Wren RavenSong

My name is Renee O'Connell but I am known around here as "Blue". I was raised in inner city Chicago where I began cultivating my unrelenting passion for the arts at an early age. A neighborhood community recreation center became the first stage where upon I tap danced in variety shows, attempted ballet, acted in dramatic plays and performed trampoline routines for many appreciative and amused audiences. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~My lifelong apprenticeship with music began at age 9 after acquiring my first record player. I was given a pair of drum sticks about the same time and I quickly learned every beat to Hawaii Five-O and Mission Impossible theme songs. Later, I became the only girl drummer in my high school band and dreamed of becoming a rock and roll star. This dream faded fast however, after seeing a folksinger friend accompany herself on an acoustic guitar and sing one of her own songs. Inspired by her example, I got out my mom’s old Harmony, a leftover relic of the 60’s folk boom, and began plunking away from that day forward. Over the past three decades my journey with the guitar has led me to many places, through diverse musical styles and teachers. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ From The Old Town School of Folk Music in Chicago to the Naropa Institute in Colorado and Omega Institute in New York. Some of the teachers I’ve had the opportunity to study with include: Robert Fripp, Ralph Towner, David Darling, Dusan Bogdanovich. With the help of these teachers (and many others) I explored the realms of fingerpicking styles, flatpicking, Irish music, jazz improvisation and classical technique.I also took some writing workshops with people like Kate Campbell, Allen Ginsberg, Lynda Barry, Anne Waldman. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I now reside in a rural area outside of Charlottesville, Virginia. I have one recording to my name that was co-produced by local chapman stick player Greg Howard. I have been a radio announcer at WTJU since 1990.In addition to writing and performing my own songs, I also study classical guitar. Local teachers here in Charlottesville include: Keith Stevens, Sharon McCord and Humberto Sales.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~ I am a certified music practitioner and play therapeutic music for hospital and hospice patients. I graduated from a National program called the Music for Healing and Transition Program based in NY state. You can find out more about this program at http://mhtp.org. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~