Annie Moses Band

Annie Moses Band is a classical/folk ensemble of six siblings known for their epic arrangements, virtuosic string playing, and folk rock-infused vocals.

Annie Moses Band
Annie Moses Band performing
Background information
OriginNashville, Tennessee
Genresfolk, Americana, classical, jazz, bluegrass, pop
Years active2002 (2002)–present
LabelsWarner Classics
Websitewww.anniemosesband.com

History

Named for their great-grandmother, a Great Depression-era sharecropper who invested in the musical talents of her daughter, the Annie Moses Band began in 2001 with lead singer/violinist, Annie Wolaver Dupre, and her siblings, Alex (viola) and Benjamin (cello). Juilliard-educated, the trio united with a rhythm section led by their father, award-winning composer/arranger/pianist Bill Wolaver, and began touring the United States, performing a 33 concert run in their second year. The band expanded to include younger siblings: Camille (harp/keyboard/B3), Gretchen (violin/mandolin/guitar), and Jeremiah (acoustic/electric guitar). Over the last two decades, the group has recorded 15 albums,[1] 5 live DVDs, including the record-breaking PBS special, "Christmas with the Annie Moses Band", and the PBS special, "The Art of the Love Song". They have appeared on numerous media platforms including The Todd Starnes Show, The Eric Metaxas Show, and the hit folk show Woodsongs. The Band has performed in Carnegie Hall, the Grand Ole Opry House, and in hundreds of venues across the United States, Europe, and Asia.

2008 - 2013

The Annie Moses Band signed with Provident Sony in 2008 and subsequently released This Glorious Christmas,[2] which hit the Top Ten on Billboard Magazine's Classical Crossover chart. The following year, the band released a PBS special, Christmas With The Annie Moses Band[3] which garnered over 1,200 hours of airtime, setting the record for a debut artist.[4] In 2012, Annie Moses Band made their debut at Carnegie Hall[5] and the Grand Ole Opry.[6] Their album, Pilgrims & Prodigals, ranked No. 11 on the Billboard Bluegrass Albums chart and peaked at No. 6 on Billboard's Heatseekers - Northeast chart. The first single, "Blush", debuted as a music video on GAC (Great American Country) in Nov. 2012.[7] On August 26, 2013, Annie Moses Band performed on the popular Americana show, Woodsongs[8] The band also made an appearance that same year on Huckabee.[9]

The Band's mother and founder, Robin Wolaver, released a memoir in September 2013 entitled The Song of Annie Moses which relates the story of the group's namesake, Annie Moses, and the generations that followed her from the cotton patches of Depression-era Texas to the halls of The Juilliard School. The book hit #1 on Barnes & Noble.com on the day of its release. Robin Wolaver speaks regularly on topics of family, parenting, and music education.[10]

2015 - 2018

The Annie Moses Band signed with Warner Classics in the spring of 2015. The band toured music from their newest album, American Rhapsody that year. Inspired by George Gershwin's description of his Rhapsody in Blue as an "American musical kaleidoscope", the album includes original songs and classic American folk tunes. The tour culminated with the Western Odyssey, the band’s journey of exploration of the western landscapes of the United States. The trip took them to the Grand Canyon, the Rockies, and all across the Midwest and beyond. The trip yielded several hit music videos, including “West, Pioneer!” and “Cherokee,” two original songs exploring the band’s family roots.

In 2016 Annie Moses Band released its second project with Warner Classics, The Art of the Love Song, a live PBS special recorded at the Grand Ole Opry House that celebrated marriage through soaring re-imaginings of classic love songs. The special featured a full orchestra composed of young musicians that the Band had mentored through their summer program, the Annie Moses Summer Music Festival.

Educational Outreach

Since their beginnings as a touring ensemble, the Wolaver family has made music education a central focus of their time and energy.

In 2003 they began working each July with young musicians in a summer music program. Nearly twenty years later, the Annie Moses Summer Music Festival has impacted the lives of hundreds of young artists from all across the world. Each summer the Band organizes a series of performances over ten days. These shows cover a wide variety of genres and instruments. Each production is customized in arrangements or original writing for the students who perform in them. The Festival has performed on stages across Music City including the Grand Ole Opry House.

Following the success of the Festival, the Band began a weekly music program, the Conservatory of Annie Moses, where young musicians receive holistic training including instrumental performance, live coaching, songwriting, the theology of the arts, and arranging/composition. The Band's educational mission hit a landmark in July 2018 with the opening of a new headquarters in Franklin, TN for the Conservatory program.

Other Media Appearances

The Annie Moses Band has appeared on PBS, Fox News and FOX 5 (KVVU Las Vegas), ABC-Dallas’s “Good Morning Texas”, Janet Parshall’s America, the 700 Club, TBN, and LeSea Broadcasting; on the radio airwaves on The Todd Starnes Show and The Eric Metaxas Show, and in the pages of Southern Living, Strings Magazine, The Wall Street Journal, The Dallas Morning News, The Tennessean, and The Chattanoogan.

Discography
  • 2005 - Eden, ManAlive Records
  • 2006 - Bethlehem, House of Bread, ManAlive Records
  • 2006 - Always Morning Somewhere, Manalive Records
  • 2007 - Through the Looking Glass, ManAlive Records (award winner)
  • 2007 - Christmas Bright & Beautiful, ManAlive Records
  • 2008 - This Glorious Christmas, Sony BMG/ManAlive Records (award winner)
  • 2009 - Christmas with the Annie Moses Band, ManAlive Records/Dream Journey
  • 2012 - Pilgrims & Prodigals, ManAlive Records
  • 2013 - Christmas Loves Company, ManAlive Records
  • 2014 - Best of the Beginning, ManAlive Records
  • 2015 - American Rhapsody, Warner Classics
  • 2016 - The Art of the Love Song, Warner Classics/Rhino
  • 2017 - This Glorious Christmas Deluxe - ManAlive Records
  • 2018 - O Holy Night - ManAlive Records


References
  1. Annie Moses Band. "Annie Moses Band | Discography". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  2. Jared Johnson (2008-10-07). "This Glorious Christmas - Annie Moses Band | Songs, Reviews, Credits, Awards". AllMusic. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  3. "Christmas With the Annie Moses Band CD Album". Cduniverse.com. 2009-11-10. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  4. "» Over 700 hours on PBS! Annie Moses Band". Anniemosesband.com. 2011-02-06. Archived from the original on 2014-04-09. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  5. "ANNIE MOSES BAND TO MAKE CARNEGIE HALL DEBUT | Turning Point Media Relations, Inc". Turningpointpr.com. Archived from the original on 2014-04-10. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  6. "Cape Symphony Orchestra - Concert Season - Concert 4". Capesymphony.org. Archived from the original on 2012-09-26. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  7. http://sgmradio.blogspot.com/2012/11/annie-moses-band-announces-world.html?m=0
  8. https://beta.prx.org/stories/166405
  9. "'Girl of Constant Sorrow' | On Air Videos | Fox News". Video.foxnews.com. 2013-11-12. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
  10. "Robin Donica Wolaver". Robinwolaver.com. Archived from the original on 2014-04-19. Retrieved 2014-04-18.
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