Violinist, composer, arranger, and teacher, Melanie Joy Alvey expands her classical training into various American styles. Her approach to performance and composition was formed during her studies at Belmont University with classical violinist Elisabeth Small, electric violinist Tracy Silverman, country/western swing icon Buddy Spicher, and jazz violinist Billy Contreras. There, she completed both her Undergraduate Degree and Masters Degree in Commercial Performance. Melanie has toured with Peter Mayer for the Stars and Promises Tour, performed live with Rod Stewart, and was the featured fiddle player for Mercy Me’s song “Greater” on the Dove Awards and official music video, and performed with Sigur Ros at the Ryman Auditorium. She performed live on the CMA Awards and CMA Country Christmas five times and appeared twice on ABC’s show Nashville. She has written arrangements for and performed with artists Dara Tucker, Matthew Whitaker, Hobo Cane, Krista Adams Santilli, John Angotti, Greg Walton, and Lo Marie. Nine of her original compositions were accepted by the Nashville Composer Collective and performed in their concert series. Melanie Joy has been teaching private violin lessons for 17 years and helped found the St. Philip Arts and Liturgy Institute. In the past, she was the director of Chamber Ensembles with Music City Youth Orchestra, and she taught private lessons at Western Kentucky University. Combining her love for chamber music, composition, improvisation, and fusion of musical genres, she founded the new-music ensemble: Avila Soul String Quintet.
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~ Live performer on violin and fiddle ~
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