singing the blue(s grass)

i'm related to someone famous.
yup.

and you'll probably never guess who, but she's a famous, award-winning blue-grass singer {and picker} and just a couple years ago i started listening to her. {she's my mom's cousin, so i guess we're second cousins}

i've never {ever ever} been a fan of country music, but i actually have a lot of family background in country/blue grass music. so i guess somehow it runs in my genes. but i'm a classically trained singer and violinist. i've played a lot of fiddle tunes, but it's not what comes naturally. and i definitely don't have that blue grass "twang" when i sing.

but sometimes, just for fun, i play my rhonda vincent real loud in the car {on the way to and from work, way out in the kansan country} and sing even louder. i've mentioned my love of harmony, so i learn all the parts and switch harmonies on every verse {and let me just take a second here to acknowledge that i'm aware that this is super nerdy behavior}

and i've always wanted to play the mandolin. i'm sure i could teach myself the basics, but i can't teach myself how to play blue grass, and until i find a teacher for that, i'll just have to indulge this fantasy through rhonda's backup band.