Tedi May

Early Days

Tedi grew up in the Ozark Hills near Branson Missouri. Her first memory is dancing to her grandpa playing the fiddle at music parties. She started playing the banjo in high school, and formed a couple bluegrass bands playing the banjo with her mother on upright bass.

Becoming a Musician

After graduating from high school, Tedi practiced about six hours a day for a year on the drums, and became accomplished enough to play professionally around the Midwest in a three-piece 50’s-60’s band called “Young, Loud, and Wrong”. Around that time she married and lived in Kansas City Missouri with Robert Walkenhorst of the “Rainmakers.” “We got a record deal with EMI/ Mercury/Polygram for his band, and traveled a lot around the world promoting records for the Rainmakers. I moved to Atlanta, Georgia in 1993 and attended the “Atlanta Institute of Music” earning a degree in string bass, and was the first female to graduate with honors.”

Losing my Voice

“While living in Atlanta, I became ill. I developed a severe vocal illness called “Spasmodic Dysphonia.” I went from being able to speak normally to not having any voice at all in about a three-week period. It was brought on by several factors, mainly stress, overuse, and not knowing how to apply proper breath support for the amount of talking I was doing with  my business. My voice disappeared for three years. I was told by several  medical specialists that I might not ever regain the ability to speak clearly.”

Overcoming Health Challenges

“So, I went on a spiritual journey to figure out why I got so sick, and how to get well. I did get well, and learned a great deal of information about health, breathing, how the voice is produced, how to produce proper breath support for vocal health and longevity, great vocal support exercises I do daily, well-being, and how to be happy regardless of circumstances. I am writing a book with the help of a friend that will outline all I went through, and how I got well. I actually didn’t sing before, and from re-learning to speak with the proper breath support, I learned to sing!”

Influences

Old time gospel and Southern Baptist church music, old Appalachian Fiddle Tunes (called   “Shoddishes”), 40’s big band music, greats like Elvis, Buddy Holly, Gene Vincent, Ella Fitzgerald, Doris Day, Hank Williams Sr., Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, Rodney Crowell. Bluegrass bands like JD Crowe, Tony Rice, Bill Monroe, Ricki Skaggs, The Stanley Brothers, Emmy Lou Harris, George Jones, Dolly Parton, Porter Waggoner, Slim Wilson, Danny Flowers,  Jimmy Webb, John Fogerty, James Brown, Yolanda Adams, Kirk Franklin,  Lee Williams and the Spiritual QCS, The Mighty Clouds of Joy, Bootsy Collins.

Other random loves;  P-Funk, Atlanta Rhythm Section, ZZ Top, Elton John, The Rainmakers, Chuck Berry, Jerry Lee Lewis, Little Richard, Bach, Beethoven, Strauss, Pavarotti, Andrew Lloyd Webber, Tina Turner, Kiss, Aerosmith, John Mayer, Blind Boys of Alabama, Nancy Griffith, The Sex Pistols, Green Jello, Run DMC, Nine Inch Nails, Paul Simon, Michelle Shocked; The Neville Brothers, New Orleans Jazz traditional music/Cajun dance music, Hair of the Dog!

Numerous Motown artists,  Marvin Gaye, Lionel Richie, The Commodore’s, Diana Ross, The Supremes, The Temptations, Gladys Knight and the Pips, Stevie Wonder and newer music like Plain White T’s, Dylan Eiland and Efterklang. Dance remixes by FORD.

Tedi says, “I am truly inspired and love to listen to anything if it is done well or at least with spirit.”

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