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Home > Austin Music Source > Archives > 2009 > December > 04 > Entry
Wynonna Judd schools local students
To her credit, 45-year-old Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum country artist Wynonna Judd realizes that her primary audience is probably not high school-age.
“Do you guys even know who I am?” asked Judd good-humoredly Friday afternoon at the Paramount Theatre before a crowd of around 20 high school and college students.
After receiving a series of claps, hoots and hollers answering in the affirmative, Judd belted out a throaty, rock-inspired take on “Let’s Make A Baby King,” off 1993’s “Tell Me Why.” Lit by an elaborate holiday display, she had taken to the stage to sound check for tonight’s stop on her third annual Christmas tour. Students from Bowie, Austin High and other area schools watched the sound check before participating in a question and answer session with Judd as part of an interactive program hosted by the Grammy Foundation and the Recording Academy Texas Chapter.
The half-hour affair was an informal one, as Judd texted from the stage while running through a performance of Foreigner power ballad “I Want To Know What Love Is” (covered on her 2003 album “What the World Needs Now Is Love”) before sitting down in the rows of the Paramount to field questions.
The Recording Academy started the Grammy Soundchecks, which have included performers ranging from Kanye West to No Doubt to the Dave Matthews Band. The Texas chapter, which also covers Mexico, Oklahoma and New Mexico, hosts about seven or eight a year, said executive director Theresa Jenkins. The most recent in Austin was Colbie Caillat at Stubb’s Oct. 22. The Texas chapter is currently discussing the possibility of a similar program with Phoenix when the French pop band swings through town Dec. 17.
“It’s been really great because we don’t have to go to them. They usually come to us, as was the case for Wynonna,” said Jenkins. “Whenever there’s a tour coming up we’ll get an e-mail saying ‘This band is coming to these cities, do you want to do something?’”
Judd fielded about 10 questions from students, returning frequently to the themes of work ethic, passion and the virtues of not getting in over one’s head. Judd also noted that a reunion tour with her mother and former musical partner Namoi was likely in 2010, and said she had turned down the opportunity to appear on “Dancing With the Stars.”
Among Judd’s advice:
—“Pick something you love so much you’d be willing to do it for free.”
—“Seek counsel. Get yourself a good lawyer and save some money. I lost my fortune. Twice.”
— On maintaining her voice: “I don’t go out a lot. No dairy. Not a lot of fried foods. A lot of rock stars party too hard and smoke and shred their voice.”
— On spending a summer in Austin during her youth: “It was a very formative place to be. I hung out and watched Stevie Ray and Jimmie Vaughan practice, before I knew just how cool that was.”
All in all, not a bad way to spend an afternoon, said 18-year-old Austin High senior Cory Vasquez, who found out about the program through his guitar class.
“She has a really good voice. I was surprised. I thought it was going to be a little more country, since the country is what I’ve heard,” said Vasquez. “I liked that she was real with everybody and she didn’t try to hide anything.”
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