by Amy Rogers Nazarov
Special to the Voice
Dede Wyland can't walk through a grocery store or roll across a radio dial without cocking one ear, listening for the next song to interpret.
"When you're a singer, [finding new material] is a full-time job," she says. "I am always on the lookout. Sometimes I hear a song I just love, for the way it is crafted, the melody and the lyrics."
For her new recording Keep the Light On (Patuxent Music), Wyland, 59, found what she believes to be the right mix of songs for this particular snapshot of her long career. From the bluegrass rave-up of Dave Alvin's "Long White Cadillac"--a song about Hank Williams--to the tender ballad "Devoted to You," a little known chestnut by husband-and-wife songwriting team Felice and Boudleaux Bryant, best known for "Rocky Top"--Keep the Light On is chock-full of songs that showcase Wyland's crystalline soprano to its best advantage.
A multiple Wammie winner who toured the world throughout the 70s and 80s with bands like 'Grass, Food and Lodging and the renowned Tony Trischka and Skyline, Wyland has lived in Takoma Park for the past 19 years, teaching voice, performing and contributing vocals and rhythm guitar work to many recordings, among them Randy Barrett's Lights of Home (Falling Mountain Music.)
"Dede is one of the great bluegrass singers of her generation," says Barrett, president of the DC Bluegrass Union and one of the guest artists on Keep the Light On. "Her wonderful voice, her delivery, the choice of material on this record--these are her strengths."
At least one of Wyland's signature live tunes, "Chime Bells," which features her accomplished yodeling, made it onto this recording. "I've been a fan of western music since I was a little girl, and I grew up hearing people who could yodel like Elton Britt," one of the writers of "Chime Bells." "When I first heard him do it, I thought, 'I can do that, too.'"
Backing Wyland up on the new recording are a number of bluegrass luminaries who make their home in greater D.C.: Barrett, Dudley Connell, Rickie and Ronnie Simpkins, and others. "I love the female harmony sound, but I decided I wanted male harmonies to complement my voice on this record," Wyland says. "It was like being a kid in a candy shop to pick among all the wonderful musicians in our area."
Dozens of students study voice with Wyland. "It was a wonderful thing to discover that teaching was something I had a passion and a joy for," she says. "I have standard techniques I use to help my students deal with their vocal challenges, and as we experiment in developing different areas of their voices, I learn so much, too." As a bonus, "singing every day with my students keeps my voice toned," says Wyland, who takes great pains to protect her instrument: she avoids cigarette smoke at all costs and runs a humidifier round-the-clock at home.
"I have a very nice sense of anticipation" in the run-up to the recording's release, Wyland says. "It's really important for me to give something back, and my music is what I have to share."
Keep the Light On will be available at House of Musical Traditions, 7010 Westmoreland Ave.
Learn more about Dede Wyland at www.dedewyland.com.
