Harpeth Rising To Share Its Unique Chamberfolk at MoMM Concert

By John Roos

A classical music pedigree is the common thread that links violinist Jordana Greenberg, cellist Maria Di Meglio and banjo player Michelle Younger. But it is what they create together as the group Harpeth Rising that makes them so daringly different than their chamber music trained peers.

These musicians/vocalists each have classical performance degrees from three of the most respected schools in the country, namely Indiana University’s Jacobs School of Music, Oberlin Conservatory of Music and the Eastman School of Music. Yet each has roots in different parts of the U.S. and Canada. Greenberg grew up influenced by Stan Rogers, Leonard Cohen, Neil Young and Natalie McMaster in her native Canada before moving to Southern Indiana; Di Meglio was born and raised in Brooklyn with deep roots in Italy and the Balkans (and fell in love with Eastern European folks songs alongside her classical canon); and Younger hails from Charlottesville, VA and has an affinity for old-time banjo, hillbilly and bluegrass tunes. (Younger replaced original banjo player Rebecca Reed-Lunn several years ago.)

It is fascinating what transforms when these divergent paths come together.

Harpeth Rising presents a border-busting sound and style that has been called Chamberfolk, that is, a hybrid of newgrass, classical, rock, Appalachian mountain music, folk and whatever else that appeals to them which is too hard to categorize. But add to this the punk-like energy and politically-progressive attitude of modern young women, then you begin to understand what Harpeth Rising is all about.

Formed in 2010 and named after a 115-mile long river running through Tennessee, Harpeth Rising has been prolific, releasing five albums since their self-titled debut. Their latest collection, “Against All Tides,” (2017) expands further on the group’s soaring vocal harmonies and its signature blend of robustly-played acoustic instruments.

Thematically, Harpeth Rising matures further with subject matter that unabashedly reflects the social, political and spiritual climate of our times. For instance, written by Greenberg during the government shutdown in 2015, the title of the song “535 (Are You Even Alive?)” refers to the number of voting members in Congress, and their detachment from the hard reality that exists outside of their Washington, D.C. bubble.

“I am politically active and that song came to life after several years of feeling really frustrated,” said Greenberg, 31, recently by phone from her Cincinnati residence. “I’m just flabbergasted by the resources that are wasted by people in power. It’s astonishing to be here on the ground and feel like they have no idea what impact their decisions have on the people they represent.”

As the group’s primary songwriter and lead vocalist, Greenberg’s style draws from the singer-songwriter tradition and protest songs of the 1960’s and `70s because of its point of view and the impact of those songs on her personal and professional development. Still, there’s no mistaking that her influences extend into the rock, punk, metal and other permutations.

“We’ve never been able to properly classify ourselves because we don’t fit into a single genre of music, which is okay,” said Greenberg. “We use `Chamberfolk' to describe our music and it does go a long way but certainly doesn’t paint the whole picture. Our backgrounds and tastes are so different among the three of us that experimenting with new sounds and approaches is just what we do.”

In addition to writing their own songs, Harpeth Rising plays up to 20 percent covers that range from folk- bluesman Sinn Sisamouth (“House of the Rising Sun,” a song popularized by Eric Burden and the Animals in the 1960’s) to classic hard rockers Led Zeppelin (“Stairway to Heaven”) to folk icon Joan Baez. In fact, the band’s powerful version of Baez’s “Prison Trilogy (Billy Rose)” is included on “Against All Tides.”

The song, a disturbing narrative about the jailing and inhumane treatment of a drunken illegal immigrant, is sadly as relevant now as when Baez penned it nearly 50 years ago. Check it out: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J9eaEzB31mQ

“I wanted for some time to cover a Joan Baez song because she’s been such a consistent presence in my life since I was a teenager,” recalled Greenberg. “It matters that important songs continue to be heard. We also look for songs that we can add our own voices to and present a slightly new take on, or offer a new angle from the perspective of our generation so we can open our peers’ ears to those timeless songs that came before us.”

Greenberg and her bandmates are also musical ambassadors with a goal of sharing their craft for positive change on the world stage, literally. Harpeth Rising tours throughout the U.S. and abroad and has headlined the Kerrville Folk Festival (Texas), National Folk Festival (Australia), Brevard Music Festival (North Carolina), Musicport Festival (England) and Costa Del Folk (Portugal).

Additionally, the group returned last month from a 3-week trip to Cambodia and Singapore as part of the U.S. Department of State’s American Music Abroad cultural exchange program which included school visits, public performances and some cross-cultural and musical pollination. Celebrating the singular spirit at the core of art and music, Harpeth Rising played in partnership with local musicians Echo City, Hadi Hamid and Orkestra Melayu Singapura, the latter performance highlighted by collaborations on the Harpeth Rising song, “Shifted,” and a traditional Malay song, “Joget Pahang.”

“It’s wonderful to see the kind of investment in music education that SOTA (School of the Arts) is making,” said Greenberg. “The kids were open to what we we’re doing and asked us a lot of thoughtful questions about what it takes to have a career in the music industry. To be a small part of encouraging them to follow their dreams and aspirations is so rewarding to us.”

“When people take the risk of shared musical experiences, we all benefit by trying to make a human connection with one another—and it does work,” she asserts. “Despite the general horrors out there in the world, I absolutely believe in the power of music to unite us and prevail over dark times.”

*Harpeth Rising performs Saturday at the Museum of Making Music (MoMM), 5790 Armada Drive, Carlsbad; (760) 438-5996. 7 p.m. $25-$30. “Backstage” with Harpeth Rising, a free event for MoMM members only, 2 p.m. https://www.museumofmakingmusi...