Carolyn Currie Carolyn Currie's music has been described as haunting, luminous and spellbinding. Her poetic lyrics intrigue the discerning listener, offering multiple layers of meaning and becoming highly personal for each individual as the stories unfold. The Tacoma Reporter notes, "Even more impressive than Currie's obvious talent as a performer is her genius as a songwriter and lyricist. You will swear, by the end of the night, that a least one of her poetic melodies was written specifically about you." Carolyn meandered her way into the music industry, picking up pieces of life as she went. Born in England, she was brought to New England at the age of three. Her parents settled in Concord, Massachusetts, a town renown for writers and poets (Henry David Thoreau, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Louisa May Alcott, and Nathaniel Hawthorne to name a few). Exposed by her parents and siblings to a variety of great music from folk and rock to classical, Carolyn's first obvious love was singing. Teaching herself guitar at 12, Carolyn started writing songs almost immediately. Following the writing impulse, Carolyn went to Colby College in Waterville, Maine and received a degree in English. Influenced by the strong academic achievement in her family, Carolyn then went on to get an MA in art history from Emory University and marched into a PhD program at the University of Washington. All along, however, her closest companion was her guitar, and the love for music, singing and writing songs that had been with her since childhood suddenly became an insistent voice. "I simply couldn't wait any longer - all other activities seemed peripheral. It was a really frightening stepping out of the academic world and walking out of my graduate program, but now I can't imagine what I was worried about." With the help, encouragement and financial backing of her Seattle friend, Karen Lebens, Carolyn began her first CD, No Heroes, which was released in1995. Early in the project, Carolyn stumbled across David Lange's studio where she recorded the bulk of the CD. Her work with David marked the beginning of a strong collaborative music relationship. Entering songs from No Heroes, Carolyn was chosen as a finalist and won prizes at a number of prestigious national songwriting competitions such as the Telluride Bluegrass Festival, Rocky Mountain Folks Festival, Napa Valley Folk Festival and the BMI Songwriter's Showcase. These songwriting awards led to other honors such as sharing the stage with greats like Cheryl Wheeler, Tom Rush and Ellis Paul. Carolyn's second CD, Standing Stones, released at the very end of 1998 is a strong testament to the songwriter's creative impulse and songwriting skills. Gleaning still more songwriting awards, Standing Stones won its way into the hearts of fans. Some songs exhibit a Celtic flavor, others underscore Carolyn's heritage and experiences. "I spent my junior year of college studying at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland where I met my husband. Scotland, her traditions, heritage and one of her sons have become a large part of my life." Carolyn's third release, Kiss of Ghosts, (2004), was finished on a rainy, October midnight in Washington State. Her mother, Suzanne Altshuler (an inspiration in Carolyn's life and an artist in her own right), died unexpectedly the next morning on the East Coast. "I woke up to a changed world," Carolyn says. "When I couldn't sleep in the first few days after she was gone, I listened to the music in the dark, headphones wrapping around me. So many of the songs were suddenly so prophetic, and the cadence and spirit of the music was warming and sad and comforting at the same time." On the strength of songs from Kiss of Ghosts, Carolyn performed at the 2003 Kerrville Folk Festival's Newfolk Competition, returned to the Telluride Bluegrass Festival Troubadour Contest (where she walked away with a new Martin guitar), and played in the 2004 Falcon Ridge Folk Festival Songwriting Showcase. Moving from Seattle to Maine prior to the release, Carolyn began to introduce New England to her unique voice and style. Kiss of Ghosts garnered enormous praise among critics, was chosen in 2005 as one of the top independent releases by Performing Songwriter Magazine, and won the 2005 People's Choice Award at INATs East. Despite the commute from Maine to Seattle, Carolyn was determined to record once more with David Lange and her stunning crew of musicians including Hanz Araki, Roberta Downey, Mark Ivester, Dan Mohler, Paul Elliott and John Morton. Following multiple trips to the Northwest, the new CD, Waves of Silence, is finished and promises to be another wonderful compilation of songs ranging from heartwarming and joyful, to haunting and contemplative. Songs like I am an Island, Lullaby, Hot for a House and Don't Run with Scissors have already made it into the hearts of fans (who have been enjoying them live for the last year). In a world full of deafening speed and dizzying noise enters Carolyn's music . . . a cooling calming flow . . . a peaceful relief. [Index] [The Music] [Awards & Reviews] [Performances] [Order CDs] [E-Mail] All music, lyrics, pictures, graphics and other materials are the sole property and Copyright © of Carolyn R. Currie or Interscapes.