Finding Her Voice: Christie Dashiell receives Grammy Nomination
Christie Dashiell is a celebrated vocalist and composer that locals may first identify as the daughter of renowned jazz bassist, 2002 Downbeat Magazine’s Jazz Educator of the Year, and former ECU Director of Jazz Ensembles, Carroll Dashiell, Jr.. She is the third of four children who all share the “CD” initials and musical talent. Since she grew up in Greenville, it’s tempting to use headlines like “Hometown Girl Makes Good.” Even though it’s true, the musician lives in the shadow of no person or place. She has carved out a musical niche for herself and the industry is taking notice with a Grammy nomination for her vocal jazz album,“Journey in Black.”
Dashiell remembers the moment she learned about the honor.
“My husband and I were sitting on the couch watching the live stream of the announcements, almost biting our nails, and then my category came up and then my name came first and we jumped and screamed and cried. We were so excited.”
Born in Washington DC, Dashiell moved with her family to Greenville when she was just two years old and stayed until she left for college. She attended Elmhurst Elementary, E.B. Aycock Middle School and J. H. Rose High School, where she was active in choir, orchestra, and jazz band.
“I remember all of my extracurriculars either had to do with music or language so anytime I was staying after school it was always about singing or playing violin,” Dashiell said. “All of my school concerts were a really big deal for me and my family. That was something that we all really looked forward to every year.”
These days Dasheill considers her two primary instruments to be her voice and piano.
Growing up in a musical family, Dashiell said she worked to carve out her own identity while honoring the legacy and musical lineage of her family. It was when she was in college that she started to notice there was something special and unique about her own voice and music. Her style is described as “living in the musical crossroads of jazz, rhythm and blues, gospel, and soul.”
Carroll Dashiell, Jr., Professor & Chair of the Department of Music, Howard Univrsity
Dashiell is a graduate of Howard University and the Manhattan School of Music. She is on faculty at Temple University, Howard University, and the University of the District of Columbia, and has amassed an impressive number of acknowledgments for her talent.
When asked the almost impossible question of which song on her album is her favorite, she acknowledges they are all like children, as she has a special connection with each of them. But the one closest to her heart is “How it Ends.”
“I wrote that about a friendship and two friends that had kind of lost their way,” she said. “It’s the story of a friendship breakup, but hopeful that you’ll make up. I think the reason it is so close to me is because it sort of encompasses all of the themes of the project. It talks about love; it talks about loss. It talks about hope. And I like singing that song too–I really like the melody. “
Dashiell said this project was released in September 2023, so she’s been playing the music and working on the project for a long time. But a lot of people are just now discovering it and it’s exciting for her to see.
“At the same time, I’m really eager to start working on some more music and even making more music that continues in the sound and in the spirit of ‘Journey in Black,’” she said, “So definitely I’m already planning another album and another tour. I’m really looking ahead.”
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Originally published in the Daily Reflector
