User:Santamonicaqueen

Aspen Switzer (born May 19, 1982), is an award winning Canadian singer-songwriter. She sings and plays the banjo, guitar and piano. She released her first album in 2006 "Narrow Sky" and her second "humble but bearing no apology" in November of 2008. "humble but bearing no apology" won two awards at the 2009 BC Interior Music Awards for Best Roots/World Recording of the Year and Best Folk/Traditional Recording of the Year.

Early Life
Aspen was born in Sirdar, British Columbia, Canada. Her family was supportive of the arts, and encouraged her singing at an early age. When she was still very young her family moved to Nelson, British Columbia, Canada where she went to the Nelson Waldorf School from Kindergarten to Grade Eight. The Waldorf School continued to inspire her love of arts and her passion for singing.

Music Career
Aspen was dedicated to her singing career from an early age and is known in Nelson, BC as a home-grown celebrity. Upon graduating from high school she received a scholarship from the Columbia Basin Trust for her work in the community, which helped fund her years at college. She attended the Selkirk College Professional Music Program in Nelson. Upon completing the program in 2006 she produced her first album, "Narrow Sky" followed in 2008 with "humble but bearing no apology."

Aspen has traveled across the country to perform, play music, and write new songs. She came to national attention in Canada when Hockey Day in Canada used her music for the 2007 edition of the popular show. In April 2007 Aspen's first music video for her song "Winter" received almost 26,000 hits on YouTube. In the summer of 2009 Aspen performed in a one woman show in various "Fringe" festivals across Canada as well as several music festivals, including The Salmon Arm Roots and Blues Festival.  In 2010 she was voted number two in the Lilith Fair Local Talent Search for Vancouver, British Columbia and subsequently toured with three of the other top-five contestants in the "Lilith Fair, Almost There" tour. She has opened up for such artists as Stephen Fearing who said "I look forward to working with her again down the road . . . I'll probably be opening for her."

Aspen performs solo, with "The Aspen Switzer Band" as well as with "Thistledown" consisting of Aspen Switzer, Jesse Lee, and Jessa Koerber.