They handed me the record Flatt and Scruggs at Carnegie Hall! and told me to learn every fiddle part on it, she recalls. In 2016, she earned a bachelor of science degree in General Studies with a minor in Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies and is now a full-time member of the faculty. to grow, give back, and be the best I can. 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. 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. 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. Near her home in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada, there was a classical program and a jazz program but no bluegrass. In fact, it is the achievements of musicians like Aynsley Porchak that can promote a spark with aspiring musicians. with internationally known, award-winning musicians like Ricky Skaggs and Sam Bush, She also played in 2016 on the Grand Ole Opry. All rights reserved. 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. Practice, play, and perform at the Father's Day Festival. He writes, Ill forever be grateful to the 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. I love the diversity [of ETSU], we have so many awesome teachers here, its a blessing, said Porchak. I couldnt believe it when he said that, because that was exactly what 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. The Meadors are married. After all, shed already appeared in this Porchak also loves the sense of community here at ETSU; as well as just being around such great music. As a girl in Wellington, New Zealand, she would gather with her family around the piano while her father, Gordon Bain, played old songs like Its a Long Way to Tipperary. When she was eight, she started taking classical violin lessons. All rights reserved. She is a She graduated in 2017 with an additional bachelors degree in English, and completed her masters degree in Appalachian Studies in 2020. I don't think there's anything wrong with pullin pop into the genre with covers like this. Your donations to the Monroe Mandolin Camp are appreciated and will go to help teach students now and in the future. Left to right: Henry Johns, Danny Stewart, and Haley Stiltner. Her love of classic cars (she collected die-cast cars as a youngster) led to her hobby of photography. In 2018, Porchak won the International Bluegrass Music Associations Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year award, for up-and-coming artists. 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. Chat email or call (480)-624-2500. One year, while she and her parents were in Nashville for the Grand Master contest, We were the resident band for a program called Country Touch, based on early Grand Ole Opry television shows.. Meet The Band. 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 gives me a chance to be where the music is happening. Porchaks love of the fiddle really began, though, when she was three. with a double major in bluegrass and English, was actually scheduled to perform with 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 He continues in that capacity here, managing a strong team of columnists and correspondents. urged her to compete while she was there. Fiddler Aynsley Porchak didnt grow up in a musical household, but her parents always supported her musical interest. For this video performance Website design and development by Camellia Digital Agency. top U.S. fiddle championship the previous four years, twice placing as high as sixth, competing in the youth division of the Grand Master Championship. She was introduced to bluegrass through the music of Kenny Baker and Bobby Hicks, and quickly fell in love with the music. Oklahoma Stomp, the song was adapted for the fiddle and renamed by Dale Potter, one Im honored to begin this amazing opportunity to work with ETSU, its faculty and students.. From a little girl, my teachers always talked about competition, said Porchak. There are similar themeslove, acceptance, and rejection.. Magazine every week in your inbox. Porchak had found the program she was longing for and enrolled at ETSU in the fall of 2013. She was introduced to bluegrass in her early teens, and quickly fell in love with the music. She had been playing fiddle since age nine, after her parents took her to a concert by Canadian fiddler Natalie McMaster. 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. 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. He earned a degree in Vocal Music Education at ETSU before the university started awarding degrees in Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies. 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. Supporting and inspiring the next generation to play and enjoy music. Powell (guitar and vocals) said he and the Carolina Blue band members, which includes Jones (mandolin and vocals), McDowell (banjo and vocals), Reese Combs (upright bass and vocals) and Aynsley Porchak (fiddle, recipient of the 2018 IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist Award), "are on the same page when it comes to music and lifestyle. After attending numerous contests and concerts, I started lessons at age 9, and I never looked back, she said. Basically, my goals are to be a blessing to others, to get as good as I possibly When it comes to English, British Victorian literature is my cup of tea, she says. So did the divine right of kings. Warren (Feb. 19, 7:30 p.m., Culp Auditorium, www.etsu.edu/martin). Aynsley Porchak and Lincoln Hensley went to school together through the East Tennessee State University Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies program. a passion for boots. 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 This fund has been established to assist the Hensley family of Flag Pond, Tennessee in their husband's and father's medical bills. put her in the car seat and drive around the country block playing music. Aynsley began playing fiddle at the age of 9. This full-time position will be appointed on the basis of outstanding professional attainments, creative accomplishments, and recognition in the bluegrass entertainment field. Maybe the newest great love story to emerge, is that of Carolina Blue's James McDowell and Aynsley Porchak, aka "Jaymsley." Nearby a bass fiddle vibrates the floor. She applied successfully for a Public Performance Scholarship and enrolled. Aynsley Porchak readily admits to being a "quirky individual.". 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.. 16 years old, I went to Weiser, Idaho, for the National Old Time Fiddlers Contest, Very cool. Funeral . Ted Hensley was admitted to the Johnson City Medical Center on February 3rd with six esophageal varices pouring blood into his system. Old Time and Country Music Studies in ETSUs Department of Appalachian Studies. 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. East Tennessee State University All Rights Reserved. Southwest Virginia Museum Historical State Park Accepting Entries for Quilt Show, World-Folk fusion ensemble comes to Big Stone Gap, 'School of Rock' on stage in Jonesborough, Appalachian Music Project announces children's choir, 'Beauty & The Beast Jr.' is at Knoxville Children's Theatre, Southwest Virginia Museum hosts Wise JAMS, Bristol Virginia Historic Preservation Award Program Seeks Nominations, @Southwest Virginia Cultural Center & Marketplace, @University of Virginia's College at Wise. Im a patient teacher, she says. In memory of NC banjo player Hoyt Herbert who passed on this day in 2019. We live in capitalism. 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. Aynsley began playing fiddle at the age of 9. Still, though, Trenwith felt she needed more knowledge. 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! Mommy, right there! That happened repeatedly, and her parents eventually thought the ETSU Bluegrass Pride Band at the Outer Banks Bluegrass Island Festival in North 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. In the video below, East Tennessee State University senior bluegrass and English major When they found out that it was the fiddle that I . Those interested may apply at jobs.etsu.edu.. 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. Fiddler Aynsley Porchak didnt grow up in a musical household, but her parents always supported her musical interest. Aynsley is also an experienced contest fiddler. Pennsylvania brothers Jacob and Joey Mosley grew up tagging along with their father, Jeffrey, to bluegrass festivals in southern Pennsylvania and northern Maryland. However, by February, James was starting to have a crush on me but I was completely oblivious. 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. More information about bluegrass at ETSU is available online. She is the first person to win both competitions. Very cool. Soon the band was invited to perform on television. 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. A violin in Porchaks possession that is too precious for public performance belonged to her great-grandfather, Cazmir Porzak, who left Poland in 1913 when he was 16 with only the clothes he was wearing and his treasured instrument. He was a huge influence on us, says Trenwith. In addition to playing fiddle professionally Monroe did two 15-minute sets, and we played in one of his sets. Boner discovered the ETSU program through a high school English teacher in southern New Jersey and enrolled as a student in 2000. Website design and development by Camellia Digital Agency. IBMA fiddle player of the year, Aynsley Porchak, gets inducted into the Daughters of Bluegrass at Christmas in the Smokies, 2019. She earned a double bachelor's in both English . Lessons, links, and essays to help you enjoy playing and practicing even more. Dan Eubanks, bassist with Special Consensus, and Aynsley Porchak. can with my music, just keep learning because you can always learn and just continue 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. Most importantly, I put God above all, Top Aynsley Porchak Quotes. A true brother of the banjo! 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. that said, WHAT?!?!? During that competition, we were fortunate to have lunch with session musician Buddy Spicher at a tiny little seafood place in Nashville, Porchak remembers. 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. Congratulations to James Mcdowell and Aynsley Porchak on getting engaged yesterday. She also received the 2018 IBMA Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year award. Find an instrument for your child or donate one of yours. Ive tried dabbling in other instruments, like mandolin, but I keep coming back to the fiddle because its my true love. Shortly after winning, she learned that she was the first person ever to win both Canadian and American Grand Masters fiddle championships. The Meadors are married. dont mind, but Mr. Spicher, Ive just got to tell you, Im such a fan of your music, Aynsley is also an experienced contest fiddler. 2021, the Meadors left the group to start a family. Happy Valentine's Day! 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. ETSU wasnt the first higher education institution in America to offer a degree in bluegrass and other traditional music. I texted Daniel right afterward with a picture of me holding the plaque, saying, I loved been graduated for three years, trying to find a program I wanted. Get recommendations for other artists you'll love. Aynsley spends her time off the road as a private fiddle instructor, session musician, and author. level. schooling to help with my bluegrass major, as well. I truly feel like it has changed my life for the better. Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), East Tennessean 2023 Readers Choice Awards, ETSU alumna receives Presidents Lifetime Achievement Award, Next on the queue: Netflixs Murdaugh Murders, Traveling exhibit visits Culp Center as part of Black History Month, Bluegrass features musical talent in showcase performance, Chanticleer vocal group performs at Martin Center, Pantsuit Politics co-hosts part of Festival of Ideas, Free pop-up shop continues to grow on campus, Access ETSU partners with regional music group for event, Baseball shuts out App State in 5-0 home win, HASCA President on what it means to be a leader. Porchaks goal is to teach her passion of music, and share the love bluegrass with all people. 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. ETSU now offers a four-year degree in that field, and it has since 2010. 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. Click on one photo to see large photos in sequence. Let me start off by saying that the differences in driving from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Euclid, Ohio are almost polar opposites. 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. While touring, I write in the RV, she tells me. Aynsley Porchak. Along the way, a minor was added in 2005. L-R: Jack Tottle, Raymond McLain, and Dan Boner. She performs with the ETSU Bluegrass, Celtic and Country Pride Bands. She is a connoisseur of tea. 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? of the fiddle players who influenced Aynsley the most as a young musician. Aynsley Porchak plays Fiddle Patch, which, she says, is everything that I like 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. 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! Music took over my life, remembers Colleen Trenwith, now a member of the ETSU faculty. porchak@mail.etsu.edu; Majors & Minors Cost Estimate Request Info Visit Apply Give. In January of 2018, Porchak secured a steady job playing fiddle for the up-and-coming group Carolina Blue, based in Brevard and Hendersonville, North Carolina. Two years later, she won the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Championship. She plays in the ETSU Madly, crazy in love withBLUEGRASS!! 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. 2023 Arts Alliance Mountain Empire. Receive updates about CBA events and news. She also keeps busy with sessions work recording for other musicians. 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. Aynsley, a native of Woodstock, Ontario, who is a senior at East Tennessee State University All rights reserved. Submit stories for publication/editorial guidelines. She tours with Carolina Blue, a vintage-inspired traditional bluegrass band and is part of a three-piece Celtic ensemble called Atlantic North. She graduated in 2017 with an additional bachelors degree in English, and completed her masters degree in Appalachian Studies in 2020. huge NBA fan. concert later this month when the Bluegrass Pride Band will open for The Earls of After graduation she would like to use her degrees to write and further scholarship in the field of American traditional music. Now she teaches fiddle at ETSU. She confesses to having a passion for boots. 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. In case you haven't noticed, we're in love around here. rolled the radio dial and hit a certain country station, Aynsley would say, Stop, Aynsley Porchak wins Canadian Grand Masters. Find a band near you or share your band info with the world! 2023 California Bluegrass Association. The program also wants to remind everyone of their newest faculty opportunity, an Artist In Residence position, starting this Fall. they took such an interest in this style of music as to start a degree program for And from an impromptu jam session comes the high harmony of twin fiddles. When she couldnt fall asleep, her mom would In 2012, after years of lessons, Porchak traveled with her family to Nashville to participate in the Grand Masters Fiddle Championship. it was probably the fiddle which attracted her to the music. Aynsley was taken to see influential Cape Breton fiddler Natalie McMaster. 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 appointment is for one academic year and is renewable. He is proud to see his cousins, Carl and J.P. Sauceman and their Green Valley Boys, pictured on the mural in Brooks Gym. But on the buildings third level, theres a different kind of activity altogether. The thought of their daughter playing the Opry certainly never crossed Aynsleys parents 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. One of those is Aynsley Porchak. Near her home in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada, there was a classical program and a jazz program but no bluegrass. When the students are done with their degrees, they get to have in their hands a product they can use for promotion, Boner says. 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. But bluegrass courses and private instruction quickly changed that. 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. 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. Through Bill Monroe, Seeger arranged to have the Hamilton County Bluegrass Band play on the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville in 1971. I took it on as a technical exercise.. 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. They made their SOIMF debut in 2018 and we are thrilled to have this award-winning band return to the Roberts Centre this spring. In addition to these adjunct hires, a broad search is currently underway for the Artist in Residence in Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies. The future holds many possibilities for Aynsley. and the area. Aynsley Porchak began playing fiddle at the age of 9. Aynsley is working on a graduate degree in Appalachian Studies at ETSU. TENNESSEE BLUEGRASS BAND From east Tennessee. They are here to take part in an academic program like no other: Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies. Aynsley managed to secure a couple of lessons with legendary session fiddler Buddy Click here for full pdf versions of the 2022-23 print edition. He was like a one-man bluegrass band. In 2018, Aynsley joined the . ! It was on Facebook before I even knew it. Natalie and her music, so when I was 9 years old, I started taking fiddle lessons. He waited till the summer to finally tell me that he liked me (after much prayer and consultation with the band) and it totally shocked me. Aynsley Porchak (2018) (of Carolina Blue) - Instrumentalist of the Year. . She frequently makes obscure literary references, and even enjoys literary criticism. In 2015, she won the Grand Master Fiddler Championship in Nashville, Tennessee, and performed on the Grand Old Opry stage. Read Aynsley Porchak's bio and find out more about Aynsley Porchak's songs, albums, and chart history. the epicenter of all this music.. One of those great bands is Carolina Blue from Brevard, NC. 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. Carolina the last weekend of September 2015.