Not all musicians can count the Dalai Lama among their fans.
Several years ago, Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer had one of their songs performed for the Dalai Lama by none other than Joan Baez — a favorite of both of theirs who has likened Carter’s songwriting to Bob Dylan’s. As Carter recounted the story afterwards, the Dalai Lama liked the song, so Carter “figured it must be okay.”
Grammer, who is a singer, fiddler, and mandolinist, will be performing in the World Music Hall on Wednesday, April 14 at 8:00 p.m. Grammer is an acclaimed musician from Portland, Oregon. with a substantial fan base that extends well beyond Baez and the Dalai Lama. She met the talented songwriter Dave Carter in 1996; with the release of their first album in 1998, the duo won several prestigious music awards and quickly became nationally renowned.
“If the voice of modern folk is changing – it is going to sound a lot like Dave Carter and Tracy Grammer,” said a statement in the Boston Globe.
Six months after Carter’s unexpected death in July 2002, Grammer began to tour again, playing Carter’s songs.
With her gracious and genuine presence, both on and off-stage, and her multi-instrumental talents, she connects easily with audiences and puts on an unforgettable performance. When we spoke with her, Grammer responded openly to questions about her music, music of others, and Dave Carter.
Q: What was the best concert you’ve ever seen?
A: Mary Chapin Carpenter was rocking with her electric band at Slim’s in San Francisco. Toward the end of the first set, the power went out—and it didn’t come back on. No generators, no lights, no air conditioning, just a perfectly still room with a band standing on a dark stage and several hundred people waiting for something to happen. Without missing a beat, Chapin hopped up on the bar with her acoustic guitar, John Jennings beside her with his backpacker Martin, and the show went on. The crowd roared and then quickly shushed one another, not wanting to miss a single note—I’ve never seen anything like it. I was completely in awe. Something like ten years later, Mary Chapin Carpenter and I would begin corresponding after Dave’s death, and last summer, we met at the Kate Wolf Memorial Festival in California and [performed] together during her set. You find your heroes, and sometimes, they find you, too.
Q: What was one of your favorite shows that you performed? Why?
A: One of the most memorable show moments with Dave Carter was at our Bound for Glory performance at Cornell University. The show was being broadcast live on WVBR, and the crowd was totally enthusiastic. When we got to the first chorus of “Gentle Arms of Eden,” the packed house erupted in song. We had never had the “sing-a-long” experience before and it was all Dave and I could do not to cry. We were so moved, and so surprised. Dave was so ecstatic that I think he played the final chorus of the song five or six times and each time, the crowd got louder and louder. An amazing moment, a beautiful energy—unforgettable.
Q: How did playing with Dave change your music?
A: Every musical path I’ve walked in my life—from classical to country, show tunes to Brit pop—found a home in the music of Dave Carter. I learned that the integration of these diverse influences and experiences was a completely valid way to pursue music, because that’s the way he worked, too, blending his love for country with his classical training and his spiritual and mystical studies. The “all-in” approach seemed like the truth to us, and it does to me, still. Even though I had always dreamed of being a singer, it was Dave Carter who found my voice, in the larger sense of one’s ability to express. He celebrated this voice, he wrote for it, he completely validated it. In a sense, he gave my music a home. I can think of no more meaningful gift than this.
Q: Did you always plan to be a full-time musician? When did you realize that you were?
A: I never planned to be a full-time musician. I didn’t know how. I knew I didn’t have what it took to get a job in an orchestra, and I didn’t major in music, so I didn’t feel particularly well-trained for such a job. Until I met Dave Carter, I didn’t even realize that by doing, you can become… Leaving the day job was the easy part. Figuring out how to eat and pay the rent took a little effort. But here’s the thing: when you have a dream like this and feel full of a mission, you just have to go for it. My experience has taught me that you bring right moments to you by telling the universe, “Here I am. I’m available, I’m ready.” So that’s what I did in 1998. The first year was hard, no doubt about it. I ate a lot of instant oatmeal, took on freelance graphic design projects and gave the occasional violin lesson to make ends meet. But things went well, and they went well very quickly. With Dave’s death, it seems almost prophetic: the message we had to send required immediate delivery, and all doors opened to make it so. Somewhere along the way, I became a producer, a storyteller, a bandleader, an archivist, a multi-instrumentalist, and a singer. Somewhere along the way, I “fished my wish,” as it were … but that could not have happened if I had not been willing to make that leap.
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