Magazine every week in your inbox. 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! She performs with the ETSU Bluegrass, Celtic and Country Pride Bands. She also played in 2016 on the Grand Ole Opry. it was probably the fiddle which attracted her to the music. 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 . 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. After touring with New Zealand singer Tex Morton, described by Trenwith as a hypnotist, whip-cracker, and sharpshooter, the band linked up with Slim Dusty, a legendary Australian country singer as popular Down Under, Trenwith says, as Johnny Cash was in the States. 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. When the students are done with their degrees, they get to have in their hands a product they can use for promotion, Boner says. However, I soon discovered my love for American styles of fiddling, and when I was In 2015, she won the Grand Master Fiddler Championship in Nashville, Tennessee, and performed on the Grand Old Opry stage. When Carolina Blue co-founder Bobby Powell left the group, he took the name Carolina Blue with him and the remaining members formed a new band. East Tennessee State University conferred over 2,100 degrees and certificates during a Virtual Commencement Ceremony held May 9. Still, though, Trenwith felt she needed more knowledge. She tours with Carolina Blue, a vintage-inspired traditional bluegrass band and is part of a three-piece Celtic ensemble called Atlantic North. and the area. ETSU student Aynsley Porchak (right) is the only person ever to win both the American and Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Championships. I loved of the fiddle players who influenced Aynsley the most as a young musician. ! It was on Facebook before I even knew it. High-res versions are in Flickr. Sister, father, mother. There have been as many as 42, says program director Dan Boner, himself an accomplished guitarist and fiddle player. Contact Us. Nearby a bass fiddle vibrates the floor. She also played in 2016 on the Grand Ole Opry. She plays in the ETSU Along the way, a minor was added in 2005. 2022 SM Living, LLC. As I argue, one particular duo of Appalachian musicians, the . She accepted Paul Trenwiths invitation to join the Hamilton County Bluegrass Band as well as his marriage proposal. We've helped hundreds of small business create a successful Web presence. She also looks forward to the After all, we've got some of th. This man came up to our table and he recognized Buddy. She came to East Tennessee State University to study in their Bluegrass, Old-Time and Country music program. This recent graduate of the bluegrass program at East Tennessee State University is an Ontario native, and a professional performer, who won both the US and, The dream for every college student - and every parent back home mailing the checks - is to find a job in their field right after graduation. It gives us a venue to showcase our students to the public. Owner Ed Snodderly, who teaches dobro and guitar at ETSU, fittingly calls it a listening room. 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. I don't think there's anything wrong with pullin pop into the genre with covers like this. Formed in 2020 by Aynsley Porchak (fiddle), Lincoln Hensley (banjo), John Meador (guitar), Gracie Meador (bass) and Tim Laughlin (mandolin). Dan Eubanks, bassist with Special Consensus, and Aynsley Porchak. His great uncle, Larry Boner, was a guitar-strumming preacher. dont mind, but Mr. Spicher, Ive just got to tell you, Im such a fan of your music, 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. 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. Aynsley Porchak, a Grand Master Fiddle Champion and ETSU student majoring in Bluegrass, Old Time, Country and Celtic Music as well as English, made her Grand Ole Opry performance debut on Sept. 3, 2016. It gives me a chance to be where the music is happening. Fiddler Aynsley Porchak didnt grow up in a musical household, but her parents always supported her musical interest. We played a Slim Dusty song and, for an encore, a Mac Wiseman song.. One of those great bands is Carolina Blue from Brevard, NC. But that wasn't all. This is an historic first, making her. loves it. But I was set at ease immediately, and I love the campus Aynsley Porchak began playing fiddle at the age of 9. Majors & MinorsCost EstimateRequest InfoVisitApplyGive. Valentines Day has us thinking about all the great love stories in Bluegrass: Kenny & Amanda Smith, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Paul & Kelsi Harrigill, Little Roy and Mike Terryyou get the drift. Music took over my life, remembers Colleen Trenwith, now a member of the ETSU faculty. Aynsley Porchak is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Nina Hensley. Then, finally, late at night, I go back to my bunk and write until I fall asleep.. 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. They select their own material, arrange it, and record it. 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. Happy Valentine's Day! said, My name is Dan Boner, and Im director of the Bluegrass, Old Time and Country Practice, play, and perform at the Father's Day Festival. Aynsley Porchak(Photograph contributed / ETSU). International Bluegrass Music Association 4206 Gallatin Pk Nashville, TN 37216 USA Map it Phone 615-256-3222 | Toll Free 1-888-438-4262 . 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. Music program at East Tennessee State University. My jaw dropped, because Id already But it was good ear training, listening to what people were singing and trying to match it on guitar.. 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. To add another international dimension to her story, Porchak won those competitions playing a fiddle inlaid with ivory and rosewood and crafted by Xiadong Guan, who made and repaired violins for the Beijing Symphony before he moved to Canada. So did the divine right of kings. When Carolina Blue co-founder Bobby Powell left the group, he took the name Carolina It brings ETSU great pride to congratulate such an accomplished student. Madly, crazy in love withBLUEGRASS!! Tennessee Bluegrass Band looking for new members, Save Me All the Heartaches first single from Tone Tuesday, ETSU welcomes Aynsley Porchak and Dan Eubanks to bluegrass faculty, Moments in Bluegrass: BG75 #12 Kenny Baker Plays Bill Monroe, Aynsley Plays Kenny on social media in July, Aynsley Porchak wins Canadian Grand Masters, 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. ETSU now offers a four-year degree in that field, and it has since 2010. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents. Meet The Band. She also keeps busy with sessions work recording for other musicians. But bluegrass courses and private instruction quickly changed that. New Zealand had one channel in the late 1960s, Trenwith says. As Jack Tottle points out, Chesney was a novice guitar player when he first stepped onto the ETSU campus. He introduced himself as Dan Boner, Director of the Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies Program at East Tennessee State University.. I feel God has blessed me with the ability to play, and so I want to give back to others through my fiddling, whether that means teaching fiddle lessons, performing on stage and making people smile, or just simply talking to an audience member after a show. No, it didn't hurt anymore to think about Kestrel. Aynsley Porchak (2018) (of Carolina Blue) - Instrumentalist of the Year. I love how expressive it can be, and the fact that its an instrument that is truly challenging keeps me on my toes. She graduated in 2017 with an additional bachelors degree in English, and completed her masters degree in Appalachian Studies in 2020. He was a huge influence on us, says Trenwith. Click here if youre interested in buying an ad. 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. He is proud to see his cousins, Carl and J.P. Sauceman and their Green Valley Boys, pictured on the mural in Brooks Gym. The rest is history. 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. 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. 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. It brings a monumental sense of pride to see such accomplishments for a fellow student at ETSU. with internationally known, award-winning musicians like Ricky Skaggs and Sam Bush, Online access to music lessons with our favorite musicians. I took it on as a technical exercise.. Aynsley began playing fiddle at the age of 9. 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. Aynsley spends her time off the road as a private fiddle instructor, session musician, and author. 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.. When they found out that it was the fiddle that I . One of those is Aynsley Porchak. She was introduced to bluegrass in her early teens, and quickly fell in love with the music. Aynsley Porchak readily admits to being a "quirky individual.". Aynsley Porchak began playing fiddle at the age of 9. jazz program, and (there were) lots of classical programs, but nothing like bluegrass Looks like this story got lost in the preparations for the World of Bluegrass. Porchaks love of the fiddle really began, though, when she was three. In 2008, ETSU opened its own recording laboratory. In fact, the fiddle player did not even intend to compete in the 2017 Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Championship due to time constraints. So close to the university, we have this amazing place where so many influential musicians have played, says Porchak. As well, I just needed to get used to the idea since I never thought of James in that wayI told him that while I wasnt completely repulsed by him I wasnt sure. They handed me the record Flatt and Scruggs at Carnegie Hall! and told me to learn every fiddle part on it, she recalls. This week's (and last weekend's) adventures were one for the books!! Through a woman who had come from Asheville, North Carolina, to New Zealand to study dairy farming, she found out about ETSUs offerings in bluegrass and traditional music. 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.. but she hesitated because the festival was only two days away, and she had not practiced. 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