Virginia Blue
Virginia Blue
Charleston, SC
Pop / Classical / Folk
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About
Amy Mitchell IS Virginia Blue - the band is flexible in that it could be just Amy Mitchell OR any number of music making friends. It's much more fun to make music together, and challenging.
Amy has sung all her life - early appearances were in the backyard with the garden hose, then advancing to hopping up on stage after a church mother/daughter banquet at around age 5 or so, singing to the crowd as they were leaving. No one took much notice, but Mom always thought it was adorable. Through being exposed at a very young age to barbershop harmony in her home where her father coached 4-part-a cappella groups - quartets - and travelling to shows and competitions where he directed men's and women's choruses, Amy developed a natural ear for music and an ability to harmonize effortlessly. Her first song was written at around age 7 entitled "I love you because you're you" - quite possibly plagiarized lyrics from watching "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood", but nevertheless, a heartfelt sentiment. Dad put some piano music to it and Amy addressed an envelope to "Donny Osmond" with the song enclosed. So far, 35 years later, there has been no response, but hope springs eternal. ;)
Ask Amy back then what she wanted to be when she grew up and the answer was "A Broadway Star". Mom said "New York City eats up little girls" and that coupled with meeting the love of her life at age 17 and deciding that going to Nashville (a safer place for little girls??? Dunno.) would not be fun without him (Peter Mitchell who still had 2 years left of undergrad at Oral Roberts University when Amy married him at age 21) kind of nixed all that. She didn't care. She was in LOVE. It turned out to be a good risk - now 20+ years and 4 kids (currently all aged 4 and under) later, life is good.
Music adapts very well in the lives of those flexible musicians who choose different life paths and Amy has found that, although her big break is yet to occur, she is enjoying living a kind of Mr. Holland's Opus life, getting to encourage other musicians through music ministry. Although she earned her Bachelor of Music Education in 1988, the field in which Amy found herself kept revealing itself to be Church Music. Not an organist or a Sacred Music student, Amy honed this profession through good old-fashioned mentoring and opportunities that divinely arose, leading her into this field. Amy now has 17 years of experience in leading adult volunteer choirs, worship teams, amateur musical theater, and the occasional children's group here and there. With the joyful arrival of her children (2 sets of twins, born in 2004 & 2006), she is naturally beginning to add to her focus the encouragement of children to become musicians.
WIth all of this fulfillment - family, career - there of course is Amy, the solo artist who comes forth every once in awhile. There are dreams and projects rolling around her heart and soul and one day they will be given expression, she is certain. Classically trained, Amy has performed with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra Chorus (CSOC) as a featured soloist (singing Faure's "Pie Jesu"); has sung as featured soloist with the select group of the CSOC, the Chamber Singers; has sung with and solo'ed with the professional chorus "the Taylor Festival Chorus"; has sung roles in opera and musical theater throughout her high school and adult life; and also has sung for weddings, funerals, but not any bar mitzvahs (yet).
The music won't stop, so Amy continues to sing and play piano, flute, and guitar (in that order) and write songs to the glory of God and to the hopeful inspiration of others who listen. Maybe the quality of the recordings will get better over the years if other people besides her get involved with that aspect; but until then, she hopes you enjoy just the simple, down-to-earthness of Amy's recordings which prove that she knows just enough about computers and recording technology to be dangerous.
Peace and blessings to all who listen.
Amy has sung all her life - early appearances were in the backyard with the garden hose, then advancing to hopping up on stage after a church mother/daughter banquet at around age 5 or so, singing to the crowd as they were leaving. No one took much notice, but Mom always thought it was adorable. Through being exposed at a very young age to barbershop harmony in her home where her father coached 4-part-a cappella groups - quartets - and travelling to shows and competitions where he directed men's and women's choruses, Amy developed a natural ear for music and an ability to harmonize effortlessly. Her first song was written at around age 7 entitled "I love you because you're you" - quite possibly plagiarized lyrics from watching "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood", but nevertheless, a heartfelt sentiment. Dad put some piano music to it and Amy addressed an envelope to "Donny Osmond" with the song enclosed. So far, 35 years later, there has been no response, but hope springs eternal. ;)
Ask Amy back then what she wanted to be when she grew up and the answer was "A Broadway Star". Mom said "New York City eats up little girls" and that coupled with meeting the love of her life at age 17 and deciding that going to Nashville (a safer place for little girls??? Dunno.) would not be fun without him (Peter Mitchell who still had 2 years left of undergrad at Oral Roberts University when Amy married him at age 21) kind of nixed all that. She didn't care. She was in LOVE. It turned out to be a good risk - now 20+ years and 4 kids (currently all aged 4 and under) later, life is good.
Music adapts very well in the lives of those flexible musicians who choose different life paths and Amy has found that, although her big break is yet to occur, she is enjoying living a kind of Mr. Holland's Opus life, getting to encourage other musicians through music ministry. Although she earned her Bachelor of Music Education in 1988, the field in which Amy found herself kept revealing itself to be Church Music. Not an organist or a Sacred Music student, Amy honed this profession through good old-fashioned mentoring and opportunities that divinely arose, leading her into this field. Amy now has 17 years of experience in leading adult volunteer choirs, worship teams, amateur musical theater, and the occasional children's group here and there. With the joyful arrival of her children (2 sets of twins, born in 2004 & 2006), she is naturally beginning to add to her focus the encouragement of children to become musicians.
WIth all of this fulfillment - family, career - there of course is Amy, the solo artist who comes forth every once in awhile. There are dreams and projects rolling around her heart and soul and one day they will be given expression, she is certain. Classically trained, Amy has performed with the Charleston Symphony Orchestra Chorus (CSOC) as a featured soloist (singing Faure's "Pie Jesu"); has sung as featured soloist with the select group of the CSOC, the Chamber Singers; has sung with and solo'ed with the professional chorus "the Taylor Festival Chorus"; has sung roles in opera and musical theater throughout her high school and adult life; and also has sung for weddings, funerals, but not any bar mitzvahs (yet).
The music won't stop, so Amy continues to sing and play piano, flute, and guitar (in that order) and write songs to the glory of God and to the hopeful inspiration of others who listen. Maybe the quality of the recordings will get better over the years if other people besides her get involved with that aspect; but until then, she hopes you enjoy just the simple, down-to-earthness of Amy's recordings which prove that she knows just enough about computers and recording technology to be dangerous.
Peace and blessings to all who listen.
