VERMONT VOICES : VERMONT ’ S YOUNG & GIFTED
Heartland , in 2019 . “ I experimented with a lot of different sounds and genres before I recorded Billy in the Heartland ,” notes Specker . “ My intention with that project was to go back into my own genre that was deep in my heart and soul and create original material . It took me a few years , but ever since then , my focus has shifted towards figuring out how to integrate traditional music with my original material to create a live show that is coherent , exciting , and seamless .” After partnering with local musicians and building a talent pool of skilled collaborators , Specker developed what she refers to as a “ modular band ,” that now expertly accompanies her at her live performances . “ I play with different groups of musicians at different shows ,” notes Specker . “ Sometimes I play solo . Other times I play with a quartet ; anywhere up to a ten-piece band . It takes a lot of creative vision and organization for me to arrange the performances , but it ’ s a process that I enjoy being part of . Being a bandleader is a role that I have grown in to over the past few years , and I ’ ve become increasingly comfortable with it .”
Specker fondly recalls performing at Higher Ground in Burlington while accompanied by the Terrible Mountain Stringband in 2021 . “ I had a 10-piece band playing my original music . It was a big moment for me .” Specker is also incredibly grateful to have played as the opening act at the 2023 Green Mountain Bluegrass and Roots Festival in Manchester . “ I ’ ve been involved with them every year , but it was the first year I performed under my own name . It ’ s an amazing festival , and I think it represents what me and a lot of other musicians in this genre have been fantasizing about . It ’ s great to live here in Vermont and see these events with high-profile artists and bands blossom in our backyard .”
Specker ’ s recent EP , Live at the Peru Church , was released on October 28 , 2023 . “ It was recorded live in one afternoon at the church in Peru ,” she says . “ It was an acoustic and totally live recording . The EP has three traditional songs and two cover songs , which represent the sound of what my live shows are actually like . Every song that we recorded has a live performance video that we uploaded to YouTube .” The Live at the Peru Church EP was recorded with the band that Specker has been touring with for the past several years , comprised of skilled bluegrass players . “ I have only begun playing in bluegrass circles in the past few years ,” says Specker . “ It ’ s been an exciting expansion for me . Part of my vision for the future is to continue fusing old-time and bluegrass music in my live shows and recordings .”
On the heels of her most recent project , Specker plans to return to the studio this winter to record an EP that focuses on her original material , while still reflecting the sound of her live performances . Specker will also be performing a special , free Holiday concert live at the Peru Church on December 22 . “ I ’ m learning Christmas music for it ,” shares Specker . “ It ’ s going to be a lot of fun !”
In addition to her recent performances and studio projects , Specker recently finished a six-week stint of guest-hosting Vermont Public Radio ’ s Sunday folk and world music radio show , All the Traditions . Specker adds : “ I did it back in 2021 , and they asked me to come back and reprise the role . It ’ s been a real highlight and expansion of my musical career , and I feel like it really synthesizes my passion for Vermont ’ s culture and creative community . It also draws on my academic background in anthropology , and my love for acting , because in a sense , it is voice acting . I produced all six of the shows that ran over the summer and fall from my home , and it was a big highlight of my year .”
Specker is proud to be a working Vermont musician , and she is also proud to be a mother and active music teacher . “ I ’ ve always taught lessons and workshops here in Vermont since I returned here , and I ’ ve run and participated in community music programs , as well .” In the summer of 2022 ,
Specker taught music at summer programs in underserved public schools all over Vermont in collaboration with The Arts Bus , a Vermont-based nonprofit organization . As part of the program , she wrote an original song , “ Vermont , Our Home ,” with her sister , Lila . She then taught the song to the children who participated in the program , and recorded their voices in a mobile recording studio that was set up on the bus , complete with custom panels , sound blankets , and digital recording equipment . “ It has the voices of 75 of my elementary school students singing on it ,” says Specker . “ It ’ s definitely a highlight of my music education career . Vermont ’ s bluegrass and Americana scene is thriving , and it ’ s great to be able to play a role in helping the next generation become excited about the music .”
As Specker moves forward with her career , she is also looking forward to carrying on the legacy of her father ’ s music . She was recently able to acquire the rights to her father ’ s 1976 album , Black Eyed Suzie , a seminal work in the evolution of old-time music during the folk music revival of the 1970 ’ s . His band , The Correctone Stringband , has influenced generations of players . Up until now , their music has never been available digitally or for purchase in the modern age , as it was only released on vinyl in 1976 . “ I look at my career as a multi-generational endeavor ,” says Specker . “ Part of that comes from carrying on the legacy of my father and passing the torch to my children , as well as the hundreds of young people I ’ ve taught over the past 15 years . My 3-year-old daughter already has a fiddle , and my sister ’ s three children all play . We are devoted to carrying this music forward , and we love to perform American folk music . Somewhere deep down , it is familiar to us all because it ’ s in our collective history . As my dad says , ‘ We ’ re just kinks in the chain .’ I love reconnecting audiences to this music , and I am excited to re-release his album in 2024- stay tuned !”
38 VERMONT MAGAZINE