated risks, empathize with your customers, and execute on your ideas. Successful entrepreneurs have a future focus, are optimistic, persistent, and self-confident. Activate your passion and apply your ambition towards continuous self-improvement. Dedicate time to developing your entrepreneurial mindset daily.

Orient Yourself Towards the Future
Too many small business owners are trapped in the cycle of putting out fires and reacting to the immediate, daily, urgent needs of the business. Take time and space away from the daily grind to put your feelers out to the external environment. What is the competition doing? What are shifts in the regulatory environment? How are customer tastes changing? What are groundbreaking emergent technologies and how will they impact your business model? Today’s marketplace requires constant innovation and that requires understanding changes impacting your business model as well as creating future opportunities. By orienting yourself towards the future, you position yourself to take advantage of emerging opportunities that can secure your success over the long haul.

Susan Clark Muntean is an Associate Professor of Management at the University of North Carolina, Asheville. In addition to being an author of Entrepreneurial Ecosystems: A Gender Perspective published by Cambridge University Press, she serves as an advisor, mentor, board member and advocate supporting women entrepreneurs in Western North Carolina.

Women Making Music – Spotlight on Ashley Heath; harnessing the power of connection…

by Peggy Ratusz | Oct 28, 2021 | Asheville, Music, Musician, Women

Awards, accolades and high profile bookings only bolster Ashley Heath’s purposeful journey to cultivate deeper connections. She tunes into a feeling, allows it to emerge in lyrics, melody, chords and strumming styles. She surrenders all, to engage and inspire potential listeners.

Along with her current band members, “Her Heathens” Ryan Crabtree on bass and Paul Gladstone on drums, playing to live audiences allows her that cyclical connection she’s so fine at maintaining long after the doors to the music hall are closed and locked up for the night. When her love light shines, you feel it all the way in the back of the room and all the way home in your car.

The path from open mics to Tennessee’s infamous Bonnaroo Festival has been steady, deliberate and well planned. Band mates, mentors, booking managers, venue owners all say the same things about Heath; she’s the real deal who’s got something important to sing; unpretentious and full of wit and spunk; evokes goose bumps with her captivating voice; one of the best laughs they’ve ever heard and the hardest working musician in town.

Here’s just a few of the scores of fan-reviews I found online:

“Sweet, sultry, bluesy musician, Ashley Heath is as authentic as they come.”

“Her performances will rock and soothe your weary soul.”

“…an excellent guitarist, who writes songs that speak to my soul…a
genuine human being.”

“….one of the most talented singer/songwriters ever. Her energy is pure and tangible.”

“Her band is mad-talented! Ashley can sing like nobody I’ve ever heard!”

“Heath’s Heathens provide the right tones and beats that serve the lyrics and Ashley’s soaring voice.”

An excerpt from my June 2016 interview: “With a blend of Soul, Blues and Americana sounds, Ashley Heath is rising as one of Asheville’s finest and uniquely gifted musicians with her velvety vocals and bluesy guitar style. Her bravery for pursuing aspects of herself through music is limitless.”

The actual question/answer part of our phone interview a few weeks ago was all of maybe 15 minutes long. The entire conversation was over 70 minutes!

Nerding out talking about music is one of my favorite things to do too so when she started talking about chord structures and where to put a whole note and when to play a quarter note to give the phrase some space, I listened intently and just kept saying “yeeees.”

We vented about our shared experiences with the proverbial unsolicited critic or two at every show; the ones who aren’t the slightest bit careful of our feelings when they approach us, spewing banter about what we should do more and what we should do less. We talked fondly of the fans that support and dig what we put out and how some have become friends.

She’s grateful for the friends she’s made music with outside her own project that empower and teach her. For example the performances she enjoyed at Archetype Brewing, pre-pandemic, where she played regular Sundays for several years with an impressive and popular quartet. That group consisted of the incendiary guitarist and phenomenal singer, Patrick Dodd (who she still performs with there), the formidable harmonica player and mellifluous vocalist Joshua Singleton and the eminent and selfless saxophonist and Asheville matriarch Ruby Mayfield who sadly passed away in April.

The implication of what this global pandemic has brought to the forefront for artists has been profound. Ashley’s first experiences playing out again have happened at prominent outdoor festivals. Catching theTedeschi Trucks band’s set at Merlefest where Ashley and Her Heathens also performed, she expresses it this way, “I felt like I was in the Olympics. It was huge and overwhelming, inspiring and emotional.”

“The mindset I’m trying to change is the one where I think, if I can do this one thing then I can do this other thing that I really want. Then if I do that thing, I’ll get to yet another thing that I really want. So I refuse to go back into that mindset, now that I’m back out in the world and doing some touring. That’s the clarity I found spending almost 2 years of my life home alone.”

What she was doing before the lockdown, was working at a breakneck pace soliciting and getting gig after gig on the local scene.

“It wasn’t really working because even though I wasn’t showing it, I wasn’t happy going at that pace. I don’t know what my future holds exactly, but I do know that I’m not going to take 20 gigs a month if I’m not happy doing them. I can create the same monumentally satisfying experiences I have doing the bigger stages, for my smaller audiences too. That connection can be made no matter how many gigs I accept, no matter how many people I’m playing for or how big the room is.”

We talk about the community driven polls where winners in categories are announced after allowing fans and peers the chance to vote for their favorites online. “I take the standings and my wins in any given category as testimony to the hard work I’ve done to create a fan base.”

She poignantly equates creating music to a painter’s blank canvas. “We interpret through color choices and brush strokes, how many colors and where we place the colors and how the colors blend, and establish the sonic outcome of the song.”

By early 2022, Ashley hopes that she’ll release her third collection of “paintings” via a 6 song EP. The songs have been written and the basic tracks are recorded. The most intimate parts are still left to do, like final vocal tracks, solos and order. She’s excited to work with engineer Clay Miller over at Crossroads Studios in Arden.

After listening to a 3-song sampler from one of her recent shows, I heard a song I hadn’t yet called “Something to Believe.” Ashley assures me it will be on the next EP. The chorus lyrics: “Are we done with the hard times, are they over? Let me in or let me out, give me answers, tell me somehow. Are we’re gonna end this, end this and work it out? The push and shove is killing me, there’s no end in sight you see. Give me, give me something to believe…”

“Ashley Heath is an open songbook who embraces vulnerabilities.”

Links to stream and purchase Heath’s records and to keep up with her schedule:

pbs.org/video/ashley-heath-and-her-heathens-11kmeo/

facebook.com/AshleyHeathMusic

facebook.com/ashleyheathandherheathens

amazon.com/Where-Never-Ashley-Heath-Heathens/dp/B07BW319P3

amazon.com/Different-Stream-Ashley-Heath/dp/B01FJ3UQ1A

open.spotify.com/artist/37y8xDxW9JSGer0J9fd843

open.spotify.com/artist/1FlOl4q9T6MqCBJsGGVSOp

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

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