Sharon Gilchrist
Encyclopedia
Sharon Gilchrist is an American
bluegrass
musician
, singer, and the sister of Troy Gilchrist, also a bluegrass musician..
, Texas
- a suburb of Dallas Texas, Sharon Gilchrist started playing the mandolin at the age of four. When she was nine years old, she and her older brother, guitarist
Troy and friends; Martie Erwin
and her younger sister, Emily Erwin
, formed a teenage bluegrass
band they named "Blue Night Express". Over the next five to six years, Blue Night Express played as a full-time band while the Erwin sisters were still attending private Greenhill School, in nearby Addison
, (Sharon attended Carroll High School in Southlake TX.). They appeared with such bluegrass performers as Bill Monroe
, Ralph Stanley
, Del McCoury
, and New Grass Revival
. Upon graduation from high school, though, the Erwin sisters teamed up with Robin Lynn Macy
and Laura Lynch
, two older women they had met over the years forming the first lineup of a new band named the Dixie Chicks
. (The Erwin sisters each married many years later, taking the names Martie Seidel (from a short-lived marriage), and then, Martie Maguire and Emily Robison).
to study mandolin at Belmont University
. There she worked as a composer
and music director for the conceptual art collective "DddD" and developed an interest for composing music for dance and film.
. There she met guitarist
Ben Wright and bassist Josh Martin and in April 2002 they formed the bluegrass project "Mary and Mars". They recorded two albums while together, and toured for two years throughout the southwestern United States, where Sharon had the opportunity to experiment with playing with a variety of bands in related genres: bluegrass
, folk and the roots music
termed "Americana
". In 2004–2005 she played with an early inception of the Bill Hearne Trio, with Susan Holmes on bass. Gilchrist also moved on, in Colorado
, meeting the women who comprise the band, Uncle Earl
. When "Mary and Mars" separated in August, 2004, Sharon began playing with the band.
, an eclectic group of female musicians incorporating dance into their act, playing bass until 2005 when she left to play mandolin in the Peter Rowan and Tony Rice
Quartet, joined by bassist
/vocalist Bryn Davies. The band is called "Quartet" or "Rowan's Quartet". Gilchrist received a glowing review saying she "continued to shine" in 2007, in "Rowans Quartet", appearing at the Americana
festival, Merlefest
alongside stars of many genres.
.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
musician
Musician
A musician is an artist who plays a musical instrument. It may or may not be the person's profession. Musicians can be classified by their roles in performing music and writing music.Also....* A person who makes music a profession....
, singer, and the sister of Troy Gilchrist, also a bluegrass musician..
Youth
Raised in SouthlakeSouthlake, Texas
Southlake is a city in northeast Tarrant and southeast Denton counties, Texas. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 26,575. A suburb of Fort Worth and Dallas, Southlake is known for exemplary public schools, Southlake Town Square, and Carroll High School's 7-time state champion football...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
- a suburb of Dallas Texas, Sharon Gilchrist started playing the mandolin at the age of four. When she was nine years old, she and her older brother, guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Troy and friends; Martie Erwin
Martie Erwin
Martie Maguire is a Grammy Award-winning American songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and a founding member of the female alternative country band, the Dixie Chicks. She won awards in national fiddle championships while still a teenager...
and her younger sister, Emily Erwin
Emily Erwin
Emily Robison is an American songwriter, singer, multi-instrumentalist, and a founding member of the female country band the Dixie Chicks. Robison plays banjo, dobro, guitar, bass, mandolin, accordion, and sitar...
, formed a teenage bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
band they named "Blue Night Express". Over the next five to six years, Blue Night Express played as a full-time band while the Erwin sisters were still attending private Greenhill School, in nearby Addison
Addison, Texas
Addison is a city in Dallas County, Texas . The population was 14,166 at the 2000 census, and 15,737 according to a 2009 estimate. Addison is a northern suburb of Dallas...
, (Sharon attended Carroll High School in Southlake TX.). They appeared with such bluegrass performers as Bill Monroe
Bill Monroe
William Smith Monroe was an American musician who created the style of music known as bluegrass, which takes its name from his band, the "Blue Grass Boys," named for Monroe's home state of Kentucky. Monroe's performing career spanned 60 years as a singer, instrumentalist, composer and bandleader...
, Ralph Stanley
Ralph Stanley
Ralph Stanley , also known as Dr. Ralph Stanley, is an American bluegrass artist, known for his distinctive singing and banjo playing.-Biography:...
, Del McCoury
Del McCoury
Delano Floyd McCoury is an American bluegrass musician. As leader of the Del McCoury Band, he plays guitar and sings lead vocals along with his two sons, Ronnie McCoury and Rob McCoury, who play mandolin and banjo respectively...
, and New Grass Revival
New Grass Revival
New Grass Revival was an American progressive bluegrass band founded in 1971, and composed of Sam Bush, Courtney Johnson, Ebo Walker, Curtis Burch, Butch Robins, John Cowan, Béla Fleck and Pat Flynn. They were active between 1971 and 1989, releasing more than twenty albums as well as six singles....
. Upon graduation from high school, though, the Erwin sisters teamed up with Robin Lynn Macy
Robin Lynn Macy
Robin Lynn Macy is an American musician, teacher, and gardener, who is best known as a founding member of the female country group the Dixie Chicks....
and Laura Lynch
Laura Lynch
Laura Lynch is an American country musician and songwriter, who is best known as a founding member of the all-woman country music band the Dixie Chicks.-Biography:Lynch is a self-proclaimed "Cowgirl". She is an acoustic bassist and single mother...
, two older women they had met over the years forming the first lineup of a new band named the Dixie Chicks
Dixie Chicks
The Dixie Chicks are an American country band which has also successfully crossed over into other genres. The band is composed of founding members Martie Erwin Maguire and Emily Erwin Robison, and lead singer Natalie Maines...
. (The Erwin sisters each married many years later, taking the names Martie Seidel (from a short-lived marriage), and then, Martie Maguire and Emily Robison).
Leaving Texas
After Troy and Martie graduated and left to attend college, the foursome parted ways. When Martie came back one year later, Sharon performed with the Erwin sisters just at the time they were forming the new band, the Dixie Chicks. Soon after Sharon moved to Nashville, TennesseeNashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
to study mandolin at Belmont University
Belmont University
Belmont University is a private, coeducational, liberal arts university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. It is the largest Christian university in Tennessee and the second largest private university in the state, behind nearby Vanderbilt University.-Belmont Mansion:Belmont Mansion...
. There she worked as a composer
Composer
A composer is a person who creates music, either by musical notation or oral tradition, for interpretation and performance, or through direct manipulation of sonic material through electronic media...
and music director for the conceptual art collective "DddD" and developed an interest for composing music for dance and film.
Mary and Mars
In 2001, after she had received her Bachelors of Arts degree, Sharon moved to Santa Fe, New MexicoSanta Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
. There she met guitarist
Guitarist
A guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
Ben Wright and bassist Josh Martin and in April 2002 they formed the bluegrass project "Mary and Mars". They recorded two albums while together, and toured for two years throughout the southwestern United States, where Sharon had the opportunity to experiment with playing with a variety of bands in related genres: bluegrass
Bluegrass music
Bluegrass music is a form of American roots music, and a sub-genre of country music. It has mixed roots in Scottish, English, Welsh and Irish traditional music...
, folk and the roots music
Traditional music
Traditional music is the term increasingly used for folk music that is not contemporary folk music. More on this is at the terminology section of the World music article...
termed "Americana
Americana (music)
Americana is an amalgam of roots musics formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influential styles...
". In 2004–2005 she played with an early inception of the Bill Hearne Trio, with Susan Holmes on bass. Gilchrist also moved on, in Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, meeting the women who comprise the band, Uncle Earl
Uncle Earl
Uncle Earl is an American old-time music group, formed in 2000 by KC Groves and Jo Serrapere. They are an all-women-band and often they refer to themselves as the g'Earls. Their fans have also been nicknamed as g'Earlfriends....
. When "Mary and Mars" separated in August, 2004, Sharon began playing with the band.
Uncle Earl and Quartet
Sharon joined up with Uncle EarlUncle Earl
Uncle Earl is an American old-time music group, formed in 2000 by KC Groves and Jo Serrapere. They are an all-women-band and often they refer to themselves as the g'Earls. Their fans have also been nicknamed as g'Earlfriends....
, an eclectic group of female musicians incorporating dance into their act, playing bass until 2005 when she left to play mandolin in the Peter Rowan and Tony Rice
Tony Rice
Tony Rice is an American acoustic guitarist and bluegrass musician. He is considered one of the most influential acoustic guitar players in bluegrass, progressive bluegrass, newgrass and acoustic jazz.Rice spans the range of acoustic music, from traditional bluegrass to jazz-influenced New...
Quartet, joined by bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
/vocalist Bryn Davies. The band is called "Quartet" or "Rowan's Quartet". Gilchrist received a glowing review saying she "continued to shine" in 2007, in "Rowans Quartet", appearing at the Americana
Americana (music)
Americana is an amalgam of roots musics formed by the confluence of the shared and varied traditions that make up the American musical ethos; specifically those sounds that are merged from folk, country, blues, rhythm and blues, rock and roll and other external influential styles...
festival, Merlefest
MerleFest
MerleFest is an annual "traditional plus" music festival held in Wilkesboro, North Carolina on the campus of Wilkes Community College . The festival, which is held the last weekend in April, is hosted by Grammy Award winner Doc Watson and is named in memory and honor of his son, Eddy Merle Watson,...
alongside stars of many genres.
Current work
Most recently, Sharon has played with Joe West, Susan Holmes and Ben Wright as the "Santa Fe All-Stars". She continues to teach mandolin in the College of Santa FeCollege of Santa Fe
Santa Fe University of Art and Design is an institution of creative and performing arts based in Santa Fe, New Mexico. The university offers programs in creative writing, theatre, art, graphic design, moving image arts , music, and photography, based on a liberal arts core curriculum...
.
Discography
- Mary & Mars (w/Mary & Mars 2003)
- Live at the Blinking Light (w/Mary & Mars 2004)
- Raise A Ruckus (EP) (w/Uncle Earl 2004)
- Quartet (w/Peter Rowan, Tony Rice and Bryn Davies 2007)
- Santa Fe All-Stars (EP) (w/Joe West, Ben Wright and Susan Holmes 2008)