Adrienne Young finds Room to Grow
Singer to perform at CU tonight
By Jim Catalano

Singer-songwriter Adrienne Young will perform at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art at 9 p.m. today as part of the Second National Conference on Facilitating Sustainable Agriculture Education at Cornell University this week.

It's an appropriate setting for Young — she's such a devoted supporter of sustainable agriculture that she included seed packets in one of her CDs.

“Understanding that we are stewards of nature and the earth who have not done a very good job of our charge, I'm trying to take as much responsibility as I can within my day-to-day life in our efforts professionally,” she said in a recent interview. “That's really become something that's enabled me to persevere with the music. The reward is when people get the message, not when you feel like you're reaching some sort of status. That's a pretty empty goal, at least for me. But to think that there's a larger picture being drawn and offered and connections being forged, I'm really grateful for that.”

Since 2003, Young has been a spokeswoman for the Food Routes Network (www.foodroutes.org), whose mission is to link family farms and consumers through the “Buy Fresh, Buy Local” program. “It's great because we connect with these people on the road,” Young said. “To me, someone may think the man with the money and big corporate job has the power, but give me a man who can grow his dinner any day — that's a man with power. And I guarantee you he has a humble understanding of his part in the bigger picture.”

A native of Florida, Young came to music via acting. “My family was very musical, so it always was around me when I was growing up,” she said. “But I sort of fancied myself more of an actress in my teenage years. I got into music by singing in theater and in church. I realized that music had all the goodness of being a performer while being yourself as well.”

Now living in Nashville, Young has released three CDs: 2003's Grammy-nominated “Plow to the End of the Row,” 2005's “The Art of Virtue” (based on Benjamin Franklin's “13 Virtues”) and the brand-new “Room to Grow,” which blends a variety of styles, from country and folk to Celtic and pop.

“It's a real grab-bag,” she said of her latest CD. “Some of them were written in the studio, some we've been playing out a few months. Some of them are traditional songs that we liked and just worked up — we experimented, and it ended up clicking. There was no real plan other than to make something that hopefully touches folks where it counts.” Guests include Phish bassist Mike Gordon, banjo wizard Gordon Stone and bluegrass singer Dale Ann Bradley.

Among the couple of cover songs is “Free Man in Paris” by Joni Mitchell, whom Young cites as “an incredible influence. I had wanted to do something of hers, and that one ended up fitting in more of a rock vein.” Young also was taken by the song's third-person narrative. “I thought that was a clever trick to be able to express what she was going through but also washing her hands of responsibility for the whole commentary by starting it off with ‘He says' in the first line. I think that's brilliant.”

Young also acknowledges that song's message resonates, especially in a week that she was featured on NPR's “All Things Considered” show. “It's gotten quiet hectic, and I have to admit that even when this is what you've asked for, you may be consumed by or immersed in it,” she said. “It can be overwhelming at times, and you forget that this is actually a blessing. You sort of long for those more wistful days of carefree exploration that we need to balance out the activity.”

Unlike many singer-songwriters, Young travels with a full band: Oliver Craven (fiddler, vocals), Landon Fishburne (guitar, Dobro), Andy Thacker (mandolin, vocals) and Peter Bitenc (bass). “My bankbook wishes I could tour solo, but for me, being on the road requires that familial exchange on a daily basis to be able to travel incessantly,” she said. “I'm surrounded by a band of top-notch brothers who are my friends; we have an absolute blast, hanging out, making music and experiencing whatever life brings us.”

To learn more about Young, visit her Web site at www.adrienneyoung.com.


jcatalano@ithacajournal.com