Since permanently leaving his corporate environmental engineering career in 1996, award-winning folk and Americana artist Andrew McKnight's musical journey has traced nearly a million miles of blue highways. That journey has earned him a wealth of critical acclaim and enthusiastic fans for his captivating performances and ten recordings, as a solo artist and in his genre-bending quartet Beyond Borders with founding Nitty Gritty Dirt Band member Les Thompson.
The singer/songwriter, guitarist and storytender's latest solo project Treasures in My Chest is an album and book about his singular experiences exploring his family history, as well as a fine introductory how-to manual.
Hailing from the historic village of Lincoln, Virginia, Andrew also teaches guitar and songwriting, offers a variety of programs and workshops for students and adult learners, and is a consultant for people learning to use DNA for genealogy and family history research. His music is in several documentaries and podcasts, and he has written songs with kindergarteners as well as one on one with veterans to help healing their PTSD.
His ambitious plans for 2025, in addition to performing and teaching guitar and songwriting, are as diverse as his interests. Beyond Borders is starting work this winter on their first studio album. He is featured in and helped produce two music mini-documentaries. He is helping his cousin, singer and actress Suzanne Lukather, developing her one-woman stage show Little Blue Suitcase. Andrew is launching a new service, interviewing revered family elders on video telling their stories in their own words to future generations. And while development was stalled by the pandemic, he is now finishing work on his inspirational keynote program, “The Gifts in Our Genes”.
Photo credit: Christi Porter
Opener: Whisper Valley - Elizabeth Podsiadlo, Becky Corbett, and Pam Francis.
