CSMA welcomed GRAMMY award-winning fiddler, guitarist, singer and songwriter Laurie Lewis to a free in-person concert at Tateuchi Hall on Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 7:30pm. She and her band performed bluegrass and folk music featuring Laurie’s original compositions and some classic favorites.
We spoke with Laurie Lewis to learn more about her and what the audience can expect from her performance in Tateuchi Hall.
Laurie Lewis
Tell us a little about yourself. How did you begin playing and performing music?
Although I was not a child prodigy, I loved to sing and have been a singer all my life. I began playing violin at age 12, then guitar at 14, but it wasn’t until I heard Doc Watson, Jean Ritchie, the Greenbrier Boys, Mississippi John Hurt and others at the Berkeley Folk Festival that I discovered the music that spoke to me and sparked me. But it took me almost 20 years to commit to becoming a professional who could actually make a living as a musician.
Did you have access to music education in school?
Yes, I did. I attended Berkeley, California public schools which in the 1960s had excellent orchestra programs.
Where does your musical inspiration stem from?
My dad played flute and the music we were exposed to growing up at home was almost exclusively classical. Bluegrass was definitely NOT a part of my upbringing, but as soon as I heard it, the depiction of the natural world in the lyrics and the plain-spoken emotions it evoked, grabbed me. These qualities became and continue to be the template and foundation for my music.
What advice do you have for aspiring musicians?
These days, it is essential to have a backup plan. We have seen the music community decimated by the pandemic and live shows are hard to come by. This could happen again at any time. Even in non-COVID times, musicians’ opportunities to make money by selling their own music have been seriously eroded by the concept that music should be free to everyone and by streaming services. It takes 5000 streams to put as much money in a musician’s pocket as the sale of one CD.
Music is so important to the well-being of our society, but it isn’t valued monetarily as such—especially in the folk/bluegrass genres. Although it isn’t impossible to “make it,” these days you must be extremely diligent and creative in your approach to becoming a professional musician. You have to wear many hats and run your art like a business. Be sure you have a safety net and a Plan B to be able to support yourself and your music starting out. Align yourself with others who can do the things you can’t or don’t want to do, like booking and promoting. Most importantly, love what you are doing or do something else.
Tell us about your band.
Brandon Godman grew up in Kentucky on a tobacco farm playing the fiddle. He has played with Doyle Lawson, Dale Ann Bradley, The Band Perry and many other prominent musicians. He moved to San Francisco in 2016 and has been playing with me ever since.
Sam Reider is known in jazz circles for his composing and stunning piano work. He has a deep regard and interest in old-time string bands, bluegrass music and plays accordion and sings with us in this version of the Right Hands. We met in June 2021 at a fiddle camp and immediately hit it off.
Mark Schatz is one of the premier bassists in the bluegrass and acoustic music scenes. He has played with such notables as Tony Rice, Bela Fleck, Claire Lynch, Tim O’Brien and others too numerous to mention. In addition to the upright bass, Mark is an exemplary clawhammer banjo player, dancer and is adept at hambone. He is a must-see entertainer, esteemed and loved by his peers and audience alike.
I have always surrounded myself with stellar performers, whether in my sizzling bluegrass band, as a duo with guitar goddess Nina Gerber or long-time musical soulmate Tom Rozum. I have toured with countless great musicians in a wide variety of ensembles.
What can the audience expect during the performance in Tateuchi Hall?
I love this roster of some of the finest musicians anywhere! They are sure to delight and thrill the audience with their adept instrumental and singing abilities. The core of our repertoire will feature my original compositions and material drawn from other contemporary writers, plus favorites from our traditional heroes including Bill Monroe (the Father of Bluegrass), the Stanley Brothers, Hazel Dickens and Alice Gerrard and more.
Anything else you would like to share with us?
Due to circumstances beyond our control, we have been on a forced hiatus for over a year. This pent-up energy and our desire to share the absolute joy of playing music together and performing again is sure to spill out from the stage to the audience. This is why we play: to share that infectious joy and the spirit of live music with our audiences. The opportunity to perform at Tateuchi Hall is a dream come true for us.
