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There is a plethora of technical musical training in Alabama singer/songwriter Abby Parks' background. Years of formal education in everything from classical guitar and piano to composition and creative writing would seem to make an impressive resume for anyone wanting to delve into a music career. Impressive as it can be, true artisans of the musical craft always need that extra edge, and with Parks, that edge is a deep devotion to God, a burning desire to tell stories, and a fierce passion for music and performing that has fueled her fire long before she ever stepped into a classroom.

Born in Durham, North Carolina, Abby Parks developed an early interest in music by listening to the records her music-loving parents often played by legends such as Joni Mitchell, Fleetwood Mac, Crosby Stills Nash and Young, The Beatles, and Emmylou Harris. And she turned her ears to the radio where popular music of the seventies and eighties made a deep and lasting impression on her. A German classical guitar found its way into her hands at an early age, and another facet of her passion - writing poems and short stories - began to blossom. "My love of singing came first," Parks recalls. "My love of music was almost an obsession, and then the guitar...I love the instrument." The guitar prompted Parks' intensity to songwrite.

In her high school years, Abby Parks was further inspired by noted classical guitarist John Michael Talbot. Acknowledging that formal training could help her turn her music dreams into a career reality, Parks studied avidly at Colorado Christian and Jacksonville State Universities. She majored in classical guitar, with four years of study under highly respected professor Dr. Ken Johnson. Other studies included private training in composition, piano, and voice. She also enrolled in creative writing courses during high school and college, and achieved Bachelor's degrees in music performance and English.

Abby Parks is a woman of multiple passions and her love for performing also extends to the theater. She delved into theater with roles in legendary musicals including Fiddler On the Roof, The Fantastiks, Oklahoma, and Little Shop of Horrors. Parks' vocal prowess was also showcased in school and church choirs, as well as the acappella group Profile. With her natural vocal, musical and creative writing talents finely honed, she decided it was time to turn toward creating her own music. With songs germinating from her stories, poetry, and experiences living in Germany, Georgia, England and Colorado, Parks began to write with an intense fervor. She first began performing live, including a show at the 2000 Celtic Connections Festival in Glasgow, Scotland. Eventually settling in the Anniston, Alabama area, Parks began performing across the Southeast in venues ranging from coffeehouses and churches to theaters, clubs and festivals. In 2005, she recorded and released her debut CD "Moving On". Her blend of Shawn Colvin and Caroline Aiken-like music was very well-received, garnering praise from the folk and singer/songwriter worlds.

Beyond her songwriting and performing career, Abby Parks is a private guitar teacher at the Donoho School. She is a member of both the Folk Alliance and the Roots Music Association, and over the years, she has also learned to play bass, mandolin and banjo. Her sophomore effort "The Homeplace", recorded at Huntsville's Sound Cell Recordings with Doug Jansen Smith (Take 6, Brian McKnight, Willie Nelson, Phil Collins), was a dream come true.

Parks had this to say about "The Homeplace": "Recording this second album "The Homeplace" was one of the biggest accomplishments of my career. I never thought I'd be working with someone as talented and knowledgeable as Doug Smith, and the production on this album is beyond what I would have hoped for. I tried to have a portion of my songs blend thematically, that theme being to tell tales of various individuals' lives in the rural South or small towns in general. Three of the songs - The Homeplace, Wild Dogs, and Lambert Road - were stories pulled from my own family history and especially dear to my heart. Other tracks such as Your Chantilly, The Only One Who Knows, and Kicking Dust Off Our Feet also fit the theme. Caves is an odd story, a cavewoman with agoraphobia, basically. I like to fancy that she was a Southern cavewoman (ha), but will leave that up for debate. As a singer/songwriter, you want your work to stand out and be a reflection of your own individuality. I am happy with this project because I feel I accomplished that goal, and I look forward to seeing if it stands up against the vast competition in the indie world."

Available for purchase at www.abbyparks.com

This latest CD features inventive instrumentation accompanying her unique finger-style guitar playing, creating an evocative atmosphere for Parks to spin reflective tales and narratives in song. Abby Parks is now poised to take her music career to the next level with her brand new musical calling card "The Homeplace".

Reviewer: Phil Pyle, contributor, Athens Blur Magazine

"Give it up for Abby Parks, an artful writer and guitarist with a voice that could very well part the sea of kudzu leading out of Jacksonville, AL. With her debut cd, The Homeplace, Abby doesn’t hang her hat on just one peg but shows this is indeed her album musically, vocally and lyrically—quite the tri-fecta, and she scores on all points."

Reviewer: Keith Harrelson, coordinator, Small Stages House Concerts, Birmingham, AL

"What marks a musical project as authentic is its degree of humanity--- and a new disc by Abby Parks touches several bases familiar to anyone of a reflective nature, through its ten tracks of stories, observations, and character sketches. Anchored solidly by a foundation of unerring and imaginative instrumentation, Parks' mid-range vocals sail powerfully on a confidence born of belief in her material."

Reviewer: Gary Furr, singer/songwriter and coordinator, NSAI Birmingham, AL

“Abby Parks’ newest CD is a labor of artistic love. Each song is a rich and carefully crafted offering for the listener to chew on, her observations on life, love and dogs, among other things, never the “usual.” Unexpected chords and lovely melodies abound. Abby continues to grow in her range and musical vision and it shows! You'll like it!”

The debut album by Abby Parks features romantic lyrics set against a rich tapestry of folk and classical finger-style guitar. Sometimes reminiscent of the folk music of the sixties, yet splashed with a sound all her own, Abby Parks’ album will leave you wanting more.

Five Stars--Impressive Debut. Reviewer: Jason Bennett, www.bennettfolk.com

"This is a very impressive debut from an obviously gifted songwriter and guitarist. "Western Desert Sun" is about as close to a debut masterpiece as you will find. Textured landscapes of cactus, prairie wind and some fine, delicate guitar playing accompany Ms. Parks on a journey, which I am happy to say, is just beginning. Keep an eye on Abby, as it appears that her music will be around for a long time."

Reviewer: Gerald Van Waes, host of "Psyche Van Het Folk", Radio Centraal, Antwerp, Belgium, www.psychefolk.com

"(Abby) is able to make the necessary matured songs that have an inner strength that can grow in any direction. "

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