Andrea Young is a Nashville-based singer, songwriter and multi- instrumentalist. Trained classically since the age of two for a symphonic career, her natural passion for improvisation and country music eventually led her to Nashville....with goals of backing up major acts on violin, mandolin and vocals. Andrea has done that and more. Her journey has taken her from developmental deals to a record deal...from performances with notable artists across genres, to touring success with original projects & becoming an official Cultural Ambassador of the United States. Currently, Andrea has joined forces with Ashley Gearing in the critically-acclaimed country duo “The Wildcards” and is touring with the legendary Sir Rod Stewart.
Originally from Alton, IL she was always a top student. She began taking college courses in 7th grade and later attended Southern Illinois University on scholarship. After getting her start recording and performing with bands in St. Louis, MO, she made the move to Music City and soon found herself out on the road with Halfway to Hazard. (On Tim McGraw’s “Live Your Voice” Tour)
Andrea has toured and played on sessions throughout the US, Europe & Asia. She has backed up artists such as: Ruston Kelly, Marcus and Levi Hummon, "One Tree Hill" actress Jana Kramer, American Idol's Bo Bice, guitar slinger Kenny Olson (of Kid Rock), George McCorkle (of the Marshall Tucker Band), and many others. In her early Nashville days, you may have seen her performing with an unsigned Lady A showcasing for their first record deal… or at jams with Jerrod Niemann prior to his rise to stardom. Andrea has also joined heavy-hitting house bands including Sixwire on CMT’s hit show “Can You Duet,” The Coral Reefers on the American Legacy Tour, and in Susan Sarandon’s band on Fox’s original drama “Monarch.” From amphitheaters, to night clubs, to outdoor festivals, there is a good chance Andrea has played the stage at some point.
Her songwriting was born from a love of creative writing, art, and poetry. When she first came to Nashville, producer D. Scott Miller took her under his wing and helped to channel that into finely crafted, heartfelt songs. Always a collaborator at heart, she co-founded Farewell Angelina, which ended up signing a record deal at Dreamlined Entertainment with acclaimed producer Keith Stegall (Alan Jackson, Zac Brown Band) It gave her songwriting a home and eventually led to her featured song “Ghosts” ( a dedication to one of her early supporters and collaborators George McCorkle) being the number 1 video on the CMT 12-pack Countdown for several weeks.
As an artist, she is a spirited, quick-witted & dedicated storyteller. Her violin playing has been described as having “ferocious finesse” and her vocals “emotive & angelic.” She has opened up shows for the likes of Darius Rucker, Brooks and Dunn, Rascal Flatts, Jason Aldean, and Charlie Daniels, etc. Highlight performances include the National Anthem for the Breeders' Cup World Championship on violin (ESPN: Featured as a Top Ten Moment of the Year), an anthem performance for Houston Astros, as well as being featured on GAC's Headline Country. In her time off of the road, she is a busy studio musician and teacher of violin/fiddle/viola lessons.
Andrea Endorses:
Krutz Violins
Glasser Bows and Violins
D'addario Strings and Planet Waves
Amplification by Phil Jones
MEDIA
Recording
Working with artists that span from Indie Rock to Modern Country, Andrea has played and/or sung background vocals, for a diverse and incredibly talented roster of musicians. Fill out the contact form if you want to add violin, viola, background vocals, or string arrangements to your song! Andrea is able to record in her studio and send tracks directly to you.
Lessons
Andrea Young's journey on the violin began when she was 2 years old studying with some of the Suzuki Method's best- including Dr. John Kendall. Incredible teachers from around the world would come to learn from Dr. Kendall and Andrea reaped countless benefits from the program. Her diverse education included instructors from Sweden, Argentina, Japan, Chile, etc. She learned early on that there were a multitude of successful ways to teach the same skills. The key was to figure out which methods worked best with each individual student. Andrea is committed to finding that magic combination for everyone she teaches.
Andrea began teaching at 15 and eventually landed a job at the prestigious Teipen Performing Arts Academy in Saint Louis. She graduated with honors on scholarship at SIUE with a focus in Education. She currently teaches private Violin and Viola lessons in Nashville, TN and Virtually for those that live around the world. All ages and levels are welcome- from beginning to advanced. She teaches Classical and Fiddling of all kinds. If there is a particular skill that you would like to improve (Improvisation, Reading, Theory, Speed) feel free to include that information in your initial email.
Some students, like “Sirius XM’s The Highway” Ania Hammar and Canadian Artist Delaney Grant take violin to enhance their performance as singer-songwriters. Some are advanced high-schoolers competing in orchestras and preparing for college auditions. Some students are simply learning for the joy of having more fiddle in their lives. Whatever your reason, you are welcome!