Named simply The Tennessee Bluegrass Band, this quintet features some of the brightest lights among our music's youth, What happens when you take all the super talented and artistic musicians in the world, and shut them all in for a year with next to no live performance opportunities? After graduation she would like to use her degrees to write and further scholarship in the field of American traditional music. Fiddle contests are a really big deal in Ontario, so I began to compete on the circuit. Carolina the last weekend of September 2015. Monroe did two 15-minute sets, and we played in one of his sets. Those interested may apply at jobs.etsu.edu.. Boner says the equipment, much of it obtained through grant funding, is remarkable. Several courses make use of the lab, including a capstone class that requires students to prepare a four-song demo. 2021, the Meadors left the group to start a family. We've helped hundreds of small business create a successful Web presence. Aynsley Porchak. 2023 California Bluegrass Association. This fund has been established to assist the Hensley family of Flag Pond, Tennessee in their husband's and father's medical bills. . She was introduced to bluegrass through the music of Kenny Baker and Bobby Hicks, and quickly fell in love with the music. She is a connoisseur of tea. the epicenter of all this music.. dont mind, but Mr. Spicher, Ive just got to tell you, Im such a fan of your music, Music program at East Tennessee State University. My jaw dropped, because Id already 2021, signed a recording contract with Billy Blue Records. Music took over my life, remembers Colleen Trenwith, now a member of the ETSU faculty. 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! Porchak has been playing the fiddle since she was 9 years old. She plays in the ETSU She was introduced to bluegrass in her early teens, and quickly fell in love with the music. She came to East Tennessee State University to study in their Bluegrass, Old-Time and Country music program. She was also given the honor of playing the Grand . 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 . She was introduced to bluegrass in her early teens, and quickly fell in love with the music. 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. Aynsley was taken to see influential Cape Breton fiddler Natalie McMaster. 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. top U.S. fiddle championship the previous four years, twice placing as high as sixth, Congratulations to James Mcdowell and Aynsley Porchak on getting engaged yesterday. Aynsley, a native of Woodstock, Ontario, who is a senior at East Tennessee State University In 2017, Porchak won the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Championship, making her the only person in history, thus far, to have captured both titles. huge NBA fan. Porchaks love of the fiddle really began, though, when she was three. With a new album already completed for Billy Blue Records, and a solid year of dates booked, There's a brand new bluegrass band recently formed in east Tennessee that is sure to please anyone who enjoys solid, traditional bluegrass music. Here he is playing with Alison Krauss and ETSU alumnus Barry Bales, then with Krauss and her band, Union Station, in 1991. East Tennessee State University conferred over 2,100 degrees and certificates during a Virtual Commencement Ceremony held May 9. 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. 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. Aynsley is also an experienced contest fiddler. it.. Click here to view the 2022-23 East Tennessean production schedule. Aynsley is working on a graduate degree in Appalachian Studies at ETSU. ETSU now offers a four-year degree in that field, and it has since 2010. Aynsley is also an experienced contest fiddler. We played a Slim Dusty song and, for an encore, a Mac Wiseman song.. 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 thesis is a lyrical analysis of Louvin Brothers songs and how the brothers bridged the gap between the sacred and the secular, Porchak says. Old Time and Country Music Studies in ETSUs Department of Appalachian Studies. but she hesitated because the festival was only two days away, and she had not practiced. The band includes Reese Combs on bass, James McDowell on banjo, as well as Aynsley Porchak, an American and Canadian Grand Master Fiddle Champion. Online access to music lessons with our favorite musicians. 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.. Before I came to ETSU, I was familiar with bluegrass music to some degree, but I was still very much learning the ropes of how to be a bluegrass fiddler. She also looks forward to the Not only would I like to teach that someday, I would love to be able to use my English We live in capitalism. On most any good-weather day, under shade trees and atop brick walls, student-led jam sessions provide free entertainment on the Johnson City campus. All three are alumni of ETSUs Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies Program. More information about bluegrass at ETSU is available online. Were still together almost a year and a half later. During the spring semester of 2019, there were 35 student bands, operating under the auspices of what is now the Department of Appalachian Studies. She also played in 2016 on the Grand Ole Opry. In order to further hone her craft, Aynsley enrolled in East Tennessee State Universitys Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies degree program in 2013. She is the first person to win both competitions. Formed in 2020 by Aynsley Porchak (fiddle), Lincoln Hensley (banjo), John Meador (guitar), Gracie Meador (bass) and Tim Laughlin (mandolin). Very cool. 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. This year's judges for the competition are Aynsley Porchak, Brad Riley, and Justin Branum. that said, WHAT?!?!? While playing local bars and restaurants like the Chuckey Trading Company, Chesney earned his Mass Communications degree from ETSU in 1990. 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. appreciate the care that ETSU has put into its music programs. 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. As I argue, one particular duo of Appalachian musicians, the . Now she teaches fiddle at ETSU. ), doctor of audiology (Au.D. I love the diversity [of ETSU], we have so many awesome teachers here, its a blessing, said Porchak. After this amazing achievement, Porchak plans to focus on earning her graduate degree. ), doctor of public health (Dr.P.H. Nearby a bass fiddle vibrates the floor. It brings a monumental sense of pride to see such accomplishments for a fellow student at ETSU. She had been playing fiddle since age nine, after her parents took her to a concert by Canadian fiddler Natalie McMaster. The group formed as a spin-off of the band Carolina Blue. TENNESSEE BLUEGRASS BAND From east Tennessee. Aynsley managed to secure a couple of lessons with legendary session fiddler Buddy I started my BLUE degree at ETSU with the goal of someday being able to make an impact through teaching in higher education, so this is truly a dream come true for me. Patch was also recorded as the title track of a Grammy Award-winning album by another minds when she was a toddler in Canada. Woodstock, Ontario, native Aynsley Porchak is a perfect example of this very heart and soul. When they found out that it was the fiddle that I . In addition to playing fiddle professionally This is a labor of love,but every dollar = a cup of coffee whileI work at keeping this resource up to date.Thanks for whatever you send my way! with a double major in bluegrass and English, was actually scheduled to perform with of mine, and the idea of playing there it hasnt sunk in yet.. She also played in 2016 on the Grand Ole Opry. So, I just won the Grand Master Fiddle contest, she said. New Zealand had one channel in the late 1960s, Trenwith says. However, I soon discovered my love for American styles of fiddling, and when I was Magazine every week in your inbox. Submit stories for publication/editorial guidelines. My number one goal is to teach music, especially higher education, said Porchak. to grow, give back, and be the best I can. High-res versions are in Flickr. 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. Now, there are some 60 students majoring in Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies, along with 35 who are minoring. This week's (and last weekend's) adventures were one for the books!! His image is repeated several times in a Brooks Gym hallway photo mural, near those of the Stanley Brothers, the Carter Family, and Bonnie Lou and Buster, a duo that played live on Johnson Citys WJHL-TV in the 1960s. Music really does mean a lot to me. Colleen Trenwith and the Hamilton County Bluegrass Band became household names in New Zealand. In 2012, after years of lessons, Porchak traveled with her family to Nashville to participate in the Grand Masters Fiddle Championship. Lots of cool memories, and good prospects for the future. From her carseat, she demanded that her mother stop dialing the radio when station BX 93 in London, Ontario, aired songs by country artists Garth Brooks, Alan Jackson, and George Strait, whose sidemen played the fiddle. In 2015, she won the Grand Master Fiddler Championship in Nashville, Tennessee, and performed on the Grand Old Opry stage. Her technical prowess is second to none. Soon the band was invited to perform on television. and how music, tastefully played, can be both exciting and inspiring. 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. seafood place and this man came up to our table, saying, Excuse me, I hope you When the students are done with their degrees, they get to have in their hands a product they can use for promotion, Boner says. and touring with a band, she would love to teach both music and English. Supporting and inspiring the next generation to play and enjoy music. However, by February, James was starting to have a crush on me but I was completely oblivious. My Profile Maybe the newest great love story to emerge, is that of Carolina Blue's James McDowell and Aynsley Porchak, aka "Jaymsley." Most importantly, I put God above all, They'll perform two shows for us on Saturday, March 28th. 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. 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. Her love of classic cars (she This was right after the O Brother, Where Art Thou? phenomenon, and programs like ours were exploding, Boner 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. Spicher, and they took him to lunch. He earned a degree in Vocal Music Education at ETSU before the university started awarding degrees in Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies. He writes, Ill forever be grateful to the Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies program. 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 spends her time off the road as a private fiddle instructor, session musician, and author. ETSU student Aynsley Porchak (right) is the only person ever to win both the American and Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Championships. Championship. This eventually led to the Grand Master Championship and the Tennessee State Fiddle There was one Oklahoma Stomp, the song was adapted for the fiddle and renamed by Dale Potter, one She speaks highly of the teachers and the program. I couldnt believe it when he said that, because that was exactly what 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. Kenny Chesney (seated) during his student days at ETSU. After all, we've got some of th. 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. Her love of classic cars (she collected die-cast cars as a youngster) led to her hobby of photography. My Profile After all, shed already appeared in this From a little girl, my teachers always talked about competition, said Porchak. Website design and development by Camellia Digital Agency. 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. I loved the sound of the program, because it incorporated the Im honored to begin this amazing opportunity to work with ETSU, its faculty and students.. they took such an interest in this style of music as to start a degree program for I slowed the record down to 16 2/3 speed. Boner joined his first southern gospel group when he was eight, and by the age of 11, he was playing fiddle with the Strings of Gospel. L-R: Jack Tottle, Raymond McLain, and Dan Boner. She earned a double bachelor's in both English . 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. It brings ETSU great pride to congratulate such an accomplished student. After visiting the campus, Aynsley enrolled at ETSU in the fall of 2013, and she still Well you get all sorts of creative solutions, as we. that as the 2015 winner, she will be a judge for the 2016 competition and perform In order to further hone her craft, Aynsley enrolled in East Tennessee State Universitys Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies degree program in 2013. I shocked myself, because I didnt think Id make the top 10, she continued, adding Then, finally, late at night, I go back to my bunk and write until I fall asleep.. While we both thought the other was nice, it wasnt love at first sight. 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. The program at South Plains College, a two-year school in Levelland, Texas, is one year older, but ETSUs program is the countrys largest and most extensive. Aynsley is also an experienced contest fiddler. of the fiddle players who influenced Aynsley the most as a young musician. They made their SOIMF debut in 2018 and we are thrilled to have this award-winning band return to the Roberts Centre this spring. Fiddle I didnt want to mess things up with the band and wanted to remain professional about it. 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. Near her home in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada, there was a classical program and a jazz program but no bluegrass. 16 years old, I went to Weiser, Idaho, for the National Old Time Fiddlers Contest, 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. Bluegrass, Old Time and Country Music Studies program, Jake Workman releases 20 Flatpick Standards, Vol. Aynsley Porchak and Lincoln Hensley went to school together through the East Tennessee State University Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies program. 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. Lessons, links, and essays to help you enjoy playing and practicing even more. 2023 Arts Alliance Mountain Empire. The program also wants to remind everyone of their newest faculty opportunity, an Artist In Residence position, starting this Fall. He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents. At the end of every semester, ETSU bands perform at a Johnson City institution, The Down Home, which opened in 1976. May 16 1932-July 5 2019Recorded on The Vox (Custom Sho. This man came up to our table and he recognized Buddy. They are here to take part in an academic program like no other: Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies. I feel like the versatility of the fiddle and its ability to fit into many different genres makes it all the more enjoyable for me to play. Fiddler Aynsley Porchak didnt grow up in a musical household, but her parents always supported her musical interest. cancellation, she headed to Nashville to surprise one of her own students, who was In the video below, East Tennessee State University senior bluegrass and English major competing in the youth division of the Grand Master Championship. Basically, my goals are to be a blessing to others, to get as good as I possibly I don't think there's anything wrong with pullin pop into the genre with covers like this. The skilled fiddler hopes to even possibly teach at ETSU in the future. Word about her musical past spread quickly on campus, and by the time she had achieved sophomore status, she was hired as an adjunct faculty member. Natalie and her music, so when I was 9 years old, I started taking fiddle lessons. There are similar themeslove, acceptance, and rejection.. Pennsylvania brothers Jacob and Joey Mosley grew up tagging along with their father, Jeffrey, to bluegrass festivals in southern Pennsylvania and northern Maryland. a university, Aynsley said. 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! Website design and development by Camellia Digital Agency. Id been looking for. Blue Added to East Public Relations /a > Aynsley Porchak fiddled for the now disbanded Carolina.. Though, from a young age, Porchak dreamed of a competing in bluegrass; she never imagined it would actually come true. 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