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Yvonne Koyzis
posted November 20, 2000
I'm a classically trained singer who sings in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra Chorus. Last year ('99), I was sick for a long time, and sick at heart because of it. When I was home sick, I took to watching reruns of the Andy Griffith show. When I was a little girl, my favorites were always the Darling episodes, and when I saw them again as a professional musician, I realized the Dillards were even better than I remembered. I went out and bought their greatest hits album "There Is a Time"; my first bluegrass cd! I followed the link from the Dillards' website to the bluegrassrules.com site, asked people on the forum board what other music I should listen to, and I was off and running! Not only did I hear some great music from their suggestions; I've also made some wonderful friends.
Although I'm very new to bluegrass, I just love it!! I've discovered that bluegrass musicians are some of the greatest instrumental virtuosos in the world. But I also love the down-to-earth attitude of the musicians I've met. At a time when my life has gotten very complicated, I think this music is medicine for my soul-- and the people I've met in the bluegrass world are the nicest I've ever known. Far friendlier, I'm sorry to say, than a lot of the people I've met in the classical music world.
I've been trying to make up for lost time, so I went to Sally Mountain last summer, and was completely blown away by Rhonda Vincent and the Rage! I took my Mom to IBMA this year, and we had a great time -- I learned and sang some new bluegrass songs!! I've given lessons on bluegrass music to the inner-city Chicago kids that I teach.
I know, if you met me, I would probably have "city girl" written all over me, but in discovering bluegrass, I feel I've come home, somehow. And it makes sense, because my Mom's mom is from Big Stone Gap, VA. So now I tell people, I'm half Greek, one quarter Finnish, and one quarter Hillbilly!
Yvonne Koyzis
ykoyz@msn.com
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