Hollywood, Nashville, New York and West Palm Beach, FL (PRWEB) January 25, 2006 -- Ali Shumate understands critical care operations. After all, she has worked as a critical care nurse in a trauma hospital. So, spending the last two years of her life working on one of the hottest bluegrass albums in Nashville was just what the doctor ordered. For Shumate it was a lot of ?intensive care? and loving attention to her songwriting that helped complete the two year project.
The West Palm Beach hospice center director who tours the country teaching nationally on topics related to hospice care, has a songwriting hobby that is proving to be one of the most successful parts of her life. Ali Shumate not only writes some of the greatest bluegrass music you?ll ever hear, she also performs it as well. Last year, Ali performed at country music?s biggest party, Fan Fair 2005 in Nashville which drew 145,000 people from all over the world. Mikel Gore, senior editor of Entertainment Headline News in Nashville, caught up with Shumate and interviewed her about her current album at music retailers that is currently on Platinum Plus Universal Records.
Q: You currently have a brand new album and video out (Heartbreak Train) that is drawing rave reviews around the country. How did you get discovered in the music business?
A: I auditioned in front of some major label executives at a hard rock audition in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida several years ago at American Music Auditions. It was there that I met one of the great bluegrass pioneers, my producer Robert Metzgar (Legends Hall Of Fame, Producer?s Hall Of Fame, West Texas Music Hall Of Fame) who was a judge at the audition. I just bravely asked him if I could get up and audition in the middle of all these hard rock bands. He asked me what type of music I performed and I said, ?bluegrass.? Once Mr. Metzgar heard me perform, he began helping me get signed to a label, get into development and complete what has been a two year journey of recording, pictures, video, and all the exciting things that go with having an internationally based recording career in Nashville.
Q: And after Mr. Metzgar discovered your talent, how did you go about the recording process over the past two years?
A: I began by submitting material for the album. I write all my own material and Mr. Metzgar got it reviewed and processed. I am an ASCAP songwriter and currently have songs in the finals of the International Songwriting Contest in Nashville. Together, my producer and I selected the songs that we recorded in several ?sessions? in the city of Nashville using some of the most famous bluegrass players in history. You can still record at an affordable cost in Nashville as opposed to recording in New York or Los Angeles. I worked very hard to create a quality project for the person who buys my album. They deserve your best efforts. You need great songs, great musicians, all the right technical equipment and most of all a producer to guide you through the recording process. My album was recorded in authentic bluegrass style. We used only acoustic instruments and did everything ?live? at Chelsea Studios in Brentwood.
Q: When did you first get interested in a career in the music business?
A: My earliest memory of performing was at a store in Northfork, West Virginia when I was only four years old. My dad would take me downtown and I would sing for people. ?I loved singing for people. It was the only time I could be as loud as I wanted to be without getting into trouble.? So, I grew up in West Virginia, went to Bluefield High School, attended Marshal University then later went on to Bluefield State College and finally completed my nursing degree in West Palm Beach at Palm Beach Community College. Along with my formal education, I had 11 years of classical piano instructions, 6 years of woodwinds and theory, and 2 years of vocal training. I?m still studying the complexities of the guitar, mandolin and violin.
Q: Did your family have a musical background?
A: Yes, I came from a long line of musicians. My great, great grandfather and his sons, ?The Honaker?s? had a huge musical influence in a town at the turn of the century called Pocahontas, Virginia. Coal miners built an Opera house in the city in the 1800?s and my family got their musical start there. The wonderful mayor of Pocahontas, Anita Brown, is currently a part of the great restoration project that has restored this theater to its original condition. I am playing on that stage this summer. My most monumental and somewhat emotional gig was playing the Gibson Bluegrass Theater show at Fan Fair 2005. This stage next to the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville is where some of the most famous bluegrass musicians in history have performed.
Q: Who are your favorite performers in the music business?
A: Dolly Parton is my #1 artist. She is an inspiration to every writer and performer of bluegrass music. Loretta Lynn, Tammy Wynette, Wynonna, Rhonda Vincent, Jenny Owen and Jo Dee Messina are also some of my very favorites. I love Alison Krauss and Union Station, Shania Twain, Faith Hill, and Miranda Lambert. Ricky Skaggs is my #1 male bluegrass artist. I love to watch him play music. Of course, I love Clint Black, Brad Paisley, Alan Jackson, Garth Brooks, Toby Keith, John Denver, Jimmy Buffett, John Stepp, Keith Urban, and George Strait. Then there?s Lester Flatt and Earl Scruggs, the Smokey River Boys, Bill Monroe and Roy Acuff. These artists brought us some of the greatest bluegrass music in history.
Q: What are your goals in the music business in the future?
A: When I was five years old, I used to play on the piano for hours and create what I referred to as ?masterpieces.? That is what I want to do in the future. I want to create music masterpieces for the public to enjoy. I also want to be a role model for young people to emulate. I have an incredible husband, Keith who is the most loyal, hardworking guy you could ever ask for and my son Wyatt who is 14 years old. ?Being a parent is the best job I ever had and I love every minute of it.? I want to give to others some of what God has given to me through my music. My mom is the hardest working woman you?ll ever meet. Dad worked an odd shift, so my mom did all the yard work, plumbing, and whatever was needed. She convinced me that, ?You can do anything you set your mind to do.? She?s 87 years young and still as cool as a teenager. I want to continue to record with my producer, Robert Metzgar. ?I have had the blessing of meeting Robert Metzgar who has made it possible for me to pursue my dream. There is not a more wonderful person walking the earth than Robert. Without his guidance, none of this could have become a reality.?