HCTCs Starlit Lorentzen lights up the stage
When Starlit Lorentzen steps on the stage to perform, she flashes a great smile that warms the audience. When they hear her sing, the audience is thrilled. That was the experience described when Flickertail Holler performed at the Osborne Brothers Festival on Aug. 5 in Hyden.
Fiddle-player Lorentzen is enrolled in HCTC s Kentucky School of Bluegrass and Traditional Music and she loves performing. It s about seeing people dance, get wild and let themself really feel the music and be the music. If it brings a smile, tear or yee-haw! then it s all worth it. I believe that music is a blessing and God-given gift, it s meant to be shared.
She said she was excited to be part of the Osborne Brothers festival. The Osborne Brothers are a major part of bluegrass history and they have made our music what it is today. Being part of this festival makes me feel a little closer to where it all began.
Musically Lorentzen was classically trained but she knows she made the right decision to enroll at KSBTM. I knew if I took the road into college somewhere else, the music would be broken down, over-processed and become a science instead of an art. When I found out about KSBTM, it just fit. The classes all intrigued me and they have some wonderful teachers there, it s nestled in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains and it allowed me freedom to grow, explore and expand what I want MY music to be like. The classes are varied and fun. The teachers are determined to do everything in their power to help us learn, grow and succeed.
KSBTM Director Dean Osborne sees the star quality in Starlit. Besides bringing a strong musical background when they entered KSBTM, Starlit and brother Jasper also bring a family aspect to making music. To watch Starlit carving and creating her own way as a unique vocalist and instrumentalist is very satisfying for the instructors. Also, to have a group of students go out over summer break and make a living with their craft is one of the best things we can hope for. Starlit has a very bright future ahead of her, Osborne said.
I really enjoy the family-like atmosphere at our school. The teachers, staff and students make you feel completely welcomed and go out of their way to make you feel at home. You don't find that at many schools, she said.
One of the greatest and exciting things about our school is we have a brand-new half a million dollar recording studio that is just for us students! We can use it to our hearts content, she said.
Lorentzen is very comfortable on stage thanks to the experience provided by her band and by KSBTM. The school definitely tries its best to present you with opportunities to get out in the public eye, she said. Besides praise for opportunities, she gives the highest marks to faculty members. I absolutely love all of them! You couldn't ask for a better group of people and I mean that with all my heart.
She is able to hone her craft at song writing at the school. I so love songwriting. I'm not a spectacular songwriter but, I write what I feel and see, what speaks to me. I may write my story or look and see someone else s story just waiting to be written. Writing a song is like painting a picture, silence is the canvas, a memory is a color, a tear drop is a stroke of the brush, the swirling of feelings and thoughts all complied into one beautiful thing that no one else can replicate.
She is joined by Flickertail Holler band members Jasper Lorentzen, her brother and solid bass player who is also attending KSBTM; and Seth Mulder, mandolin player, who does vocals and songwriting, who just graduated from KSBTM. Flickertail Holler spent this summer working for Tunes and Tales in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The City of Gatlinburg hires bands, storytellers and cloggers to go out on the street from 6-11 p.m. and play for the tourists.
Lorentzen was born and raised in North Dakota until she was 16 and then her family moved to Southern Indiana. She plans to graduate from HCTC in spring 2012. She plans to tour and play music for a while and perhaps teach music and be a studio musician.
Anyone interested in utilizing their musical talent is encouraged to enroll at KSBTM by calling Admissions at (606) 487-3102 or Dean Osborne at (606) 487-3630.
Written by: Evelyn Wood
HCTC Director of Public Relations
