Thursday, June 17, 2010

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.


3 comments:

  1. Very cool. I'm not really into blue(s grass) either -- I was born in NJ, so Springsteen, Bon Jovi, and other rock comes more naturally to me. I remember my father tried to put country on once when we were taking a trip to Florida -- my brother and I protested for miles until he turned it off. As I've gotten older, I've grown to appreciate some of the sounds and instruments, but I still don't listen to it much. So cool you're related to someone who is SO well known in that world, though.

    ReplyDelete
  2. wow, she's really good!! i have a special place in my heart for bluegrass.. it's very nostalgic for me. my hubby used to play in a bluegrass band in college & i would go to all of his shows. he played a lot of festivals -- they were a blast! lots of dancing and beer drinking. hah. thanks for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I love her!!! We come from a long line of blue grass and fiddle players. I love the visual of you belting this out in the car. ;D

    ReplyDelete