Virginia Drake (vocalist, songwriter, guitar and mandolin accompaniment)

With formal studies in musical theatre and voice, classical piano and trumpet and performance as a jazz vocalist, you'd think her songwriting would follow along those same veins but as Virginia explains: "I grew up in a household filled with classical music and show tunes; my brothers and sister singing 3&4-part harmony in the back seat of the car on the way to school. But I think my mom's remembrance and singing of her old time favorites or hymns and her father’s fiddle tunes from her country upbringing were what stuck with me most. When I started writing songs, I discovered more of a connection with those songs in roots, traditional, gospel, folk, bluegrass, and country music." Virginia didn’t start writing songs until her daughter, Graciela Serena (who has been writing songs since she was 10 years old), encouraged her to put her love for music, singing, short story and poetry writing together. Her “stories in song” span across genres from gospel reverence to the environment (Earth’s Gospel Song), the healing powers of nature (Hunter's Moon), celtic ballads to the divinity of sleep (Waking Hour), hoedown tunes to scorned lovers (Gone, Gone, Gone), jazzy tunes about a barfly with the gift of gab (Community Service), Pop tunes about our ability to rise above our impairments (Broken Wing) to just plain ole’ tender country songs about love lost (A Song for Me) and bluegrassy fast steppin’ tunes about places of her mother’s youth (Little Knob Hill). Virginia is a transplant from Austin/Wimberley, TX.  but considers herself a native of the Appalachians as it’s the only place to which she has ever felt a true calling. She attributes that to her love of nature, and her Scottish/Irish/Cherokee roots.  Virginia is the owner/founder of True Voice in Asheville, NC and Austin, TX – Singing and performance lessons for All ages, All levels, All genres, All genders.   For more information on voice lessons, go to:    www.truevoicelessons.com