Gracie Feinberg, from Aspen High School, is one of four area high school students who will be performing in the inaugural Inspire Aspen Foundation showcase at Belly Up Aspen on Saturday at 8 p.m.
Belly Up Aspen is universally regarded as one of the best music venues in America. The photos on the walls of the hallowed club are testimony to the greats who have played at this storied venue. Young musicians can only dream about what it would be like to step out onto that stage to play in front of an Aspen audience.
Four local teenagers will live that dream Saturday night at the inaugural Inspire Aspen Foundation showcase at 8 p.m. It is an all ages show.
Tristan Trincado, Gracie Feinberg, Lana Greengrass and Eleanor Carroll are representing the Inspire Aspen Foundation and their music program which provides musical support for the youth in the Roaring Fork Valley through education, mentorships and performance opportunities.
Longtime community members Julie Garside and Tami Word co-founded the Inspire Aspen Foundation in 2021 and together serve as co-executive directors of the nonprofit.
The two women started Inspire Aspen and its music curriculum after Garside purchased Mad Dog Ranch and Studios in 2016 from its previous ownership under the late Glenn Frey, a founding member of the Eagles who bought the Old Snowmass property from Jimmy Buffett in the early 1990s.
Garside spent years renovating and preserving the property and through her and Word’s foundation, Mad Dog opened the music space to the public as an accessible resource and community space for young, emerging musicians in the valley to learn and create.
Tristan Trincado is a Basalt High School senior who will be playing at Belly Up on Saturday.
The flagship program of Inspire Aspen is Aspen Rocks, an American Idol style music competition featuring six musicians that happens in April. Saturday night’s performers are winners and finalists from Aspen Rocks from the last few years. Inspire Aspen also puts on seminars, educational workshops and other smaller-scale events throughout the year, including Saturday night’s Belly Up showcase.
“What we’re doing with Inspire Aspen is to help young musicians to find the resources and avenues to pursue their music when they may not necessarily have those,” Garside said. “We promote healthy expression through music performance opportunities, educational experiences, studio time and mentorships.”
Trincado has recorded four tracks (and is close to completing a fifth) at Mad Dog with engineer Wes Lanich. His song “Sinner” is available on all the major streaming services. Trincado said recording at Mad Dog was an eye opening experience.
“Inspire Aspen has given me amazing opportunities to perform in front of a live audience, and given me the chance to record my music in a state of the art recording studio and given me the chance to really show my work in the best quality,” Trincado said.
“I thought that you just played your song and that’s that, but you have to build the song up brick by brick, starting with getting the guitar track down to a click so it stays in time and on beat, and getting multiple vocal takes to get just the right one. Doing this builds a strong skeleton for the song and makes life way easier to add other instruments to it.”
Lana Greengrass goes by the stage name of Lanabella. She said Inspire Aspen has helped her in all facets of her music.
“The connections and relationships the program has brought me I am so grateful for,” Greengrass said. “Performing live with a band is one of my favorite things to do with my music. I’ve learned that not getting so caught up in performance anxiety and just going with the flow is the best way to perform. Be impulsive! Freestyle a song or two if it feels right. The recording process in an actual studio is really fast moving and keeps you on your toes, being prepared and open minded is essential to the process. My favorite part of my music is the lyrics I write. I hope they make people think a little and feel a little and help them connect to themselves and me, you know? Human connection is so important to me and in music and it’s one of the things I love the most about it.”
Feinberg said that performing her music live has taken her craft to another level.
“Playing live is the greatest feeling I can get,” Feinberg said. “It’s the feeling that I can spread a message to anyone who listens. And hopefully that I can connect people and places together. I’ve learned most of all that my ability to make music is a gift, and it’s an obligation and an honor to share my gift.”
Garside has been impressed by the growth she has seen take place in her participants throughout the program.
“These kids grow so quickly from when they first come in the studio and with each performance opportunity they get they improve so much they inspire me to be more creative and more disciplined in my life,” she said. “This is the first showcase we’ve done at Belly Up and we’re very grateful to them for providing this opportunity for our musicians. They’re getting the full treatment, soundchecks and everything.”
David Goldberg, partner at Belly Up Aspen, said that supporting the youth in Aspen was important to their organization.
“Danny and I grew up in this community, we’re raising kids here, and Michael’s been a part of the community for 35 years,” Goldberg said. “Having high school kids be able to experience live music locally is a big deal to us. And even more significantly, we are so proud to showcase the music of Tristan, Gracie, Eleanor and Lanabella. So many greats have played on that stage and for these young people to share in that experience is something we’re proud to play a small part in and provide that opportunity for them.”
Trincado sees his music as a form of escape and entertainment for his audience.
“When people come to watch me play live I hope that they take away two things, that they had fun, and they liked the music. Making a show fun, inclusive, and a memorable experience is my main priority for performing. If no one had fun, what would make them want to come back?”
Feinberg said she hopes her music can make a deeper emotional connection with her audience and perhaps make a difference in someone’s life.
“I hope that even if just one person is helped or inspired by my music, or takes away a good feeling or a thought, that’s all I hope for,” Feinberg said. “At the end of the day my music is quantified by how I give back and help the world.”
