June Artist Spotlight: Singer/Songwriter Ann Reed

Hi Ann! Thanks so much for taking time away from the blazing June heat to tell us a little about your background and work as a artist.

My career as a singer/songwriter has gone on for more than 40 years so I’m grateful! I self-published my first novel, Citizens of Campbell, about five years ago and, with my writing group, published a book of short-form poetry called The Less Said: A Collection of Short-Form Poetry. That one came out this past year. Good thing to do during a pandemic!

When did you first become interested in music and songwriting? How did it happen? Who were some of your influences?

I picked up the guitar when I was about 12 and loved the music of Peter-Paul & Mary, The Kingston Trio, Simon and Garfunkel and other folk artists. Joni Mitchell’s early work knocked me out, introduced me to open tuning on the guitar, and her astounding facility with language in her lyrics. I was introduced to the 12-string guitar when I was about 14 and fell in love with it. As far as I know Claudia Schmidt and I are about the only women playing the 12-string as their primary instrument. (We may be two of only a handful of artists, no matter what gender, playing the 12-string.)

Can you tell us about the first song you wrote? What was it about?

The first song I wrote and kept was called Jessie. I wrote it after a friend and I took the train to Missoula, MT and met a little girl (Jessie) who, when we took out the guitars, wanted to hear train songs. We could not think of one. (Hello?? I’ve Been Working On The Railroad???) Anyway, I wrote a song about that experience of not having any train songs to sing for this little girl.

What is your favorite part of performing? Do you prefer performing solo or in a group? Why?

When there is an appreciative audience, it is an incredible feeling to be able to sing your own songs and have people hear them. The great songwriter, Guy Clark said: Songs aren’t finished until you play them for people.

My feelings about performing have changed as I’ve aged. I’m enjoying playing with my friend, Joan Griffith, who plays bass, guitar, mandolin. I’m not crazy about solo performance anymore.

During this time of virtual programming you started doing live performances through YouTube and Facebook. How did it go? What do you find challenging? Any unexpected benefits?

I started out on Facebook and to be honest, after first show I cried, thinking that this is what it is going to be, sitting alone in a room looking at the green light on my computer. What I realized, of course, is that I’m not singing to the computer. I’m singing to people who are listening. I’ve come to enjoy these concerts now. I’ve had to switch to YouTube because my Facebook page was hacked in late April and I still don’t have it back. The biggest challenge is the technology and having to be not only the artist but the tech as well. It has taken a while to figure out how to have decent sound.

An unexpected benefit is reaching a wider audience. People all over the world can tune in. And they do!

Have you been working on any new projects lately?

I’ve been writing some new songs and choosing to record them as I finish them. I also have my next novel underway.

During this time of great change in Minnesota and around the world with the uprising of anti-racism work and recognition of white supremacy, how do you see the arts as fitting into that story?

The arts — artists — have always been there to bring light to dark times and places. That’s our work. As artists, we can energize, inspire or bring comfort and solace. Art is all about how we enter the world.

PolkaSol

You have been a part of the COMPAS artist roster for many years. What’s it like to be a part of COMPAS?

I don’t remember when I joined COMPAS, but it has been a wonderful connection. I have been active in the Artful Aging program, either solo or with PolkaSol (a band I am in with Anita Ruth and Joan Griffith) going to assisted living and memory care facilities and writing songs with people there, singing with them. There are people who have pretty much lost their language, but they still retain the lyrics to some songs. It has been a rewarding collaboration.

How do you practice creativity in your everyday life?

I do practice almost every day, keeping my voice in shape, playing the guitar, setting aside time to write. My mornings begin with writing haiku and then a short-form poem. Letting my mind wander helps the creative process — hard to find time for that!