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ADELAIDE TAI ►
According to indie/folk/Americana musician Adelaide Tai, the time
and place are right for women to create new music in the city. “Atlanta
is a fabulous place to be making music. I’ve noticed an especially fun
movement of women collaborating, sharing knowledge and stages with
each other in Atlanta music and that feels good to be a part of.”
Having grown up mixed race in the South in a strict religious
community, Tai used her love of music and art as a means of
communication. “I am such an introvert that I could easily become a
hermit painting and hanging out with my chickens at home all of my days,”
said Tai. “Music helps me go outside! I have to leave the house to play
shows and it keeps me somewhat socialized. I couldn’t live without either.”
Musically, Tai is inspired most by “girls with guitars,” and lists Patty Griffin,
Feist, Sharon Van Etten and Valerie June as her current influences.
Before putting words to chords, Tai wrote poetry, and it was
thanks to a college boyfriend that she felt encouraged to add a melody.
Together the two performed at bars and small venues around town, and
after the relationship ended she taught herself guitar so that she could
continue playing.
In the years since, Tai has continued playing around town and she’s
currently working on recording a solo album. While she is in the studio,
she often references color palettes and visual aids as she develops her music.
“There are things I can communicate through music that I can’t through
painting,” she explained. “The opposite is true also of course.”
Find out more at hiadelaide.com.
CELLI ▲
This quartet of talented cellists
perform pieces that are mashups of
classical music and other genres to
create something altogether new. “We
want rock music lovers to end up
loving classical music, and classical
music lovers to expand their horizons to
R&B,” explained Erin Cassel Idnani.
You may have seen them recently
when they partnered up with
Jermaine Dupri for the new Falcons
video, playing four cellos atop
Mercedes-Benz Stadium.
Celli was formed thanks to one
particularly influential cello instructor
by the name of Martha Gerschefski
with whom they all took lessons and
got to know one another. “We found
ourselves sitting near each other in
the Savannah Philharmonic cello
section and had such a wonderful
time playing next to each other that
we thought to try some chamber
music together,” said Jessica Messere.
All four members of Celli — Erin
Cassel Idnani, Jessica Messere, Nan
Kemberling and Mary Beth Bryant —
run private tutoring studios outside of
performing with the group. Highlights
from their past shows include two TedX
talks, many performances at Spivey
Hall, which they generally refer to as
their favorite place to play, and their
crowning achievement of playing a six
hour marathon to raise $10,000 for an
organization called Peace of Thread.
“They help give refugee women
hope in this country, and being able
to hand them a check with enough
money to sponsor 10 women’s job
training was a completely humbling
experience,” said Idnani. “If we aren’t
going use our gift of music to help
the world, what is the point?”
Celli continues to seek ways to
give back to the community and
connect classical music with other
genres. Their next ‘Celli-thon,’ as they
call it, will be a benefit for AWARE
Wildlife on May 19.
For more information on Celli’s
upcoming schedule, visit atlantacelli.
com. nu
Rock On!
Meet the women who
are making vital new
music in Atlanta
By Isadora Pennington
When the president of the Recording
Academy suggested during the recent
Grammy Awards that womend needed
to “step up” if they wanted more
recognition, the backlash was fierce. The
tonedeafness of the statement flew in
the face of women topping the charts
and forging their own careers on the
international, national and local stage.
Atlanta, for instance, has produced
Indigo Girls, India.Arie, Janelle Monae
and Jennifer Nettles to name just a few.
Local stages are filled on a weekly basis by
talented female musicians who are making
their mark on the world. Here are three
you should give a listen.
◄ CHANTAECANN
With an upbeat and soulful vibe, Cann’s work is
a mix of neo-jazz, soul and R&B. “I call myself an
‘inspiration junkie’ because I can literally be inspired by
the smallest thing,” explained Cann. “I’m also inspired
by my own personal life lessons, so I do a lot of writing
from that point of view. It is my continuous prayer
that my listeners will feel encouraged, uplifted and
empowered, mainly because I’ve known what it feels like
to not feel that.”
Cann has been singing since she was 5 years old, and
was encouraged by her mother who was a music teacher at
her school, and later she was inspired to break out of her
shell by singing with a praise team at church. A diagnoses
of Huntington’s Disease has given Cann a unique view of
life and what it has to offer her as a musician.
“I absolutely draw inspiration from what some may
say is an ‘end all, be all’ situation, but such is not the case,” explained Cann, noting that a strong faith in God has helped her to
maintain a sense of peace and direction in her life. “If anything, it has allowed me to become more intentional and deliberate
in my mission, which has been extremely life changing, to say the least. Always follow your purpose, and know that everything
you’ve had to endure is all for a higher cause and will be worth every last bit of it.”
To hear Cann’s music and learn more about her story, visit chantaecann.com.
42 March 2018 | HU
AtlantalNtownPaper.com