Spencer Chandler

In the artist’s words: Describe one of your earliest musical memories in detail. My grandma lived with us and insists that I sang before I spoke. I remember her singing to me, in my high chair. She had a very warm, sweet voice, and I can still hear her cadence on songs like "Sing a song of six pence, pocket full of rye..." What are your top 3 all-time favorite albums on Apple Music, and why? Why did you choose these three albums in particular? Nina Simone, The Essential Nina Simone Steve Martin and the Steep Canyon Rangers, Rare Bird Alert The Weavers, The Weavers At Carnegie Hall Steve Martin and the SC Rangers made an indelible impact on me and how I heard the Bluegrass string ensemble; Nina Simone rivets me completely, mesmerizingly, hauntingly; and Pete Seeger along with the other Weavers anchor me in the heart of folk. Find a song of yours on Apple Music that you love and tell us what makes it special. Tell us why you chose this song. “I Ain't Goin' to School” This song has helped both my daughter and son manage their anxiety about going to school, when they were very little. They loved hearing the song sung to them, or spoken as a story, and enjoyed filling in the last rhyming word of each line. What’s one of the most memorable moments in your career so far? Watching/listening as Dave Grisman, Tony Trischka, and Nicky Sanders all sat in one room at Terminus in NYC, playing with guns blazing through the Bluegrass Christmas album, atop tracks laid down by Shawn Pelton, Skip Ward, and Sean Harkness! Is there anything left on your bucket list as an artist or band? Still have a huge backlog of great tunes to work on, refresh, tighten up and get into the studio. Lots of stuff for kids, but also some fun/funny stuff for grown ups in different genres. Plus a Christmas Album Vol. 2 is definitely right at hand!