Posts Tagged ‘Blue Ridge Public Radio’

Meet ‘Sanctuary Sessions’ performer Maya de Vitry

Friday, June 15th, 2018

Maya de Vitry will perform Saturday June 16 as part of the ‘Sanctuary Sessions’ series, a benefit for Blue Ridge Public Radio.

 
NewSong welcomes Maya de Vitry to the ‘Sanctuary Sessions’ stage. She has spent the last six years touring the United States, Canada, and Europe with her Americana band The Stray Birds. In her solo work, her lone, dynamic voice, as well as her muses and meditations, explore a striking new landscape. 
 
The Nashville, TN based songwriter will perform as part of the Sanctuary Sessions series Saturday, June 16th at the Central United Methodist Church in downtown Asheville. Doors at 7 pm. Acclaimed Canadian songwriter Rose Cousins headlines the show. All proceeds from the event benefit Blue Ridge Public Radio.
 

“It’s so cool to be coming to Asheville,” says de Vitry. “I’ve actually lived in Asheville twice before. The traditional fiddle music scene was like a magnet to me when I first came to the Swannanoa Gathering in 2008.”
 
de Vitry eventually left Asheville in 2011 and moved to Boston to study music. “Rather than finish unpacking in my new apartment [in Boston] I remember rushing off to the legendary Club Passim in Harvard Square to catch the end of a songwriter show, and Rose Cousins was performing when I arrived,” says de Vitry of her fellow ‘Sanctuary Sessions’ performer. “Her voice and her songs and her delivery — it was all very stunning to me. She was a catalyst, and now she is also a friend. I’m honored to support her in Asheville.” 
 
de Vitry says the transition to playing solo has been an exciting one. “I have been writing and touring exclusively with The Stray Birds since 2012, so to be out here right now playing these new songs just feels like a celebration and a release to me,” she says. “It’s not an album release tour yet, but it’s a release of something else. It feels like such a celebration to grow and explore new directions as a human, and to find a more and more focused voice as an artist. Sometimes the process itself is a highlight!”
 
Stay up-to-date with Maya de Vitry’s news and show calendar on her website, mayadevitry.com. 
 

WHAT: Sanctuary Sessions: Rose Cousins / Maya de Vitry

WHERE: Central United Methodist Church, 27 Church Street, downtown Asheville

WHEN: Saturday, June 16. Doors @ 7. Music @ 7:30.

TICKETS: $15 advance / $20 day of show; advance tickets available theorangepeel.net

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Meet ‘Sanctuary Sessions’ performer Rose Cousins

Thursday, June 14th, 2018

Rose Cousins will perform Saturday June 16 as part of the ‘Sanctuary Sessions’ series, a benefit for Blue Ridge Public Radio.

 
This week, NewSong welcomes Canadian songwriter Rose Cousins to the ‘Sanctuary Sessions’ stage. Rooted in authenticity and conviction of voice, Cousins forges a personal connection with her listeners through song. Cousins’ album We Have Made a Spark took home a Canadian Juno Award along with many other awards, including a spot on NPR’s Top 10 Americana & Folk Albums list. Her latest album, Natural Conclusion, was called “easily one of the most distinguished Americana releases of 2017” by the Los Angeles Times. 
 
Cousins will perform as part of the Sanctuary Sessions series Saturday, June 16th at the Central United Methodist Church in downtown Asheville. Doors at 7 pm. Songwriter Maya de Vitry shares the bill. 
 

All proceeds from the ‘Sanctuary Sessions’ concert series benefit Blue Ridge Public Radio, a cause that resonates with Cousins. “Public radio is how my career started in Canada by being supported by the CBC,” she says. “Listener supported radio has committed community members who care about what’s happening in the world but also what people are making. I have a deep gratitude for public radio and feel lucky be supported by it.”
 
Cousins shares the stage with her friend and fellow songwriter Maya de Vitry, who has spent the last six years touring with celebrated Americana band, The Stray Birds. “I’m excited to play the Sanctuary Sessions in the beautiful church with my good friend Maya who is an amazing writer and an incredible new batch of songs,” says Cousins. “Looking forward to playing in the church as well.”
 
Cousins has a busy summer ahead of her, full of festival slots and even some shows performing with acclaimed folk artist Patty Griffin. “I’m hoping to have a very creative year with writing and looking forward to sharing the stage with one of my heroes, Patty Griffin, for a few shows this summer!” says Cousins. You can stay up-to-date with her concert calendar on her website, rosecousins.com. 
 

WHAT: Sanctuary Sessions: Rose Cousins / Maya de Vitry

WHERE: Central United Methodist Church, 27 Church Street, downtown Asheville

WHEN: Saturday, June 16. Doors @ 7. Music @ 7:30.

TICKETS: $15 advance / $20 day of show; advance tickets available theorangepeel.net

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Three questions with Blue Ridge Public Radio CEO David Feingold

Monday, June 11th, 2018

Blue Ridge Public Radio CEO David Feingold at the first ‘Sanctuary Sessions’ performance on the Central United Methodist church stage.

Blue Ridge Public Radio and NewSong Music have partnered to present ‘Sanctuary Sessions,’ a concert series to benefit BPR. The concerts feature some of North America’s most talented emerging singer-songwriters and are held in the beautiful and acoustically stunning sanctuary of Central United Methodist Church, located in the heart of downtown Asheville at 27 Church Street. 100% of the ticket proceeds will benefit Blue Ridge Public Radio, NPR for Western North Carolina.

The next and last ‘Sanctuary Series’ performance is this Saturday, June 16th, featuring Rose Cousins and Maya de Vitry. 

David Feingold is the General Manager and CEO at Blue Ridge Public Radio. We asked David a few questions about the station’s involvement in the Sanctuary Sessions series as well as BPR’s commitment to community and local music. 

The Central United Methodist Church welcomes NewSong curated musicians to its beautiful stage for the Sanctuary Sessions series.

How does the Sanctuary Sessions series fit in with Blue Ridge Public Radio’s mission and goals?

The series reflects two of BPR’s core values: programming that enhances community life, aided by ongoing engagement and collaboration; and recognizing the arts and the power they have to transform and enrich our lives. I believe we share those values with Central United Methodist Church and NewSong.

How does BPR support up-and-coming musicians like the ones featured in the Sanctuary Sessions? 

A year ago we hired Matt Peiken, our first arts journalist. His excellent reporting on the region’s musicians has connected with our listeners on air and across our digital platforms. We also brought Bob Boilen, the founder of NPR’s Tiny Desk Concert, to Asheville for this year’s Creative Sector Summit presented by the Asheville Area Arts Council. Bob spent several days here and was impressed with how the music industry has grown. As an NPR station, we can help make those connections.  

Is there anything else you would like readers and listeners to know about your work at BPR?

Thanks to a very talented and hard-working staff and the generous support of our listeners and area businesses and organizations, we’re able to deliver a public radio service that has made BPR the most-listened to radio station in our market.  One of those generous organizations is the Asheville Central United Methodist Church.

Tickets for the June 16th concert, produced by NewSong Music, are available in advance for $15.00 at The Orange Peel website, and will be available at the venue on the day of show for $20.00. Click here to purchase tickets for June 16th show featuring Rose Cousins and Maya de Vitry. 

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Meet Sanctuary Sessions performer Max Hatt / Edda Glass

Friday, June 8th, 2018

Max Hatt / Edda Glass are a Jazz Americana duo from Santa Fe, NM whose literate lyrics and unique sound leave listeners haunted, in a good way. Glass’s impeccable, singular vocals pair with Hatt’s equally distinctive guitar work. Together, the two combine the harmonic innovations of jazz and classical with the melodic resonance of folk. Max Hatt / Edda Glass will perform as part of the Sanctuary Sessions series Saturday, June 9th at the Central United Methodist Church in downtown Asheville. All proceeds go to benefit Blue Ridge Public Radio. Songwriter Becca Leigh shares the bill.

 

Max Hatt / Edda Glass and Becca Leigh will share the stage at the Central United Methodist Church in downtown Asheville June 9th as part of NewSong Music’s Sanctuary Sessions series.

 

Glass says public radio has a crucial role to play in the music industry and beyond. “You hear about there being a crisis in the music industry, which is funny because there’s an overwhelming number of both music lovers and talented musicians out there,” says Glass. The tricky part is bringing those two groups together— and that’s exactly what the hosts at Blue Ridge Public Radio and Gar Ragland at NewSong music do. They do it on air and online and best of all they’re bringing us all together in real time and space at the Sanctuary — that’s not just a community service; that’s community itself.”

 

Not only does public radio support musicians, says Glass, but they are also indispensable when it comes to how we get our news, perhaps now more than ever before. “Independent, member-supported, nonprofit news sources like Blue Ridge Public Radio are vital to the survival of democracy in these truly weird and disturbing times,” she says.

“I hope people will come out for the Sanctuary Sessions as a sanctuary from all that division/confusion/alienation — no matter what you believe or where you get your news,” says Glass. “Music has always had the power to bring us together— to quote another troubled time period: music is love, and love is real.”

 

WHAT: Sanctuary Sessions: Max Hatt / Edda Glass and Becca Leigh

WHERE: Central United Methodist Church, 27 Church Street, downtown Asheville

WHEN: Saturday June 9; Doors: 7 / Show: 7:30

TICKETS: $15 advance / $20 day of show; advance tickets available at theorangepeel.net  

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Meet ‘Sanctuary Sessions’ performer Becca Leigh

Thursday, June 7th, 2018

 

Becca Leigh is Charleston, SC based songwriter whose songs emerge from a folk tradition rich with melody, imagery and emotion. In November, 2017, she was selected as a finalist in the 16th annual international NewSong Music Competition, and performed at the songwriter showcase at Lincoln Center in New York City. NewSong Music is proud to welcome Becca Leigh back to perform as part of the Sanctuary Sessions series, a benefit for Blue Ridge Public Radio. The songwriter will perform Saturday, June 9th at Central United Methodist Church in downtown Asheville. Max Hatt / Edda Glass share the bill.

 

Becca Leigh and Max Hatt / Edda Glass will share the stage at the Central United Methodist Church in downtown Asheville June 9th as part of NewSong Music’s Sanctuary Sessions series.

 

Becca is a self-described public radio nerd. “One of the missions of public radio is to share stories that may otherwise go unheard,” says Becca. “Many of the programs featured on public radio seek out underrepresented populations whose voices and stories are not often heard but are so important to the human experience.”

 

 

Becca Leigh will be recording her first full-length album this summer, 2018. “I’m so excited to collaborate with some of my favorite people to make the best record I can possibly make,” says the musician. “I’m here to share music, and recording is arguably the best way to do that.”

As for her performance at the Sanctuary Sessions, “I’ve heard nothing but good things about the atmosphere of the Central United Methodist Church, and I’m certain the acoustics will be perfectly suited to my songs.”

 

WHAT: Sanctuary Sessions: Max Hatt / Edda Glass and Becca Leigh

WHERE: Central United Methodist Church, 27 Church Street, downtown Asheville

WHEN: Saturday June 9; Doors: 7 / Show: 7:30

TICKETS: $15 advance / $20 day of show; advance tickets available theorangepeel.net  

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Meet Sanctuary Sessions performer Beth Snapp

Thursday, May 31st, 2018

Beth Snapp’s careful and sincere music drifts across genres, borrowing from folk, bluegrass, pop, early R&B and jazz. No matter what influences might drive her, all of her songs share the goal of good storytelling. Snapp will perform as part of the Sanctuary Sessions series Saturday, June 2nd at the Central United Methodist Church in downtown Asheville. Songwriter Wilder Adkins shares the bill.

Wilder Adkins and Beth Snapp will share the stage at the Central United Methodist Church in downtown Asheville June 2nd as part of NewSong Music’s Sanctuary Sessions series.

Snapp’s new EP, Don’t Apologize, was recently recorded at Asheville’s Echo Mountain Recording Studios with producer and NewSong Music founder Gar Ragland at the helm. “When I first stepped into Echo Mountain during the NewSong Songwriting competition, it was immediately clear this was a very special place,” says Snapp, who is a past competitor in the NewSong competition. She told herself that he next project would be recorded at the Asheville studio. “Luckily, I was able to make it happen, and recording there was no less magical,” she says. The EP will be released in August.

 

 

The Sanctuary Sessions are a benefit for Blue Ridge Public Radio, a cause that Snapp supports one hundred percent. “I think public radio’s role is just as important as independent and local music in our communities,” she says. “Both independent music and public radio offer diverse perspectives in art that one may lose in mainstream formats. They both support local arts and businesses, which generate community awareness and promote pouring back into the community.”

Of her performance June 2nd, Snapp says, “I am definitely excited to share the stage with Wilder Adkins.We may have a little surprise in store.”

WHAT: Sanctuary Sessions: Beth Snapp and Wilder Adkins

WHERE: Central United Methodist Church, 27 Church Street, downtown Asheville

WHEN: Saturday June 2; Doors: 7 / Show: 7:30

TICKETS: $15 advance / $20 day of show; advance tickets available theorangepeel.net  

 

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Meet Sanctuary Sessions performer Wilder Adkins

Tuesday, May 29th, 2018

Wilder Adkins and Beth Snapp will share the stage at the Central United Methodist Church in downtown Asheville June 2nd.

 

Wilder Adkins’s songwriting nods to the earthy poetry of Wendell Berry and Mary Oliver as well as folk giants Richard Thompson and Bruce Cockburn. His dry wit and deft guitar playing shine through in his work, which explores thematic territories ranging from love and hope to pirate songs. The Birmingham, Alabama-based musician and 2016 Grand Prize Winner of the NewSong Music Songwriting Competition will perform as part of the Sanctuary Sessions series on Saturday, June 2nd at the Central United Methodist Church in downtown Asheville. Songwriter Beth Snapp shares the bill. 

 

The Sanctuary Sessions are a benefit for Blue Ridge Public Radio, with performances taking place the first three Saturday evenings in June (June 2, 9, 16). Those attending the Sanctuary Sessions may be as taken by the artists as they are by the beautiful and acoustically stunning venue. “The venue, Central United Methodist Church, sounds lovely,” says Adkins. “I have heard that Methodists only sprinkle for baptism instead of dunking. That sounds good to me because I don’t want to have to change clothes.”

Adkins is one of many past NewSong contestants sharing their tunes at the Sanctuary Sessions series. “Being part of the NewSong family has given me the chance to play for a much wider audience at some of the nations best venues,” says Adkins. “NewSong has a great network of artists, as well, who are great for networking with.”

Adkins says he is always working on something new. He will put out a Springsteen cover this summer and is looking forward to finishing up a new album this fall. “Also on the horizon,” says the songwriter, “a lullaby album and a collection of pirate songs.” And why not? We will gladly listen to whatever this clever and heartfelt songwriter from Alabama puts out.

WHAT: Sanctuary Sessions: Wilder Adkins and Beth Snapp

WHERE: Central United Methodist Church, 27 Church Street, downtown Asheville

WHEN: Saturday June 2; Doors: 7 / Show: 7:30

TICKETS: $15 advance / $20 day of show; advance tickets available theorangepeel.net  

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