Chicks with Guitars is a figurative expression. It’s more about being armed and ready than it is about being a “chick”. We’re equal opportunity. We’ve had shows with honorary (boy) chicks. We’ve also had chicks with drums, chicks with violins, chicks with pianos, chicks with cellos and even a chick with a saw. And starting in July of 2010, also a content site to help you get started, stay inspired and move forward. Stay tuned for details. Cheers!
Who’s Running the Show?
– Jeanette Palmer, Founder: Renaissance woman or spaz, you decide. She has a degree from New York University in socio-linguistics but has primarily worked in the world of advertising and design, with clients ranging from Donna Karan, Armani Exchange, Dove and Pepsi. Jeanette’s been an avid writer -from editing the high school poetry magazine, reviewing plays for the New York University student paper or writing freelance for Vh1.com. She picked up a guitar at the age of 30, toured on the West and East coast, and her life was changed forever. For the better.
– Bertolt Sobolik, Guy: While not a chick, Bertolt Sobolik has been playing guitar since he was 14. He got an MM in Music Composition at Indiana University. In addition to his work for Chicks with Guitars, he is finishing his Ph.D. in Music Composition at Princeton University. His thesis is entitled Recomposition: the evolution of musical identity in jazz. Bertolt’s compositions have been performed by various ensembles throughout the United States and in Europe. He has taught music theory, electronic music and computer music notation at Indiana University, Princeton University and the Vermont Jazz Center. In his spare time he writes electronic music, plays jazz on the guitar and is teaching himself the Turkish oud.
Here’s the background story:
Here’s an article documenting the early days in Tribeca:
March 2004 – The Tribeca Tribune (NYC, NY)
HOW DID THIS HAPPEN? A note from Jeanette:
If someone asked me what kind of music I liked, I have always said “chicks with guitars“. I even bought the url for this in 1997, thinking I might find a way to celebrate my fan-dom with some kind of online magazine. Surprisingly. I got a guitar as a birthday present in 1999. It sat around for awhile. In 2001, I started taking guitar lessons, writing songs and then added vocal lessons. My first open mic lead to my first gig and many more adventures. I even recorded a CD of my first 8 songs (also available on itunes and most digital sites). I’m eternally thankful for the patience of my teacher and producer, James Katz and the kind folks at the songwriting circle hosted by Pete Muller.
That said, what I loved the most was the community of talented people I was meeting. In 2003, Chicks with Guitars became a live monthly showcase in NYC and then in 2004, thanks to the suggestion and talents of my amazing friend Nicola, we went on the road a few times as touring coffeehouse “event” with other invited guests.
2010 marks the launch of Chicks with Guitars as a content site… still in a nascent stage. Updates to come!
For now, there’s some historical information here of where we were and some recent showcases taking place on the East Coast and in the Mid-West.
Chicks with Guitars 