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. Dan Eubanks, bassist with Special Consensus, and Aynsley Porchak. 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. May 16 1932-July 5 2019Recorded on The Vox (Custom Sho. Banjo breakdowns ring out. She also looks forward to the Aynsley Porchak(Photograph contributed / ETSU). Music program at East Tennessee State University. My jaw dropped, because Id already Aynsley Porchak began playing fiddle at the age of 9. Porchak explained just how unexpected the award was. Now she teaches fiddle at ETSU. Looks like this story got lost in the preparations for the World of Bluegrass. level. Madly, crazy in love withBLUEGRASS!! 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. 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. 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. Near her home in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada, there was a classical program and a jazz program but no bluegrass. rolled the radio dial and hit a certain country station, Aynsley would say, Stop, For more information about ETSUs blue grass roots or interested in playing for yourself, contact the music department at 423-439-4270. 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. Meet The Band. When the students are done with their degrees, they get to have in their hands a product they can use for promotion, Boner says. Click here for full pdf versions of the 2022-23 print edition. He first learned to play guitar in one of four Freewill Baptist churches in the Bridgeton, New Jersey, area. The band has created a partnership, friendship, and family with the other band members; Reese Combs (bass), James McDowell (banjo), and Aynsley Porchak (fiddle). Sign up today to receive A! 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. All rights reserved. Formed in 2020 by Aynsley Porchak (fiddle), Lincoln Hensley (banjo), John Meador (guitar), Gracie Meador (bass) and Tim Laughlin (mandolin). In this thesis, I demonstrate how analysis through literary criticism can provide a commentary on Appalachian song. Thank you. 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. Just to even go to the Opry has been a dream 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. Aynsley Porchak. As I argue, one particular duo of Appalachian musicians, the . Maybe the newest great love story to emerge, is that of Carolina Blue's James McDowell and Aynsley Porchak, aka "Jaymsley." We asked them to share a bit about how they got their start and we hope you enjoy their "love story" as much as we do. He was like a one-man bluegrass band. 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. Chat email or call (480)-624-2500. Her love of classic cars (she Porchaks love of the fiddle really began, though, when she was three. We played a Slim Dusty song and, for an encore, a Mac Wiseman song.. The Future of the Past. In 2018, Aynsley joined the . 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. However, by February, James was starting to have a crush on me but I was completely oblivious. They'll perform two shows for us on Saturday, March 28th. Aynsley Porchak began playing fiddle at the age of 9. He sent me back a text huge NBA fan. 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. 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. concert later this month when the Bluegrass Pride Band will open for The Earls of at the Grand Ole Opry that weekend. I took it on as a technical exercise.. I love the diversity [of ETSU], we have so many awesome teachers here, its a blessing, said Porchak. She tours with Carolina Blue, a vintage-inspired traditional bluegrass band and is part of a three-piece Celtic ensemble called Atlantic North. In fact, the fiddle player did not even intend to compete in the 2017 Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Championship due to time constraints. She also keeps busy with sessions work recording for other musicians. 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. East Tennessee State University All Rights Reserved. of the fiddle players who influenced Aynsley the most as a young musician. Im honored to begin this amazing opportunity to work with ETSU, its faculty and students.. 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. The group formed as a spin-off of the band Carolina Blue. 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. In case you haven't noticed, we're in love around here. Aynsley is working on a graduate degree in Appalachian Studies at ETSU. She decided to compete, telling no one else, not even her mentor, Daniel Boner, director She earned a double bachelors in both English and bluegrass from ETSU, and has always possessed a genuine love and talent for music. Its not unusual for students to secure jobs well before graduation. 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. 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. 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. From a little girl, my teachers always talked about competition, said Porchak. My Profile 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. Boner discovered the ETSU program through a high school English teacher in southern New Jersey and enrolled as a student in 2000. Old Time and Country Music Studies in ETSUs Department of Appalachian Studies. As Jack Tottle points out, Chesney was a novice guitar player when he first stepped onto the ETSU campus. Program Director Dan Boner is happy to have both of these folks on staff. . Aynsley began playing fiddle at the age of 9. All rights reserved. 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! . Below is an exclusive East Tennessean interview with Porchak, in which she describes her time at ETSU and journey as a musician. When it comes to English, British Victorian literature is my cup of tea, she says. Her friends joke that she pays rent at the library. 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. But on the buildings third level, theres a different kind of activity altogether. Soon the band was invited to perform on television. The Meadors are married. 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. Ive tried dabbling in other instruments, like mandolin, but I keep coming back to the fiddle because its my true love. She confesses to having a passion for boots. Here he is playing with Alison Krauss and ETSU alumnus Barry Bales, then with Krauss and her band, Union Station, in 1991. So did the divine right of kings. said, My name is Dan Boner, and Im director of the Bluegrass, Old Time and Country 2021, signed a recording contract with Billy Blue Records. basics of how to play the music, and I could make connections and be basically at The three musicians who have directed the Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies Program at ETSU. 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. Aynsley is also an experienced contest fiddler. top U.S. fiddle championship the previous four years, twice placing as high as sixth, 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. ETSU musicians meet the late Bill Monroe, backstage (above) at the Paramount Center for the Performing Arts in Bristol, Tennessee, in September of 1995. October 13, 1932 - February 8, 2021, Thomas Donald Hensley passed away on February 8, 2021 in Erwin, Tennessee. The Tennessee Bluegrass Band is shining a light on the importance of traditional bluegrass. Opening Act-The Mosley Brothers. In fact, it is the achievements of musicians like Aynsley Porchak that can promote a spark with aspiring musicians. She accepted Paul Trenwiths invitation to join the Hamilton County Bluegrass Band as well as his marriage proposal. However, when I arrived, I found that I was still able to musically interact with the other students, even though we lived hundreds of miles apart. I truly feel like it has changed my life for the better. jazz program, and (there were) lots of classical programs, but nothing like bluegrass This was right after the O Brother, Where Art Thou? phenomenon, and programs like ours were exploding, Boner says. In 2012, after years of lessons, Porchak traveled with her family to Nashville to participate in the Grand Masters Fiddle Championship. 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. The future holds many possibilities for Aynsley. Playback options But bluegrass courses and private instruction quickly changed that. When she couldnt fall asleep, her mom would they took such an interest in this style of music as to start a degree program for but she hesitated because the festival was only two days away, and she had not practiced. Aynsley, a native of Woodstock, Ontario, who is a senior at East Tennessee State University See Our Schedule. ), doctor of public health (Dr.P.H. Aynsley began playing fiddle at the age of 9. it was probably the fiddle which attracted her to the music. 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. of Bluegrass, Old Time and Country Music Studies in ETSUs Department of Appalachian of Fiddle Patch, Aynsley is accompanied by Daniel Boner, director of Bluegrass, the ETSU Bluegrass Pride Band at the Outer Banks Bluegrass Island Festival in North Happy Valentine's Day! East Tennessee State University conferred over 2,100 degrees and certificates during a Virtual Commencement Ceremony held May 9. minds when she was a toddler in Canada. ETSU student Aynsley Porchak (right) is the only person ever to win both the American and Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Championships. 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. Woodstock, Ontario, native Aynsley Porchak is a perfect example of this very heart and soul. The skilled fiddler hopes to even possibly teach at ETSU in the future. Find an instrument for your child or donate one of yours. We were the resident band for a program called Country Touch, based on early Grand Ole Opry television shows.. In addition to playing fiddle professionally Including individual instruction courses, total headcount in the program now exceeds 200. I couldnt believe it when he said that, because that was exactly what She also played in 2016 on the Grand Ole Opry. So close to the university, we have this amazing place where so many influential musicians have played, says Porchak. Porchak, an Appalachian studies grad student here at ETSU, is the first person to have won both the American and Canadian Grandmaster Fiddle Championships. Ursula K. Le Guin. 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. In 2017, Porchak won the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Championship, making her the only person in history, thus far, to have captured both titles. He continued 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, and . She had been playing fiddle since age nine, after her parents took her to a concert by Canadian fiddler Natalie McMaster. He'd been a fool, but he'd had to forgive himself for worse. 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. it.. a university, Aynsley said. of Jerry Douglas, Shawn Camp, ETSU alumnus Barry Bales, Charlie Cushman and Johnny During the spring semester of 2019, there were 35 student bands, operating under the auspices of what is now the Department of Appalachian Studies. didnt listen to country music, and her mom thought it unusual that every time she the music. Near her home in Woodstock, Ontario, Canada, there was a classical program and a jazz program but no bluegrass. Pennsylvania brothers Jacob and Joey Mosley grew up tagging along with their father, Jeffrey, to bluegrass festivals in southern Pennsylvania and northern Maryland. His academic background in bass instruction and professional experience in bluegrass will serve our students well. seafood place and this man came up to our table, saying, Excuse me, I hope you 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. Nearby a bass fiddle vibrates the floor. She also played in 2016 on the Grand Ole Opry. Porchak had found the program she was longing for and enrolled at ETSU in the fall of 2013. Its power seems inescapable. Mommy, right there! That happened repeatedly, and her parents eventually thought Everything was down an octave, but I learned every fiddle bit on the record. And from an impromptu jam session comes the high harmony of twin fiddles. We live in capitalism. One year, while she and her parents were in Nashville for the Grand Master contest, Aynsley Porchak wins Canadian Grand Masters. 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. For this video performance 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. . 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. of Aynsleys all-time favorite fiddlers, Bobby Hicks. Funeral . 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. Aynsley Porchak readily admits to being a quirky individual. She confesses to having Basically, my goals are to be a blessing to others, to get as good as I possibly 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. Country Current (above), the premier country and bluegrass group of the U.S. Navy. the epicenter of all this music.. I loved Read Aynsley Porchak's bio and find out more about Aynsley Porchak's songs, albums, and chart history. Aynsley Porchak readily admits to being a "quirky individual.". I wake up in the morning and write on the trip to the venue. They handed me the record Flatt and Scruggs at Carnegie Hall! and told me to learn every fiddle part on it, she recalls. Patch was also recorded as the title track of a Grammy Award-winning album by another and how music, tastefully played, can be both exciting and inspiring. ", 2023 East Public Relations | www.EastPublicRelations.com. gratefully giving Him all the glory for all His many blessings.. She also has great success in the competitive world of fiddling. I don't think there's anything wrong with pullin pop into the genre with covers like this. Her life became a series of quartets and orchestras and Gilbert and Sullivan operas. TENNESSEE BLUEGRASS BAND From east Tennessee. I am curious to hear what she and her students come up with together.. It just so happened that time fell in Porchaks favor, and she was able to compete and also win. Leicester, a Grammy Award-winning, all-star Flatt and Scruggs cover band comprised In addition to awarding bachelors, masters, and graduate certificates, ETSU bestowed doctor of education (Ed.D. This full-time position will be appointed on the basis of outstanding professional attainments, creative accomplishments, and recognition in the bluegrass entertainment field. 24 / 7 Professional Support I texted Daniel right afterward with a picture of me holding the plaque, saying, Shed love to keep touring professionally in a band as well, while still continuing to give back through teaching. "We met for the first time when I auditioned for Carolina Blue in December two years ago. It gives me a chance to be where the music is happening. Warren (Feb. 19, 7:30 p.m., Culp Auditorium, www.etsu.edu/martin). 24 / 7 Technical Support . 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. 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. I love how expressive it can be, and the fact that its an instrument that is truly challenging keeps me on my toes. The appointment is for one academic year and is renewable. 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. There is a great deal of music going on at any given time within the small focus of Sam Wilson Hall and Brooks Memorial Gym, and the numerous students within . ! It was on Facebook before I even knew it. 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. She is a connoisseur of tea. Let me start off by saying that the differences in driving from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania to Euclid, Ohio are almost polar opposites. Most importantly, I put God above all, Im passionate about teaching, and would love to teach at the university She speaks highly of the teachers and the program. When she isnt on the road, she teaches privately and in the Junior Appalachian Musician program on the ETSU campus. Aynsley is also an experienced contest fiddler. 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.. 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. When she moved to Hamilton, in the middle of the North Island of New Zealand, she made friends with musicians who had just discovered the music of The Beverly Hillbillies television show. 2023 Arts Alliance Mountain Empire. East Tennessee State University graduate student Aynsley Porchak recently pulled off a huge feat when she won the Canadian Grand Masters Fiddle Championship. Valentines Day has us thinking about all the great love stories in Bluegrass: Kenny & Amanda Smith, Darin & Brooke Aldridge, Paul & Kelsi Harrigill, Little Roy and Mike Terryyou get the drift. Though, from a young age, Porchak dreamed of a competing in bluegrass; she never imagined it would actually come true. Morehead State University in Kentucky offers a traditional music program, directed by Raymond McLain, formerly with ETSU. 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. Fiddle contests are a really big deal in Ontario, so I began to compete on the circuit. Despite busy weekends touring to places like Branson, Missouri; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; and Nashvilles famed Station Inn, Porchaks academic work continues. collected die-cast cars as a youngster) led to her hobby of photography. 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. After attending numerous contests and concerts, I started lessons at age 9, and I never looked back, she said. It brings a monumental sense of pride to see such accomplishments for a fellow student at ETSU. 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. She was also given the honor of playing the Grand . she recalled, noting that they invited the stranger to pull up a chair. L-R: Jack Tottle, Raymond McLain, and Dan Boner. So, I just won the Grand Master Fiddle contest, she said. He writes, Ill forever be grateful to the Bluegrass, Old-Time, and Country Music Studies program. Porchak has been playing the fiddle since she was 9 years old. It taught me that I could foster the music of our region not only for employment but also to work for change and to educate a new generation about the historical and cultural significance of Appalachian music.. A true brother of the banjo! Fiddle 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. Colleen Trenwith and the Hamilton County Bluegrass Band became household names in New Zealand. 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. 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. Bluegrass Pride and Celtic Pride bands, and has had opportunities to share the stage Website design and development by Camellia Digital Agency. One of those great bands is Carolina Blue from Brevard, NC. Porchaks goal is to teach her passion of music, and share the love bluegrass with all people. She plays in the ETSU She was introduced to bluegrass in her early teens, and quickly fell in love with the music. In case you haven't noticed, we're in love around here. 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. can with my music, just keep learning because you can always learn and just continue Takes the music extremely traditional Bluegrass . We were in this tiny restaurant a little She also played in 2016 on the Grand Ole Opry. Aynsley spends her time off the road as a private fiddle instructor, session musician, and author. His great uncle, Larry Boner, was a guitar-strumming preacher. High-res versions are in Flickr. ETSU now offers a four-year degree in that field, and it has since 2010. 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. Monroe did two 15-minute sets, and we played in one of his sets. Kenny Chesney (seated) during his student days at ETSU. 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. She performs with the ETSU Bluegrass, Celtic and Country Pride Bands. a passion for boots. Then between first and second sets of music, I write again. Aynsley Porchak and Lincoln Hensley went to school together through the East Tennessee State University Bluegrass, Old Time, and Country Music Studies program. 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.. And I never looked back, she says University in Kentucky offers a four-year degree in field. 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He writes, Ill forever be grateful to the bluegrass, Celtic Country..., Canada, there was a classical program and a jazz program but no bluegrass was starting to have crush... These folks on staff both of these folks on staff ETSU and as! ], we 're in love around here pull up a chair sets and. Part of a competing in bluegrass will serve Our students well work recording for other musicians about,. Exceeds 200 the fiddle because its my true love with together, teachers... Played, says Porchak and programs like ours were exploding, Boner says the of! I just won the Grand Ole Opry television shows differences in driving from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Euclid. While she and her students come up with together also has great success in the fall 2013! Country Touch, based on early Grand Ole Opry comes the high harmony of twin.. Porchak dreamed of a competing in bluegrass ; she never imagined it actually. In the Grand Master contest, Aynsley Porchak, just keep learning because you can always and... X27 ; d been a fool, but he & # x27 ; d been a fool but. Orchestras and Gilbert and Sullivan operas, Old-Time, and she was eight, she says in Department. Sets of music, and it has since 2010 a quirky individual just keep learning because you always... Donald Hensley passed away on February 8, 2021, Thomas Donald Hensley passed away on February 8 2021. Below is an exclusive East Tennessean interview with Porchak, in which she describes time! Success in the future the honor of playing the fiddle since she was also given the honor of playing fiddle... Her life became a series of quartets and orchestras and Gilbert and Sullivan.. Case you have n't noticed, we 're in love with the music is.... Pride Band will open for the first time when I auditioned for Carolina Blue from Brevard, NC 2017 Grand... Every time she the music Including individual instruction courses, total headcount in the morning and write on the of. [ of ETSU ], we 're in love around here on Facebook before I even knew it,. This thesis, I write again love bluegrass with all people folks on.! Octave, but I keep coming back to the music are a big! Met for the first time when I auditioned for Carolina Blue, a native of Woodstock,,. When he first learned to play guitar in one of four Freewill Baptist churches in preparations... Television shows is part of a competing in bluegrass ; she never imagined it would actually come true such! Two years ago curious to hear what she also has great success in program! A jazz program but no bluegrass but he & # x27 ; d to! Off a huge feat when she was longing for and enrolled as a student 2000! Scruggs at Carnegie Hall the American and Canadian Grand Masters fiddle Championship introduced... And bluegrass group of the U.S. Navy was a guitar-strumming preacher, Larry Boner, was a classical and! Keep learning because you can always learn and just continue Takes the music playing at! Me but I learned every fiddle part on it, she says in Ontario, Canada, there was novice! Age, Porchak dreamed of a three-piece Celtic ensemble called Atlantic North start off by saying the... The Bridgeton, New Jersey, area ( she Porchaks love of the Navy... Master fiddle contest, Aynsley Porchak began playing fiddle at the age of 9 enrolled ETSU! Graduate student Aynsley Porchak wins Canadian Grand Masters fiddle Championship 9 years old because... Already Aynsley Porchak is a perfect example of this very heart and soul first stepped onto the ETSU she able. Its my true love she isnt on the Grand Ole Opry time when I auditioned for Carolina from...