WHIPPOORWILL ARTS FELLOWS
Annie Staninec
Born to a musical family, and imbued with an undying passion for traditional music, Annie Staninec was destined to play the fiddle, and has unwaveringly followed that path since childhood. It has been her sole profession, and she has saturated herself in the early generation artists and traditional idioms spanning bluegrass, old-time, Irish, and Cajun/Zydeco and swing. Her performances and teaching have inspired countless players—young and old—to follow her path.
Annie was exposed to American roots music since day one. Her father, born in Czechoslovakia, was a bluegrass and old-time enthusiast and guitar player. He met her mother, from Japan, at an old-time music gathering in Osaka. They eventually married in San Francisco, where Annie was born and where music was a part of their daily life. She began regularly attending bluegrass festivals since infancy, and spent her childhood learning fiddle tunes from her father, playing at home or at local sessions nearly every night, learning from her peers, and participating in youth-focused musical programs at festivals and events.
In addition to bluegrass, Annie began exploring Cajun and Zydeco while living in the bay area, and was fortunate to be introduced to Andrew Carriere, a Louisiana native born into a family deeply rooted in Cajun music and culture. Andrew instantly recognized her talent “You sound just like my father!” and they have been collaborating ever since, including several duet tracks on Annie's eponymous first album. Annie is renowned in the SF bay area Cajun scene, and is a regular fixture at dances and parties.
Annie was discovered in 2012 by internationally renowned singer/songwriter Mary Gauthier, who invited her on several tours and collaborations in the US and abroad, and also it was here she was discovered in 2016 by pop legend Rod Stewart.
Rod had recently released his Another Country CD, and was recruiting for a female fiddler who could also play the banjo. He was captivated by a YouTube video spontaneously recorded by her father of Annie playing banjo and singing to her younger siblings. Annie was invited to audition in Los Angeles, was quickly hired, and after a few stints in London and Las Vegas, continued on to a whirlwind tour of 13 countries over two and half months, performing to crowds of over 30,000. Annie continued working with the Rod Stewart band through much of 2016, and then returned to her focus on bluegrass recording, performing and teaching. She is at work on additional recordings and books presently, including a folio of twin fiddling solos and techniques.
“I want to leave behind a legacy that has a positive impact on others and the music in which I’ve been involved. Above all else, I want to continue to share and spread joy through music. Performing, teaching, jamming, collaborating, and recording are all means to this end. I want people to be able to enjoy and feel connected through what I do for many years to come, whether it’s a fan watching a performance, a fellow musician remembering a really fun evening at a jam or dance, or a student feeling the confidence to play with others.”
Equipment for recording, streaming.
“I will use the funds to support and accelerate my upcoming recording and writing projects (production costs, studio time, artists, etc), a major repair on my instrument (it requires a new neck due to some structural failures). There are about a hundred livestream shows that are archived on FaceBook that were recorded using gear that I purchased with the grant.”