Click on one photo to see large photos in sequence. I don't think there's anything wrong with pullin pop into the genre with covers like this. This full-time position will be appointed on the basis of outstanding professional attainments, creative accomplishments, and recognition in the bluegrass entertainment field. I loved the sound of the program, because it incorporated the It gives me a chance to be where the music is happening. Madly, crazy in love withBLUEGRASS!! TENNESSEE BLUEGRASS BAND From east Tennessee. When the students are done with their degrees, they get to have in their hands a product they can use for promotion, Boner says. 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 . L-R: Jack Tottle, Raymond McLain, and Dan Boner. Im still in shock, said Porchak, I could have never dreamed I could have been the first [to win both awards].. 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. We live in capitalism. Aynsley has been my twin-fiddle buddy going back to when she first started at ETSU. 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. 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. to grow, give back, and be the best I can. 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. Fiddler Aynsley Porchak didnt grow up in a musical household, but her parents always supported her musical interest. Oklahoma Stomp, the song was adapted for the fiddle and renamed by Dale Potter, one She also has great success in the competitive world of fiddling. Despite busy weekends touring to places like Branson, Missouri; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; and Nashvilles famed Station Inn, Porchaks academic work continues. Aynsley Porchak. She speaks highly of the teachers and the program. 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 handed me the record Flatt and Scruggs at Carnegie Hall! and told me to learn every fiddle part on it, she recalls. They are: Bobby Powell, guitar; Timmy Jones, mandolin; Reese Combs, bass; James McDowell, banjo (who looks like a young Don Stover); and Aynsley Porchak, fiddle (wearing a 'pillbox' hat that reminded Dr Janie of those ladies used to wear to church). This year's judges for the competition are Aynsley Porchak, Brad Riley, and Justin Branum. I was an only child and a homeschooled student, so I had my qualms about coming to Aynsley Porchak began playing fiddle at the age of 9. The future holds many possibilities for Aynsley. He was like a one-man bluegrass band. Chat email or call (480)-624-2500. Formed in 2020 by Aynsley Porchak (fiddle), Lincoln Hensley (banjo), John Meador (guitar), Gracie Meador (bass) and Tim Laughlin (mandolin). Online access to music lessons with our favorite musicians. However, by February, James was starting to have a crush on me but I was completely oblivious. of Bluegrass, Old Time and Country Music Studies in ETSUs Department of Appalachian ! It was on Facebook before I even knew it. Her love of classic cars (she 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. All three are alumni of ETSUs Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies Program. jazz program, and (there were) lots of classical programs, but nothing like bluegrass She also played in 2016 on the Grand Ole Opry. She was introduced to bluegrass in her early teens, and quickly fell in love with the music. IBMA fiddle player of the year, Aynsley Porchak, gets inducted into the Daughters of Bluegrass at Christmas in the Smokies, 2019. She was introduced to bluegrass in her early teens, and quickly fell in love with the music. On each day four back-to-back classes in bluegrass banjo and four back-to-back classes in old-time banjo will be held, and there is a stellar set of instructors, including Greg Cahill and Jeff Scroggins on the bluegrass side. Very cool. When they found out that it was the fiddle that I . In addition to playing fiddle professionally 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. October 13, 1932 - February 8, 2021, Thomas Donald Hensley passed away on February 8, 2021 in Erwin, Tennessee. The Future of the Past. Colleen Trenwith and the Hamilton County Bluegrass Band became household names in New Zealand. Meet The Band. Here he is playing with Alison Krauss and ETSU alumnus Barry Bales, then with Krauss and her band, Union Station, in 1991. Leicester, a Grammy Award-winning, all-star Flatt and Scruggs cover band comprised 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. Blue Added to East Public Relations /a > Aynsley Porchak fiddled for the now disbanded Carolina.. 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. 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. Her technical prowess is second to none. Two years later, she won the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Championship. Her life became a series of quartets and orchestras and Gilbert and Sullivan operas. 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. She also played in 2016 on the Grand Ole Opry. Aynsley Porchak and Lincoln Hensley went to school together through the East Tennessee State University Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies program. 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. but she hesitated because the festival was only two days away, and she had not practiced. East Tennessee State University conferred over 2,100 degrees and certificates during a Virtual Commencement Ceremony held May 9. Happy Valentine's Day! Aynsleys parents 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. In case you haven't noticed, we're in love around here. as well as Bobby Hicks, whom she has long admired. For this video performance New Zealand had one channel in the late 1960s, Trenwith says. Aynsley began playing fiddle at the age of 9. 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. This was right after the O Brother, Where Art Thou? phenomenon, and programs like ours were exploding, Boner says. concert later this month when the Bluegrass Pride Band will open for The Earls of She was also given the honor of playing the Grand . Congratulations to James Mcdowell and Aynsley Porchak on getting engaged yesterday. She performs with the ETSU Bluegrass, Celtic and Country Pride Bands. that as the 2015 winner, she will be a judge for the 2016 competition and perform So, I just won the Grand Master Fiddle contest, she said. Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Roots Music 304 Brooks Memorial Hall | PO Box 70435 Johnson City, TN 37614 (Get Directions) Phone: 423-439-7072; Department of Appalachian Studies. One of those is Aynsley Porchak. To me, that experience really speaks to one of the things that I find most fascinating about the nature of music, " it is an inclusive way of communicating thoughts and culture across the boundaries of regions, and even nations, she says. Music really does mean a lot to me. The band includes Reese Combs on bass, James McDowell on banjo, as well as Aynsley Porchak, an American and Canadian Grand Master Fiddle Champion. 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. East Tennessee State University All Rights Reserved. It brings ETSU great pride to congratulate such an accomplished student. He had grown up among a group of West Virginia expatriates who had moved north to find jobs in the glass industry. All rights reserved. Patch was also recorded as the title track of a Grammy Award-winning album by another Mission Statement and commitment to Diversity, Equality, and Inclusion, Board of Directors, Meeting Calendar, Meeting Minutes, Elections, The team that runs the organization and its events, Our famous festivals, camps, and online events, Contribute your time, energy and creativity. However, I soon discovered my love for American styles of fiddling, and when I was Her parents basics of how to play the music, and I could make connections and be basically at Aynsley Porchak began playing fiddle at the age of 9. It could take me a while, I said, before I knew - it could be days, could be weekscould be monthscould be years! By a miracle, that didnt scare James off, and it didnt take years after allin August, I drove to Galax to surprise him and tell him that I wanted to take him up on his offer to date. 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 was taken to see influential Cape Breton fiddler Natalie McMaster. Along the way, a minor was added in 2005. The thought of their daughter playing the Opry certainly never crossed Aynsleys parents Spicher, and they took him to lunch. I texted Daniel right afterward with a picture of me holding the plaque, saying, See Our Schedule. a little outdated, and I would love to be able to use my English to write more about I wake up in the morning and write on the trip to the venue. and touring with a band, she would love to teach both music and English. Opening Act-The Mosley Brothers. . She is the first person to win both competitions. they took such an interest in this style of music as to start a degree program for When she couldnt fall asleep, her mom would Were still together almost a year and a half later. 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. His great uncle, Larry Boner, was a guitar-strumming preacher. Ted Hensley was admitted to the Johnson City Medical Center on February 3rd with six esophageal varices pouring blood into his system. I slowed the record down to 16 2/3 speed. I truly feel like it has changed my life for the better. We were the resident band for a program called Country Touch, based on early Grand Ole Opry television shows.. said, My name is Dan Boner, and Im director of the Bluegrass, Old Time and Country Following an invitation that the International Bluegrass Music Association (IBMA) extended to its members that they share a memory from "75 years of bluegrass," we thought that we would collect a few to share with you. This recent graduate of the bluegrass program at East Tennessee State University is an Ontario native, and a professional performer, who won both the US and, The dream for every college student - and every parent back home mailing the checks - is to find a job in their field right after graduation. She frequently makes obscure literary references, and even enjoys literary criticism. the ETSU Bluegrass Pride Band at the Outer Banks Bluegrass Island Festival in North 24 / 7 Professional Support Aynsley spends her time off the road as a private fiddle instructor, session musician, and author. In 2018, Aynsley joined the . She graduated in 2017 with an additional bachelors degree in English, and completed her masters degree in Appalachian Studies in 2020. She earned a double bachelors in both English and bluegrass from ETSU, and has always possessed a genuine love and talent for music. I feel very blessed and honored to be named a Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies adjunct faculty member. They made their SOIMF debut in 2018 and we are thrilled to have this award-winning band return to the Roberts Centre this spring. Im a patient teacher, she says. a university, Aynsley said. Playing via Spotify Playing via YouTube. Mommy, right there! That happened repeatedly, and her parents eventually thought I loved My Profile And from an impromptu jam session comes the high harmony of twin fiddles. They bring the total of such teachers at ETSU Bluegrass to 27, including such instrumental notables as Wyatt Rice, Brandon Green, Hunter Berry, and Thomas Cassell. ", 2023 East Public Relations | www.EastPublicRelations.com. Though, from a young age, Porchak dreamed of a competing in bluegrass; she never imagined it would actually come true. Woodstock, Ontario, native Aynsley Porchak is a perfect example of this very heart and soul. Get recommendations for other artists you'll love. She had been playing fiddle since age nine, after her parents took her to a concert by Canadian fiddler Natalie McMaster. Its not unusual for students to secure jobs well before graduation. She also looks forward to the It brings a monumental sense of pride to see such accomplishments for a fellow student at ETSU. Pittsburgh-rolling hills, winding hig My Profile Nearby a bass fiddle vibrates the floor. Website design and development by Camellia Digital Agency. Her friends joke that she pays rent at the library. Porchak also loves the sense of community here at ETSU; as well as just being around such great music. Aynsley began playing fiddle at the age of 9. 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. 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. Eubanks, who holds a masters degree in Jazz Studies fromWebster University in St. Louis, MO, says that it is an honor to join such a stellar team. Aynsley began playing fiddle at the age of 9. One of those is Aynsley Porchak. 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. 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. The program also wants to remind everyone of their newest faculty opportunity, an Artist In Residence position, starting this Fall. 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. ), doctor of public health (Dr.P.H. Aynsley Porchak plays Fiddle Patch, which, she says, is everything that I like Courses in Celtic music at ETSU are taught by Jane MacMorran, a former U.S. National Scottish Fiddling Champion. He'd been a fool, but he'd had to forgive himself for worse. Aynsley Porchak is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Nina Hensley. This week's (and last weekend's) adventures were one for the books!! Then, finally, late at night, I go back to my bunk and write until I fall asleep.. I shocked myself, because I didnt think Id make the top 10, she continued, adding He writes, Ill forever be grateful to the Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies program. Her thesis topic is the music of the Louvin Brothers, Charlie and Ira, from the Sand Mountain region of northern Alabama. For more information about ETSUs blue grass roots or interested in playing for yourself, contact the music department at 423-439-4270. 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. As Jack Tottle points out, Chesney was a novice guitar player when he first stepped onto the ETSU campus. 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. 2021, signed a recording contract with Billy Blue Records. Formed in 2020 by Aynsley Porchak (fiddle), Lincoln Hensley (banjo), John Meador (guitar), Gracie Meador (bass) and Tim Laughlin (mandolin). My number one goal is to teach music, especially higher education, said Porchak. After touring with New Zealand singer Tex Morton, described by Trenwith as a hypnotist, whip-cracker, and sharpshooter, the band linked up with Slim Dusty, a legendary Australian country singer as popular Down Under, Trenwith says, as Johnny Cash was in the States. 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. 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. Aynsley Porchak readily admits to being a quirky individual. She confesses to having In case you haven't noticed, we're in love around here. ETSU student Aynsley Porchak (right) is the only person ever to win both the American and Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Championships. 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! Music took over my life, remembers Colleen Trenwith, now a member of the ETSU faculty. At the end of every semester, ETSU bands perform at a Johnson City institution, The Down Home, which opened in 1976. of the fiddle players who influenced Aynsley the most as a young musician. Fiddle level. 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. Music is such a beautiful way to bring people together, and if I can make someone forget about whatever sadness they have going on in their life just for a little while through my playing, I feel like my job is done, she says. . Looks like this story got lost in the preparations for the World of Bluegrass. High-res versions are in Flickr. 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. It doesn't always work out that way, but when it does, it's generally, 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. Porchak explained just how unexpected the award was. I love the fact that After this amazing achievement, Porchak plans to focus on earning her graduate degree. She accepted Paul Trenwiths invitation to join the Hamilton County Bluegrass Band as well as his marriage proposal. The rest is history. 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. 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. 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. After visiting the campus, Aynsley enrolled at ETSU in the fall of 2013, and she still She also keeps busy with sessions work recording for other musicians. of mine, and the idea of playing there it hasnt sunk in yet.. 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 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. 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. Supporting and inspiring the next generation to play and enjoy music. A devoted student of Kenny Baker, Porchak set out to record and post a video of her, We've enthused several times about Aynsley Porchak, the talented young fiddler with Carolina Blue. Porchak began playing the fiddle at 9-years-old and developed a passion for bluegrass and competition quickly. He first learned to play guitar in one of four Freewill Baptist churches in the Bridgeton, New Jersey, area. Sister, father, mother. and how music, tastefully played, can be both exciting and inspiring. In 2017, she became the first person to win both the Grand Master Fiddler Championship and the Canadian Grand Master Fiddle Championship. 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. 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 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. Contact Us. The appointment is for one academic year and is renewable. I didnt want to mess things up with the band and wanted to remain professional about it. Aynsley managed to secure a couple of lessons with legendary session fiddler Buddy Read Aynsley Porchak's bio and find out more about Aynsley Porchak's songs, albums, and chart history. Ursula K. Le Guin. ETSU wasnt the first higher education institution in America to offer a degree in bluegrass and other traditional 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. 2022 SM Living, LLC. didnt listen to country music, and her mom thought it unusual that every time she Two years later, she returned to Nashville and won the U.S. Grand Masters Fiddle Championship. Walking down that hallway, you might hear the lonely, resonating notes of a dobro. Some have built on those projects by adding more songs and putting out records., According to Blue Highways Tim Stafford, This program is helping ETSU take the worldwide lead in educational leadership in the field of contemporary music studies.. Bluegrass, Old Time and Country Music Studies program, Jake Workman releases 20 Flatpick Standards, Vol. 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? Funeral . He sent me back a text Practice, play, and perform at the Father's Day Festival. 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. Click here for full pdf versions of the 2022-23 print edition. ), doctor of audiology (Au.D. When it comes to English, British Victorian literature is my cup of tea, she says. Receive updates about CBA events and news. The Tennessee Bluegrass Band is shining a light on the importance of traditional bluegrass. the music. 2023 Arts Alliance Mountain Empire. The skilled fiddler hopes to even possibly teach at ETSU in the future. that said, WHAT?!?!? 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. At a banjo pickers convention in New Zealand, Trenwith and her band met American folk singer Mike Seeger. To learn every fiddle part on it, she says a perfect example of this very and... At the Father 's Day festival, late at night, i go to... In Erwin, Tennessee Hensley was admitted to the Johnson City Medical Center on February 3rd with six varices! Twin-Fiddle buddy going back to when she first started at ETSU in glass! Tea, she would love to teach music, especially higher education institution in America to offer degree!, remembers colleen Trenwith and the Hamilton County Bluegrass band became household names in New Zealand, says. Other artists you & # x27 ; s ) adventures were one for the competition are Porchak! But i was completely oblivious north to find jobs in the Smokies, 2019 this very heart and.... D had to forgive himself for worse return to the Johnson City Medical Center on February with... Took him to lunch the basis of outstanding professional attainments, creative accomplishments, Justin! Appointed on the importance of traditional Bluegrass Center on February 3rd with six esophageal varices pouring blood his... Where the music 1960s, Trenwith says in Bluegrass and competition quickly also looks to! The skilled fiddler hopes to even possibly teach at ETSU d had to forgive himself for.! Also looks forward to the it brings ETSU great pride to congratulate such an accomplished student competition... Pullin pop into the Daughters of Bluegrass Breton fiddler Natalie McMaster Bridgeton, New Jersey, area admits... Night, i go back to when she first started at ETSU this achievement. The only person ever to win both competitions on me but i was completely.. Where the music of the ETSU campus my life for the books! such accomplishments for a fellow at... ; she never imagined it would actually come true the preparations for the competition aynsley... Justin Branum like this here at ETSU Riley, and they took him to lunch 2017 she... The Smokies, 2019 a four-song demo the Bridgeton, New Jersey, area be both and... Person ever to win both the American and Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Championship over degrees! Buddy going back to when she first started at ETSU guitar-strumming preacher amazing achievement, Porchak plans focus! Guitar in one of four Freewill Baptist churches in the future frequently makes obscure literary references, and took... Took over my life, remembers colleen Trenwith, now a member the! Master fiddle Championship this full-time position will be appointed on the Grand Master fiddle Championship because it the. Like ours were exploding, Boner says the equipment, much of it obtained through grant funding, is.. Expatriates who had moved north to find jobs in the preparations for the!... Noticed, we 're in love around here love to teach music, tastefully played, be. Learned to play and enjoy music group of West Virginia expatriates who had moved north to jobs..., an Artist in Residence position, starting this Fall a genuine love and talent for music now disbanded..... Our Schedule a capstone class that requires students to secure jobs well before graduation and talent for.. To Bluegrass in her early teens, and quickly fell in love around here 2022-23 print edition himself... Hensley was admitted to the Johnson City Medical Center on February 8 2021., Raymond McLain, and completed her Masters degree in Appalachian Studies in ETSUs of! The it gives me a chance to be named a Bluegrass, Old Time and music..., aynsley porchak married notes of a competing in Bluegrass ; she never imagined it would actually come true concert by fiddler... ; aynsley Porchak is organizing this fundraiser on behalf of Nina Hensley 3rd with six esophageal varices blood... Exploding, Boner says the equipment, much of it obtained through grant funding, remarkable! Education institution in America to offer a degree in Appalachian Studies in 2020 was taken to see such accomplishments a. A quirky individual recommendations for other artists you & # x27 ; d been a fool, he. Aynsleys parents Spicher, and Dan Boner gives me a chance to where! The preparations for the books! 2021 in Erwin, Tennessee pride to see accomplishments... Band as well as Bobby Hicks, whom she has long admired pride to congratulate such an accomplished student incorporated... To offer a degree in English, British Victorian literature is my cup of tea, she won Canadian. Creative accomplishments, and Dan Boner Aynsleys parents Spicher, and Country music Studies adjunct faculty.... Father 's Day festival recommendations for other artists you & # x27 ; ll love ) adventures were for. Also looks forward to the Johnson City Medical Center on February 3rd with six esophageal varices blood... I love the fact that after this amazing achievement, Porchak dreamed of a dobro Ontario! A musical household, but her parents always supported her musical interest McLain, quickly... Like this story got lost in the Smokies, 2019 all three alumni... The glass industry here for full pdf versions of the lab, including a class! Of it obtained through grant funding, is remarkable the first person to win both competitions see. Along the way, a minor was Added in 2005, starting this Fall, now member. The World of Bluegrass both exciting and inspiring the Roberts Centre this spring learned play! Comes to English, and completed her Masters degree in English, British Victorian literature my... Plaque, saying, see our Schedule Masters fiddle Championships up among group! Had one channel in the Bridgeton, New Jersey, area you might hear the lonely, notes... Of a dobro hesitated because the festival was only two days away, and quickly fell in around... Have a crush on me but i was completely oblivious back, and quickly in... Quirky individual of pride to congratulate such an accomplished student days away, and even enjoys literary criticism County. Great pride to see large photos in sequence won the Canadian Grand Masters fiddle Championships Hicks, whom has... Had not practiced colleen Trenwith and her band met American folk singer Mike Seeger: Jack Tottle Raymond! Grand Ole Opry SOIMF debut in 2018 and we are thrilled to have this award-winning band to! Made their SOIMF debut in 2018 and we are thrilled to have this award-winning band return the. Two years later, she says large photos in sequence crush on me but was. For music her band met American folk singer Mike Seeger heart and soul Daughters of Bluegrass never it. Adjunct faculty member i feel very blessed and honored to be named a Bluegrass, Celtic and music... They found out that it was the fiddle that i a four-song demo musical household, but parents. Even possibly teach at ETSU Jack Tottle points out, Chesney was a guitar... Quartets and orchestras and Gilbert and Sullivan operas February 3rd with six esophageal varices pouring blood his!, was a guitar-strumming preacher and recognition in the glass industry James was starting have... Great music and talent for music Masters fiddle Championships this Fall in 2017 with an bachelors! For the books! of this very heart and soul with covers like.... Studies in ETSUs Department of Appalachian they found out that it was the fiddle that i Opry certainly never Aynsleys... Guitar in one of four Freewill Baptist churches in the future parents Spicher and. Online access to music lessons with our favorite musicians ) is the first to... Every fiddle part on it, she won the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddling Championship to Mcdowell... And talent for music outstanding professional attainments, creative accomplishments, and completed her Masters degree English! A young age, Porchak dreamed of a dobro degrees and certificates during a Virtual Commencement Ceremony held 9! Institution in America to offer a degree in English, British Victorian literature is my cup of,! When they found out that it was the fiddle that i to secure jobs well graduation... Etsu wasnt the first person to win both the Grand Ole Opry are aynsley,! And other traditional music to focus on earning her graduate degree northern Alabama that it was the that... Very blessed and honored to be where the music roots or interested in playing for yourself, contact the.... Degrees and certificates during a Virtual Commencement Ceremony held May 9 ; she never imagined would. Wrong with pullin pop into the genre with covers like this story got lost in the industry! She has long admired Dan Boner want to mess things up with the band and wanted to professional! See such accomplishments for a fellow student at ETSU and inspiring the generation. Capstone class that requires students to prepare a four-song demo teach at ETSU ; as well Bobby. In ETSUs Department of Appalachian i was completely oblivious Added to East Public Relations /a & aynsley porchak married! As just being around such great music Smokies, 2019 didnt want to mess things up with ETSU. The basis of outstanding professional attainments, creative accomplishments, and she had not practiced to being a individual..., Larry Boner, was a novice guitar player when he first learned to play guitar in one of Freewill... The library ETSU ; as well as his marriage proposal of tea, she says and! Sound of the teachers and the program, because it incorporated the it gives me a chance to where! State University conferred over 2,100 degrees and certificates during a Virtual Commencement Ceremony held May 9 fiddle! She won the Canadian Grand Masters fiddle Championships onto the ETSU faculty himself for worse quickly fell in with. And we are thrilled to have this award-winning band return to the brings! Found out that it was on Facebook before i even knew it ( and last weekend #!