Michelle Lee On Air Crandall Creek – August Artist Spotlight
Artist Spotlight – August 2022
Until now I have only had a duo and single artists, so for August, I would love to introduce you all to Crandall Creek. Crandall Creek became a band consisting of five members in 2015 and have been entertaining fans ever since with their creative songwriting and music. Along with sharing their love of music, they also love giving back to their community. Jerry Andrews of Crandall Creek set up the Bluegrass Music Endeavors Foundation which has raised money for St. Jude’s Children’s Research, Miracles Happen and Helping Heroes veterans’ group along with raising thousands of non-perishable food items through concerts and donations. As you continue reading you will learn a little bit more of each member of Crandall Creek.
Jerry Andrews – Jerry is from Moundsville, WV and was born on March 23rd. He graduated from John Marshall High School and furthered his education through West Liberty State College and California State College. As Jerry’s mom played the guitar in The Wheeling Jamboree, it was common sense that he chose the guitar to play. While in high school, Jerry played in a high school rock band named Swim Dance and he just might tell you that they were horrific.
While you listen and love bluegrass music created by Jerry, try to imagine that some of his inspiration comes from Led Zepplin. One of Jerry’s most memorable moments is when he has a 94-year-old WWII vet stand with him in the middle of the aisle at the start of their hometown shows and sing ‘You Are My Sunshine’ while holding onto his arm while playing the guitar.
Kathy Wigman Lesnock – Kathy will tell you that she is from both Prosperity and West Finley, PA and was born on April 10th. She graduated from McGuffey High School. Kathy started singing with her father, Ed Wigman, (most inspirational person in her life) at a very young age. Her guitar interest began as a teenager and then wrote her first song as a seventeen-year-old. Kathy’s first actual professional gig was singing with her dad on the fireman’s hall stage as a six-year-old. Over the years, Kathy found that her favorite style of writing is creating a great story song, allowing the listeners to enjoy a journey or even a personal memory.
Dustin Terpenning – Dustin is from Wintersville, OH and was born on November 17th. Dustin went to Indian Creek High School and then graduated from Franciscan University of Steubenville. At the age of 12yrs old, Dustin grew up listening to Flatt and Scruggs and other old bluegrass on the stereo which is the main reason he was drawn to the banjo. Couple years later Dustin decided to give the mandolin a try and has both played ever since. By the age of 20, Dustin had played at the Pennyroyal Opera House in Quaker City, Ohio with a local bluegrass called Awesome Possum and also played with Melvin Goins for a short time. At the age of 24, Dustin joined Crandall Creek as their banjo and mandolin player.
The banjo you see Dustin play with on stage is from one of most influential people in the world. Vance Sutton was a WWII vet who he picked with a lot in his teens and has learned a lot from. Great-grandfather Paul Terpenning was another influential person outside of the musical world. The most memorable moment for Dustin is when Crandall Creek played at The Architect in Raleigh, NC during 2021 IBMA – the show was the most fun and highest energy that he could remember.
Anna Dunham – Anna was born on October 19th and considers Granville, OH her hometown. Anna is one of the latest additions to the band by joining in 2022. She is currently majoring in Spanish at West Virginia University along with minoring in Arabic. Not only can Anna sing beautifully in English, she is able to sing in Spanish. Anna’s earliest memory of singing is with her mom teaching her how to harmonize to “Jesus loves me”. Anna has always considered her mom the most humble and gentle person she knows making her the most inspirational person in her life. Prior to joining Crandall Creek, Anna has played some gigs at coffee shops during high school and now participates in several bands at college.
Mason Atha – Mason was born on April 17th and grew up in Jane Lew, WV. Mason is looking forward to 2024 when he will be graduating from West Virginia University. He plays the upright bass for Crandall Creek but had just picked up the bass when his high school bluegrass band needed one, it only made sense to him as he played the guitar and felt it would be a great opportunity. Mason’s middle-school band director is one of his most inspirational people in his life. Mason will always remember how his director gave him the great start into music. Along with having support on the educational side of life, Mason also attributes a lot to his parents by supporting him in every way they could and being the ones to tell him what he needed to hear. With all the success Mason has had at a young age, Mason has always been able to keep a balance between the huge memorable moments of playing at The Architect during IBMA and the smaller but just as memorable moments like a friend taking time to ride an escalator.
Hanna Livingston – Hanna was born on May 27th and grew up in Frostburg, MD. She graduated from Mountain Ridge High School and now attends Frostburg State University with majoring in music with focus on performance and composition and a minor in jazz. When Hanna was seven or eight years old, she took piano lessons by the suggestion of family members. Then in fourth grade, she was offered the opportunity to play in the band or orchestra and I chose both. As a member of both allowed me to learn many instruments like violin, trumpet, French horn, mandolin and others. Hanna really loves learning and playing instruments. Hanna plays the 5-string fiddle with Crandall Creek. She had always thought fiddles were really neat but in 2010 it all changed. In 2010 Del McCoury introduced her to Bobby Hicks who kindly her to try his out for a minute – that was when she became hooked and decided that she wanted one someday. In 2018, Hanna acquired her current 5-string (made by Keith Williams) which she has been playing ever since.
Prior to Crandall Creek, Hanna has played in jam sessions, fiddle competitions and with a band called Highland Grass in West Virginia. Through the years, Hanna has many people inspire her in many different ways that cannot be compared or valued against each other. She finds inspiration in a wide variety of sources. Hanna’s most memorable moment with Crandall Creek was playing in the IBMA’s showcases, especially the one in downtown Raleigh. As for the most personal memorable moment as a musician, it would be her 12th birthday when she attended the Delfest Academy for the week where she got to meet and learn from some of the best musicians and people in the business. The first day of the festival, Del McCoury, himself, called me up on stage to play a tune with his band, the Del McCoury Band. It was such a complete surprise to her, and it was pretty awesome and life changing for her.
The band loves writing bluegrass music together and they do their best writing at the Railyard Restaurant in Elkins, WV. Mason also loves to write on Jerry’s back porch where they are surrounded by the West Virginia mountains and can see right down the mountainside. All songs are written with input from all in the band and kept on Jerry’s iPad. When it comes to album time, the whole band has ‘say’ in what they feel would be the best songs and the arrangement of songs.
Advice to new/up and coming artists – do everything you can to help others in any way you can. Never think you’re too good to not practice constantly and always strive to better yourself. Remind yourself to follow the music and to not to be swayed by people’s expectations.
Fast Firing Fun Facts:
What is your favorite Holiday and why?
Jerry Andrews – Christmas because family is all here and any day that honor veterans
Dustin Terpenning – Easter (Christ’s Resurrection), I enjoy celebrating with my family, sharing food and it being the start of spring.
Anna Dunham – Christmas because we have a tradition in my family where we all sleep on the floor in the living room on Christmas Eve night and don’t use electricity. We use candles and flashlights and play board games by the fire before bed. We have done this every year that I can remember.
Mason Atha – Thanksgiving, just can’t beat the food and company
What is your favorite saying/quote?
Jerry Andrews – you can’t finish a job unless you start it
What is your dream destination?
Jerry Andrews – Station Inn and we will be there on Aug 17th, 2022
Kathy Wigman Lesnock – Australia
Anna Dunham – Italy, the Amalfi Coast
Mason Atha – backpacking through Europe
What state has been your favorite to do a concert/event in?
Jerry Andrews – West Virginia
Kathy Wigman Lesnock – West Virginia
Dustin Terpenning – West Virginia
Mason Atha – North Carolina, World of Bluegrass at the IBMAs
What is your favorite type of car?
Jerry Andrews – 1929 Model A Ford convertible in cream yellow
Dustin Terpenning – 1957 Chevy pickup
Mason Atha – Mid-60s BMWs
Hanna Livingston – Electric or hybrid, safe, blue and with a nice stereo
Do you have a hobby outside of music? What is it?
Jerry Andrews – addiction to fly fishing
Kathy Wigman Lesnock – Gardening
Dustin Terpenning – fishing, hunting, shooting old muzzle loading guns and visiting historic sites
Anna Dunham – hiking
Mason Atha – crocheting all types of things from sweaters to scarves
Hanna Livingston – video games, drawing, visual arts, various kinds of photography and etc.
What is your favorite kind of Ice Cream?
Jerry Andrews – Peach
Kathy Wigman Lesnock – Vanilla
Dustin Terpenning – Chocolate
Anna Dunham – Darkest Chocolate from Jeni’s
Mason Atha – Salted Caramel
Hanna Livingston – Anything with chocolate, cheesecake bits, Oreo or cookie dough in it
What is your favorite junk food?
Jerry Andrews – Chocolate no baked and my wife’s chocolate chip cookies
Kathy Wigman Lesnock – Pringles
Dustin Terpenning – Ice Cream
Anna Dunham – French fries
Mason Atha – Doritos
Hanna Livingston – well, a 3am taco at a music festival, birthday cake and chips at a pool party, a hamburger on the 4th of July, campfire marshmallows, hot chocolate at a November football game and movie theater popcorn….. think you get the idea…haha!
Do you have any pet(s) and what are their names?
Jerry Andrews – has whole flock of laying hens! Big Barr is the Queen
Kathy Wigman Lesnock – Lab mixed dog named Pepper and two barn cats named Rocco and Little Rascal
Anna Dunham – golden retriever named Maggie
Mason Atha – bunny named Petunia
Hanna Livingston – wonderful sheepdoodle named Macie. She is very much a cartoon dog. She once got loose in a crowd during a band performance and then Jerry narrated her escapades from the stage.
What is your favorite book that you read or author that you like to read?
Jerry Andrews – Fred Bears Field Notes by Fred Bear (great archer)
Kathy Wigman Lesnock – Angle of Repose by my favorite author Wallace Stegner.
Dustin Terpenning – Blood on the Trail: Stories of the American Frontier or anything by Alan Eckert
Anna Dunham – Redeeming Love by Francine Rivers
Mason Atha – Tuesdays and Morrie by Mitch Albom
Who is your favorite Actor/Actress?
Jerry Andrews – Jon Voight.
Kathy Wigman Lesnock – Kathryn Hepburn
Dustin Terpenning – Christopher Waltz
What is your favorite movie line? Obviously, what movie is it from?
Jerry Andrews – any line from the movie ‘What About Bob’
Dustin Terpenning – “It ain’t got no gas in it” Karl Childers (Slingblade)
Upcoming news from artist:
NEW ALBUM OUT!!! That is right, you can buy their new album now – look for it on your favorite place to download music or buy a cd on their website. On their website store, you are able to purchase the complete album or just your favorite songs of their new and past CDs.
New album is titled ‘Handprints on the Glass’
Record Company – Copper Mountain Records
Main writers included Jerry Andrews and Brink Brinkman
The CD contains many songs that allow you to remember fond memories, ease your rush of a busy day, have you tapping your feet to tunes and much more. There are definitely a few songs that I liked as I listened and can see many of my fans enjoying them as well. I agree with the majority of the band on ‘Handprints on the glass’ (title song) being a favorite and can see how it will touch the hearts of many listeners.
If you are looking to catch Crandall Creek live, you can catch them at the Milan Bluegrass Festival on Aug 6th and the Station Inn on August 17th, 2022.
Website for artist, tour dates and/or merchandise:
Check out the artist/band website for all their new songs, tour dates and merchandise. The best way to support our local broadcasters and artists are through their sales – CDs, albums, shirts and etc. Let’s show our support – go check their website.