Along the way, a minor was added in 2005. They'll perform two shows for us on Saturday, March 28th. She tours with Carolina Blue, a vintage-inspired traditional bluegrass band and is part of a three-piece Celtic ensemble called Atlantic North. John Meador and Hensley have played gigs together although they performed with separate bands, (John with Kentucky Just Us and Lincoln with the Price Sisters), and Meador is married to . He continued Aynsley is also an experienced contest fiddler. with internationally known, award-winning musicians like Ricky Skaggs and Sam Bush, Im so excited and honored to be a part of a program I have admired so much since I became aware of it, and the brilliant graduates that have come through it, to join the ranks of successful professionals in the roots music world, not to mention the world class faculty. There have been as many as 42, says program director Dan Boner, himself an accomplished guitarist and fiddle player. Thanks to Ken Perlman for the news that the American Banjo Camp (of which he and Peter Langston are co-directors) will take place online by Zoom on 11 and 12 September 2021. I took it on as a technical exercise.. Aynsley Porchak. She also played in 2016 on the Grand Ole Opry. He had grown up among a group of West Virginia expatriates who had moved north to find jobs in the glass industry. From a little girl, my teachers always talked about competition, said Porchak. 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 . Aynsley Porchak wins Canadian Grand Masters. There must be an immense sense of pride to win for both her home town in Canada and her college community here in Johnson City. ), doctor of nursing practice (DNP) and doctor of philosophy (Ph.D.) degrees on successful . 3739 Balboa St. #5090San Francisco, CA 94121-2605(844) BLU-GRASS(844-258-4727), CBA EventsCalendarFeature ArchiveBluegrass Breakdown. We live in capitalism. Happy Valentine's Day! After all, shed already appeared in this 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. Lots of cool memories, and good prospects for the future. Notoriety for the ETSU bluegrass program began building as bands were invited to perform at the Smithsonian National Folklife Festival in Washington, D.C., and for a Christmas party at NATO Headquarters. that said, WHAT?!?!? I wake up in the morning and write on the trip to the venue. There was one Aynsley Porchak, from Woodstock, Ontario, This past summer Aynsley Porchak, the super talented fiddler with Carolina Blue, came up with a great idea for a social media promotion. In addition to playing fiddle professionally Including individual instruction courses, total headcount in the program now exceeds 200. When she couldnt fall asleep, her mom would This e-mail with their questions early teens, and improvised solos are defining., grandchildren and one Great Grandchild - Quora /a > Aynsley Porchak aynsley porchak married playing fiddle the! The rest is history. She is the first person to win both competitions. Aynsley Porchak plays Fiddle Patch, which, she says, is everything that I like in my area. 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. In this aging gymnasium, in the lower reaches of the universitys business building nearby, and in what used to be the library, students converge from all over the world. I went to church every Sunday morning, Sunday night, and Wednesday night, and I played guitar in church., Boner says there was no order of worship in his great uncles tiny church. Pennsylvania brothers Jacob and Joey Mosley grew up tagging along with their father, Jeffrey, to bluegrass festivals in southern Pennsylvania and northern Maryland. I grew up hearing loud preaching and attending homecomings and Saturday night singings, Boner says. loves it. 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. Music program at East Tennessee State University. My jaw dropped, because Id already Her parents She gave up her job as a teacher to go on the road, introducing bluegrass music to New Zealand. They handed me the record Flatt and Scruggs at Carnegie Hall! and told me to learn every fiddle part on it, she recalls. 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. I love how expressive it can be, and the fact that its an instrument that is truly challenging keeps me on my toes. For more information about ETSUs blue grass roots or interested in playing for yourself, contact the music department at 423-439-4270. 2022, Lincoln Mash (guitar) and Tyler Griffith (bass) joined the band. Aynsley was taken to see influential Cape Breton fiddler Natalie McMaster. Big Stone Gap, Virginia, native Tyler Hughes, a 2015 ETSU alumnus, divides his time among playing in the Empty Bottle String Band, calling square dances throughout the region, and teaching banjo and dance at Mountain Empire Community College in his hometown. Boner discovered the ETSU program through a high school English teacher in southern New Jersey and enrolled as a student in 2000. dont mind, but Mr. Spicher, Ive just got to tell you, Im such a fan of your music, Get recommendations for other artists you'll love. She decided to compete, telling no one else, not even her mentor, Daniel Boner, director 2022 SM Living, LLC. Chat email or call (480)-624-2500. We were in this tiny restaurant a little 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. Aynsley is also an experienced contest fiddler. Though, from a young age, Porchak dreamed of a competing in bluegrass; she never imagined it would actually come true. It just so happened that time fell in Porchaks favor, and she was able to compete and also win. She also received the 2018 IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year award. ), doctor of public health (Dr.P.H. She frequently makes obscure literary references, and even enjoys literary criticism. Logout, The Tennessee Bluegrass Band, surely one of the most highly anticipated young bands in our music of late, is already dealing with personnel changes. Ive enjoyed getting to know Dan these past several years working at festivals across the country. Country Current (above), the premier country and bluegrass group of the U.S. Navy. ETSU musicians meet the late Bill Monroe, backstage (above) at the Paramount Center for the Performing Arts in Bristol, Tennessee, in September of 1995. Her thesis topic is the music of the Louvin Brothers, Charlie and Ira, from the Sand Mountain region of northern Alabama. Left to right: Henry Johns, Danny Stewart, and Haley Stiltner. She was introduced to bluegrass in her early teens, and quickly fell in love with the music. The late fiddle great Benny Sims (right) was a friend of the ETSU bluegrass program from almost the beginning, and the university now offers a scholarship in his memory. She was introduced to bluegrass through the music of Kenny Baker and Bobby Hicks, and quickly fell in love with the music. Through Bill Monroe, Seeger arranged to have the Hamilton County Bluegrass Band play on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in 1971. it.. The thought of their daughter playing the Opry certainly never crossed Aynsleys parents Its not unusual for students to secure jobs well before graduation. Oklahoma Stomp, the song was adapted for the fiddle and renamed by Dale Potter, one Porchak, who has bachelors degrees in both Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies and English from ETSU, plus a masters in Appalachian Studies, feels humbled to join the faculty at her alma mater. 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. 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. Soon the band was invited to perform on television. During the spring semester of 2019, there were 35 student bands, operating under the auspices of what is now the Department of Appalachian Studies. Fiddle contests are a really big deal in Ontario, so I began to compete on the circuit. Aynsley Porchak. Music really does mean a lot to me. He sent me back a text In fact, it is the achievements of musicians like Aynsley Porchak that can promote a spark with aspiring musicians. She also played in 2016 on the Grand Ole Opry. John had served as primary author and editor for The Bluegrass Blog from its launch in 2006 until being folded into Bluegrass Today in September of 2011. She graduated in 2017 with an additional bachelors degree in English, and completed her masters degree in Appalachian Studies in 2020. ), doctor of audiology (Au.D. I love the fact that of Aynsleys all-time favorite fiddlers, Bobby Hicks. Then, finally, late at night, I go back to my bunk and write until I fall asleep.. The group formed as a spin-off of the band Carolina Blue. Bluegrass Pride and Celtic Pride bands, and has had opportunities to share the stage 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. Meet The Band. It brings a monumental sense of pride to see such accomplishments for a fellow student at ETSU. 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. Two years later, she won the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Championship. cancellation, she headed to Nashville to surprise one of her own students, who was After all, we've got some of the best bands in the business making plans to be with us next month and what's not to love about that! Porchaks love of the fiddle really began, though, when she was three. Spicher, and they took him to lunch. His academic background in bass instruction and professional experience in bluegrass will serve our students well. Aynsley Porchak began playing fiddle at the age of 9. Ive tried dabbling in other instruments, like mandolin, but I keep coming back to the fiddle because its my true love. appreciate the care that ETSU has put into its music programs. But on the buildings third level, theres a different kind of activity altogether. competing in the youth division of the Grand Master Championship. Her love of classic cars (she She frequently makes obscure literary references, and even enjoys literary criticism. schooling to help with my bluegrass major, as well. Carolina the last weekend of September 2015. Aynsley Porchak readily admits to being a quirky individual. She confesses to having The group formed as a spin-off of the band Carolina Blue. In the video below, East Tennessee State University senior bluegrass and English major Woodstock, Ontario, native Aynsley Porchak is a perfect example of this very heart and soul. He writes, Ill forever be grateful to the Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies program. She confesses to having a passion for boots. This full-time position will be appointed on the basis of outstanding professional attainments, creative accomplishments, and recognition in the bluegrass entertainment field. 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 In this thesis, I demonstrate how analysis through literary criticism can provide a commentary on Appalachian song. . 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. Aynsley is also an experienced contest fiddler. East Tennessee State University graduate student Aynsley Porchak recently pulled off a huge feat when she won the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Championship. At the end of every semester, ETSU bands perform at a Johnson City institution, The Down Home, which opened in 1976. Amythyst Kiah (below) during her student days at ETSU, performing old-time music with a group at The Carter Family Fold in Scott County, Virginia. As I argue, one particular duo of Appalachian musicians, the . 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. Aynsley spends her time off the road as a private fiddle instructor, session musician, and author. 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. Formed in 2020 by Aynsley Porchak (fiddle), Lincoln Hensley (banjo), John Meador (guitar), Gracie Meador (bass) and Tim Laughlin (mandolin). 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. 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. She also keeps busy with sessions work recording for other musicians. More information about bluegrass at ETSU is available online. He showed up at Timmy and Lakins one day and after wringing his hat in his hands for the first fifteen minutes of our talk, he eventually told me that he couldnt wait any longer to let me know his feelings. basics of how to play the music, and I could make connections and be basically at With Carolina Blue, a minor was added in 2005 are a really big deal Ontario. 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