Origin Abruzzi, Italy | Years active 1999–present Name Chris Volpe | |
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Birth name Christopher Robert Volpe Genres Folk, rock, bluegrass, country Instruments Vocals, guitar, banjo, harmonica Role Songwriter · chrisvolpe.com Albums Refugee Blues, Shipwrecked!, Up, Up, and Awry Awards Independent Music Award for Best Album - Singer-Songwriter Nominations Independent Music Award for Best Song - Sing Out For Social Action (Any Social Issue) | ||
Occupation(s) Musician, songwriter | ||
Colorado girl chris volpe
Christopher Robert Volpe is an American songwriter and folk musician. Since 2006, he has won over twenty international songwriting awards including an Independent Music Award for Best Folk Album.
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Education
After graduating from high school, Volpe attended Kent State University where he studied philosophy and mass media. Upon earning a bachelor's degree and busking in Europe for six months, he moved to Washington, DC and then New York City, where he spent a year honing his songwriting in the New York City Subway and in clubs like the Sidewalk Cafe, before again relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area.
Career
Volpe won three hours of studio time when he was awarded "best song" by the West Coast Songwriting Association at the Sweetwater Saloon in October 2004. He used the studio time to record fifteen original songs in one take (guitar, vocals, harmonica) during the three-hour block, which was then released as an album titled Refugee Blues. The album garnered him numerous awards, including an Independent Music Award for "Best Folk Album of the Year," and the "Singer/Songwriter Award" from London-based "We Are Listening".
Volpe then continued touring the California coast and performed at numerous festivals including the San Francisco Folk Festival, the Hyperactive Music Festival in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the SXSW Music Conference in Austin, TX. He was featured on the National Public Radio Open Mic series and much of his music was and has since been included on PBS's Roadtrip Nation documentary series.
In 2007, encouraged by several friends including renowned fiddle player Alex DePue, Volpe moved to Nashville, TN to explore the country songwriting industry, but quickly changed course when he found inspiration in the city's embedded bluegrass world and burgeoning indie rock scene.
In 2008, after completing work on his next release, Volpe spent 2 months on tour as the instrument tech for Steve Earle and Allison Moorer, during which he was onstage for performances by Jakob Dylan, Gillian Welch, Levon Helm, Bob Dylan and Conor Oberst as well as Earle and Moorer. He has appeared at the Bristol Rhythm & Roots Reunion, Louisville's Forecastle Festival, and WSM radio's Bluegrass Underground series, as well as a performance during the inaugural season of Nashville's popular Music City Roots series, which also aired worldwide on WSM radio.
In 2009, Volpe released Shipwrecked!, which showcases a larger, experimental sound he called "surrealist folk." On the record, Volpe worked with Bob Dylan's band mate, Donnie Herron; legendary percussionist Kenny Malone (Johnny Cash, Tom Waits), 3-time Grammy winning jazz musician Jeff Coffin (Flecktones, Dave Matthews), and bassist/cellist Bryn Davies (Patti Griffin, Tony Rice). In addition, the performances were recorded by acclaimed bluegrass engineer Phil Harris, who received Grammy praise for his work on Doc Watson's Grammy Winning instrumental album in 2006.
Late in 2010, Volpe relocated to his hometown of Cleveland, Ohio, to complete the writing and recording of Up, Up, & Awry. His list of awards and accolades is extensive. Volpe, who has had no formal musical training, plays guitar, harmonica, banjo, piano, and drums among other instruments.