TENNESSEE BLUEGRASS BAND From east Tennessee. Each of the new instructors will offer private lessons on their primary instrument, Porchak on campus in Johnson City, TN, and Eubanks remotely by video from his home in Nashville. Aynsley began playing fiddle at the age of 9. Now she teaches fiddle at ETSU. Aynsley Porchak readily admits to being a quirky individual. She confesses to having They select their own material, arrange it, and record it. One year, while she and her parents were in Nashville for the Grand Master contest, 3739 Balboa St. #5090San Francisco, CA 94121-2605(844) BLU-GRASS(844-258-4727), CBA EventsCalendarFeature ArchiveBluegrass Breakdown. and how music, tastefully played, can be both exciting and inspiring. Aynsley has been my twin-fiddle buddy going back to when she first started at ETSU. She was introduced to bluegrass in her early teens, and quickly fell in love with the music. I couldnt believe it when he said that, because that was exactly what I told him that I had no idea he even liked me and he protested but I sat by you all the time and I always tried to talk to you! Well, James told me that he would like to pursue a serious relationship with me and I said that I would have to pray about it and that I would have to talk to the band about it. From a little girl, my teachers always talked about competition, said Porchak. The band has created a partnership, friendship, and family with the other band members; Reese Combs (bass), James McDowell (banjo), and Aynsley Porchak (fiddle). She is the daughter of Roger and Jan Porchak and is from Woodstock, Ontario, Canada. placing seventh.. Spicher, and they took him to lunch. There are similar themeslove, acceptance, and rejection.. I get a great deal of satisfaction when I see the light go on in students eyes, when they first understand something and accomplish a tune that they didnt think they could play before.. This eventually led to the Grand Master Championship and the Tennessee State Fiddle My number one goal is to teach music, especially higher education, said Porchak. Those interested may apply at jobs.etsu.edu.. Were still together almost a year and a half later. to grow, give back, and be the best I can. This fund has been established to assist the Hensley family of Flag Pond, Tennessee in their husband's and father's medical bills. 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. I grew up hearing loud preaching and attending homecomings and Saturday night singings, Boner says. I am curious to hear what she and her students come up with together.. She also received the 2018 IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year award. Aynsley Porchak (Photograph contributed / ETSU) Porchak, an Appalachian studies grad student here at ETSU, is the first person to have won both the American and Canadian Grandmaster Fiddle Championships. Near her home in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada, there was a classical program and a jazz program but no bluegrass. schooling to help with my bluegrass major, as well. This year's judges for the competition are Aynsley Porchak, Brad Riley, and Justin Branum. with a double major in bluegrass and English, was actually scheduled to perform with 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 Home-schooled by her mother Jan, a retired high school English and physical education teacher, Porchak had been looking for a college where she could continue learning traditional music. Aynsley Porchak readily admits to being a "quirky individual.". Boner discovered the ETSU program through a high school English teacher in southern New Jersey and enrolled as a student in 2000. I didnt want to mess things up with the band and wanted to remain professional about it. I still have the program, Trenwith says. to talk to Buddy and then realized he hadnt introduced himself. I slowed the record down to 16 2/3 speed. She plays in the ETSU 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. Porchak finished her bachelor of arts degree with a double major in Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies and English and immediately began work on a master of arts in Appalachian Studies. There was one She is also an experienced contest fiddler, winning the Grand Master Fiddler Championship in 2015 in Nashville, and in 2017 the Canadian Grand Master Fiddle Champion, making her the first person to win both competitions.Visit https://neomha.org/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/CarryOn_ResourceGuide_Episode-6_AynsleyPorchak.pdf for a resource guide to accompany this program. All rights reserved. Madly, crazy in love withBLUEGRASS!! This full-time position will be appointed on the basis of outstanding professional attainments, creative accomplishments, and recognition in the bluegrass entertainment field. Music took over my life, remembers Colleen Trenwith, now a member of the ETSU faculty. minds when she was a toddler in Canada. Now, there are some 60 students majoring in Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies, along with 35 who are minoring. But bluegrass courses and private instruction quickly changed that. But it was good ear training, listening to what people were singing and trying to match it on guitar.. We were the resident band for a program called Country Touch, based on early Grand Ole Opry television shows.. Porchak began playing the fiddle at 9-years-old and developed a passion for bluegrass and competition quickly. 2, Turnberry introduces Free Strings curriculum program with Annie Savage, Bluegrass Camp Germany cancelled for 2023, Bobby Osborne & The Rocky Top X-Press at Bluegrass Wednesday Nights, Open Bluegrass Jam // Cinderlands Warehouse (Pittsburgh), Wernick Method Bluegrass Jam Class with Joel Denman Durango, CO, Open Bluegrass Jam // Cork Harbour Pub (Pittsburgh), Bluegrass Beyond Borders: Dave Wright & the Midnight Ramblers from Down Under, Bluegrass Beyond Borders: Bononia Grass plays with an Italian flavor, Russ Hooper: 74 years in bluegrass music and still gigging, Jason Fraley returns to Deeper Shade of Blue for one last show. I texted Daniel right afterward with a picture of me holding the plaque, saying, In this thesis, I demonstrate how analysis through literary criticism can provide a commentary on Appalachian song. He had grown up among a group of West Virginia expatriates who had moved north to find jobs in the glass industry. The Meadors are married. Meet The Band. In case you haven't noticed, we're in love around here. top U.S. fiddle championship the previous four years, twice placing as high as sixth, Submit stories for publication/editorial guidelines. Let me start off by saying that the differences in driving from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Euclid, Ohio are almost polar opposites. Your donations to the Monroe Mandolin Camp are appreciated and will go to help teach students now and in the future. He is proud to see his cousins, Carl and J.P. Sauceman and their Green Valley Boys, pictured on the mural in Brooks Gym. He sent me back a text All rights reserved. I love the fact that Her love of classic cars (she collected die-cast cars as a youngster) led to her hobby of photography. Fiddle contests are a really big deal in Ontario, so I began to compete on the circuit. Chat email or call (480)-624-2500. Pittsburgh-rolling hills, winding hig In 2008, ETSU opened its own recording laboratory. Supporting and inspiring the next generation to play and enjoy music. 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. the epicenter of all this music.. However, when I arrived, I found that I was still able to musically interact with the other students, even though we lived hundreds of miles apart. New Zealand had one channel in the late 1960s, Trenwith says. Aynsley began playing fiddle at the age of 9. Dan Eubanks, bassist with Special Consensus, and Aynsley Porchak, fiddler with Carolina Blue, will both join the team as adjust professors starting with the Spring 2021 semester. There have been as many as 42, says program director Dan Boner, himself an accomplished guitarist and fiddle player. She had been playing fiddle since age nine, after her parents took her to a concert by Canadian fiddler Natalie McMaster. Walk into Brooks Gymnasium on the campus of East Tennessee State University and youll likely hear the cadence of an ROTC drill instructor or the squeaks of shoes during basketball practice. The three musicians who have directed the Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies Program at ETSU. Bluegrass Pride and Celtic Pride bands, and has had opportunities to share the stage Thank you. We played a Slim Dusty song and, for an encore, a Mac Wiseman song.. So, I just won the Grand Master Fiddle contest, she said. The future holds many possibilities for Aynsley. October 13, 1932 - February 8, 2021, Thomas Donald Hensley passed away on February 8, 2021 in Erwin, Tennessee. Aynsley Porchak began playing fiddle at the age of 9. She frequently makes obscure literary references, and even enjoys literary criticism. a little outdated, and I would love to be able to use my English to write more about Looks like this story got lost in the preparations for the World of Bluegrass. Lessons, links, and essays to help you enjoy playing and practicing even more. When Carolina Blue co-founder Bobby Powell left the group, he took the name Carolina Here he is playing with Alison Krauss and ETSU alumnus Barry Bales, then with Krauss and her band, Union Station, in 1991. My parents found out that I liked country music at a young age after I asked them to stop the radio on the local country music station while they were driving. 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. Well you get all sorts of creative solutions, as we. Basically, my goals are to be a blessing to others, to get as good as I possibly Maybe the newest great love story to emerge, is that of Carolina Blue's James McDowell and Aynsley Porchak, aka "Jaymsley." 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. 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.. Everything was down an octave, but I learned every fiddle bit on the record. Her thesis topic is the music of the Louvin Brothers, Charlie and Ira, from the Sand Mountain region of northern Alabama. They are: Bobby Powell, guitar; Timmy Jones, mandolin; Reese Combs, bass; James McDowell, banjo (who looks like a young Don Stover); and Aynsley Porchak, fiddle (wearing a 'pillbox' hat that reminded Dr Janie of those ladies used to wear to church). Aynsley is also an experienced contest fiddler. She also keeps busy with sessions work recording for other musicians. As a student at East Tennessee State University, I am very aware of the soundscape that surrounds my place in the Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies program. It gives me a chance to be where the music is happening. 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. as well as Bobby Hicks, whom she has long admired. 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. of Bluegrass, Old Time and Country Music Studies in ETSUs Department of Appalachian Take all the opportunities given to hone your craft and really enjoy the opportunities that music has given, said Porchak when asked what advice she has for ETSUs aspiring musicians. When she first started at ETSU has had opportunities to share the stage Thank you 2021 in Erwin Tennessee. Is happening and Celtic Pride bands, and Justin Branum playing fiddle the! The glass industry I just won the Grand Master fiddle contest, she said program! Began to compete on the circuit, I just won the Grand fiddle! Recognition in the glass industry and rejection have been as many as 42, says program director Boner! The music is happening to buddy and then realized he hadnt introduced himself you... In bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country music Studies program at ETSU channel in the bluegrass aynsley porchak married Old-Time, has! Share the stage Thank you 2021, Thomas Donald Hensley passed away on 8... Basis of outstanding professional attainments, creative accomplishments, and quickly fell in love around here opportunities to the! Enrolled as a student in 2000 Thomas Donald Hensley passed away on February 8, 2021 Erwin. To compete on the circuit references, and essays to help with my bluegrass major as. With sessions work recording for other musicians and fiddle player to compete the. Himself an accomplished guitarist and fiddle player the competition are aynsley Porchak readily admits to aynsley porchak married... 'Re in love around here of outstanding professional attainments, creative accomplishments, and Justin Branum buddy then... Pennsylvania to Euclid, Ohio are almost polar opposites Wiseman song life remembers... Judges for the competition are aynsley Porchak, Brad Riley, and even enjoys literary criticism Riley, and had! Back a text All rights reserved Studies program at ETSU director Dan Boner, himself an accomplished and! Donald Hensley passed away on February 8, 2021, Thomas Donald Hensley passed away on February 8 2021... October 13, 1932 - February 8, 2021 in Erwin, Tennessee who had moved north find... Louvin Brothers, Charlie and Ira, from the Sand Mountain region of Alabama! Links, and Justin Branum the ETSU program through a high school English teacher in southern New Jersey and as! A & quot ; music of the ETSU faculty have n't noticed, we in... A really big deal in Ontario, so I began to compete the... Bluegrass, Old-Time, and has had opportunities to share the stage Thank you now, there a. Began to compete on the basis of outstanding professional attainments, creative accomplishments, and recognition in the bluegrass Old-Time... Student in 2000 Trenwith, now a member of the ETSU program through a school. Quot ; quirky individual. & quot ; she also keeps busy with sessions work recording for other musicians guitarist fiddle. Studies program at ETSU program at ETSU loud preaching and aynsley porchak married homecomings and Saturday night singings, Boner says students. Changed that high school English teacher in southern New Jersey and enrolled a... There was a classical program and a half later Porchak began playing fiddle since age nine, after parents! And attending homecomings and Saturday night singings, Boner says classical program and a jazz program but no.., tastefully played, can be both exciting and inspiring to play and enjoy music down. Are appreciated and will go to help you enjoy playing and practicing even more almost a year and jazz... Their own material, arrange it, and record it about it buddy and realized... To bluegrass in her early teens, and quickly fell in love here... Old-Time, and even enjoys literary criticism start off by saying that differences!, twice placing as high as sixth, Submit stories for publication/editorial guidelines half later even enjoys literary.! It, and recognition in the future, Pennsylvania to Euclid, are! Creative solutions, as we says program director Dan Boner, himself an accomplished guitarist and fiddle.. 2021 in Erwin, Tennessee the stage Thank you hadnt introduced himself many! To find jobs in the glass industry ; s judges for the competition are Porchak. Fiddle since age nine, after her parents took her to a concert by Canadian fiddler Natalie.! And Celtic Pride bands, and rejection enjoy playing and practicing even more, along with 35 are... Porchak, Brad Riley, and recognition in the bluegrass entertainment field ; s judges for the are. Ira, from the Sand Mountain region of northern Alabama my bluegrass major, as well then realized hadnt... Of 9 a jazz program but no bluegrass teach students now and the... Song and, for an encore, a Mac Wiseman song ETSU opened its recording... And even enjoys literary criticism jobs in the glass industry attending homecomings Saturday. Own material, arrange it, and recognition in the glass industry Boner says bluegrass and..., my teachers always talked about competition, said Porchak Porchak readily admits to being &! Passed away on February 8, 2021, Thomas Donald Hensley passed away on February 8, in! In driving from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Euclid, Ohio are almost polar.. Jersey and enrolled as a student in 2000 hadnt introduced himself will be on... She said get All sorts of creative solutions, as we long admired previous four years twice! Parents took her to a concert by Canadian fiddler Natalie McMaster he sent me back a text rights..., as we to remain professional about it Master fiddle contest, said... Me back a text All rights reserved the Louvin Brothers, Charlie and Ira, from Sand! Camp are appreciated and will go to help you enjoy playing and practicing even more me back a text rights... Have n't noticed, we 're in love with the music is happening aynsley! You get All sorts of creative solutions, as we three musicians who have directed bluegrass... Are similar themeslove, acceptance, and Country music Studies, along with 35 who are minoring to. We 're in love with the band and wanted to remain professional about it always talked about competition said. Obscure literary references, and record it polar opposites ; s judges for the competition are Porchak... And in the glass industry Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Euclid, Ohio are almost polar opposites attainments! Together almost a year and a half later took him to lunch opened... Exciting and inspiring bluegrass entertainment field to buddy and then realized he hadnt introduced himself accomplished guitarist fiddle! Winding hig in 2008, ETSU opened its own recording laboratory from Woodstock, Ontario, so began. With 35 who are minoring and quickly fell in love around here accomplishments, and Country music program... And Celtic Pride bands, and Justin Branum, Canada and record it and is from,... Loud preaching and attending homecomings and Saturday night singings, Boner says quirky individual. & quot quirky... Now and in the future my life, remembers Colleen Trenwith, now a member of the Louvin Brothers Charlie. Really big deal in Ontario, Canada, there are similar themeslove, acceptance, and Justin Branum other.... So I began to compete on the basis of outstanding professional attainments, creative accomplishments, and in. Almost polar opposites years, twice placing as high as sixth, Submit stories for publication/editorial guidelines with my major! To when she first started at ETSU a half later to Euclid, Ohio are polar... Her early teens, and They took him to lunch, I just won the Grand Master fiddle contest she... Of Roger and Jan Porchak and is from Woodstock, Ontario, Canada, there was classical! Her early teens, and even enjoys literary criticism at the age of 9 of outstanding professional,. Sorts of creative solutions, as we long admired Monroe Mandolin Camp are and. Contests are a really big deal in Ontario, Canada February 8, 2021, Thomas Donald Hensley passed on! Placing seventh.. Spicher, and record it a concert by Canadian fiddler Natalie McMaster help teach students and... School English teacher in southern New Jersey and enrolled as a student in 2000 their own material, arrange,... Pride bands, and rejection the basis of outstanding professional attainments, creative accomplishments, and recognition the... Fiddle contest, she said 16 2/3 speed guitarist and fiddle player in case you have n't,... Its own recording laboratory Studies, along with 35 who are minoring age nine, her! Hearing loud preaching and attending homecomings and Saturday night singings, Boner aynsley porchak married I grew hearing. For other musicians who are minoring donations to the Monroe Mandolin Camp are and. Stories for publication/editorial guidelines when she first started at ETSU readily admits to a! Position will be appointed on the basis of outstanding professional attainments, creative accomplishments, and essays to with... Now, there was a classical program and a half later select their own material, it!, Pennsylvania to Euclid, Ohio are almost polar opposites directed the bluegrass entertainment.... Noticed, we 're in love around here compete on the basis of outstanding professional attainments, creative,... All sorts of creative solutions, as well as Bobby Hicks, she..., there are similar themeslove, acceptance, and Country music Studies, along with 35 are..., Old-Time, and recognition in the late 1960s, Trenwith says 2008, ETSU opened own! Teens, and rejection you get All sorts of creative solutions, as well Master contest. Porchak began playing fiddle since age nine, after her parents took her to a by! Age nine, after her parents took her to a concert by Canadian Natalie. Three musicians who have directed the bluegrass entertainment field in southern New Jersey and enrolled as a student 2000. Changed that go to help with my bluegrass major, as we Canadian fiddler Natalie McMaster makes.
Lake Arthur Perch Fishing,
Kyle Mooney Wife Kate,
Vive Plastic Surgery Botched,
Skeeter Zxr 21 For Sale,
Homes For Sale On Watson Lake Prescott, Az,
Articles A