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Female folk, bluegrass singer comes to Boone |
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Thursday, 03 April 2008 |
by LINDSAY CRAVEN
Lifestyles Reporter
It’s not very often students can look through bar event schedules in Boone and find a female solo performer.
But this Saturday, they can.
Shannon Whitworth, a solo folk/bluegrass/country artist from Brevard performs at Boone Saloon
Saturday at 10 p.m.
 Shannon Whitworth performs with the Shannon Whitworth Band at Music Fest N' Sugar Grove last summer. Photo by Anna Donlan
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Whitworth took a few moments to talk to The Appalachian about her upcoming performance and what it’s like to be a female soloist in the music industry.
TA: What role has living in western North Carolina played in your music?
SW: “I love the outdoors. It
seems like there’s just music pouring out of it. There have always been
musicians near where I live. It seems there’s always a neighbor that
has always played or picked and that’s always been great.”
TA: Why did you decide to perform bluegrass/country music?
SW: “I think it’s a genre of
music that I’ve listened to most of my life and I think you just sort
of play what you know. I think that’s why I am what I am. I love all
kinds of music; I don’t see myself becoming a hip-hop artist ever, but
I love everything. But I guess when I start playing it’s geared more in
the bluegrass genre.”
TA: What does it take to be a song writer?
SW: “You have to be open to the
world, to people’s stories and your own stories and your emotions. You
have to write constantly and write down your thoughts. I think that’s
pretty important. Keep an open mind and keep a pen nearby.”
TA: What inspires your songs?
SW: “Everything from the earth landscape to human relationships and conversations with people inspire my writing.”
TA: Can you tell me a little bit about your album, "No Expectations"?
SW: I never imagined myself
doing a solo CD at all and I had a lot of downtime and…was writing a
bunch and a friend of mine…came over and asked ‘why don’t you do a CD?’
and I just said, ‘I can’t, I can’t imagine’ and he eventually talked me
into it and I ended up doing it.
It was a really cathartic and really amazing experience. There’s
something to be said for hearing something that’s just you and your
guitar being expanded into this bigger thing with a cello and a fiddle
and bass… It’s surreal hearing your ideas being turned into an
organism.”
TA: What are the positives and negatives of being a solo female performer?
SW: “Right off the bat, I can’t
say there are any negatives. I think it’s a wonderful way to travel and
see the world and it’s a gift to get to share music with others and
even with band mates. I look at it as an all-positive thing.”
TA: How did you get into music?
SW: “I was raised listening to
music because my family listened to a bunch of great music that I still
listen to today. Just being a music listener was the beginning. I also
have brothers that played and a sister-in-law that played and she
taught me my first chords on guitar and once I learned those, that was
it - it just consumed me. My family was probably the initial
influence.”
TA: What do you have to say to our readers to encourage them to come out to the
show Saturday night?
SW: “Come one out if you like
songwriting matched with some really amazing instrumentation. The guys
are incredible instrumentalists and they’re wonderful folks … so come
on!”
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