Al Petteway & Amy White: Acoustic Passion
By Miche Archetto:
Here are Al Petteway and Amy White, partners in life and music. They both play string acoustic instruments, and in this video they perform a composition by Al called “Land of the sky”.
According to their official website
“Award-winning, critically acclaimed, passionate and playful, Al & Amy offer an intoxicating blend of musical styles. Their repertoire includes original, traditional, contemporary Celtic- and Appalachian-influenced music with occasional nods to rock and jazz. Their performances feature acoustic guitar, mandolin, Celtic harp, piano, banjo, lap dulcimer, world percussion, and a touch of vocals.
Before moving from the Washington, DC area to the mountains of Western North Carolina, Al & Amy won 50 WAMMIE Awards from the Washington Area Music Association. In addition, they were awarded 5 separate grants from the Maryland State Arts Council for both music composition and instrumental performance. They won an INDIE from The Association for Independent Music, and Al won a GRAMMY from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Al was voted one of the Top 50 Guitarists of all time by the readers of Acoustic Guitar Magazine and in 2008 he won Silver and Bronze medals in the magazine’s “Players’ Choice Awards.”
Al & Amy’s music was featured throughout the soundtrack of the 2009 Ken Burns EMMY-winning documentary, The National Parks: America’s Best Idea. And in 2010, their album, Caledon Wood, (which includes the main theme of the National Parks documentary) was counted among the essential albums of the past 20 years in the Acoustic Guitar Magazine 20th anniversary issue.
Al & Amy enjoy living in their mountain aerie at 4300 feet elevation, with stunning long-range views and wildlife as constant inspiration. This mountain-top setting has greatly influenced their recent musical works, and has also spurred their return to photography. Both Al & Amy’s photographs are represented by The National Geographic Society’s Image Collection, where Al worked as an image editor for 18 years. In addition to concerts and workshops, Al & Amy now also offer winter-themed and 4-season multi-media shows which feature live music performed against a backdrop of nature photography.
Among many other pursuits, Al continues to teach private lessons and record video lessons for Homespun Videos. He also coordinates “Guitar Week” for the world famous music camp, The Swannanoa Gathering. And in early 2010, Amy launched Cat Angel Press which released its first full-color gift-book, Cat Angels: The Secret Lives of Cats. There are more angels and books to come.
In this other video you can also enjoy Al’s solo guitar playing.
Author: Robert Harris
