The Chickadee Sermon has something for your soul.
It comes directly from their soul.
“Music has been in my life from the start–my dad is a bluegrass musician so I grew up trying to sneak on stage to sing the high harmony,” Jennifer Hood-Sturm said. “As I got older, I got interested in instrumentation, too.
“We all came to music at a young age and I think all four of us would say that music has been a way of life for us for a long time. It’s always there for us–in the good times, the hard times, and all the in-between.”
That’s where musicians find the good stuff, the experiences and feelings that connect us all. Writers, poets to be exact, Hood Strum and fellow musician Olivia Tasch knew they had something to share: not only through writing but also through harmony.
“The band started as a project of just Olivia and I,” Hood-Sturm said. “We had been singing in different bands together for almost a decade, but we wanted the freedom to bring our songs together and really make them our own. Something autonomous and independent.”
With guitar strings at their fingertips, the duo started to play locally in 2015. With influences from the Grateful Dead and Emmylou Harris, Hood-Sturm and Tasch entertained crowds with both covers and original songs.
By 2016 they had found their “voice.”
Tasch was in the middle of reading The Wisdom of Solitude by Jane Dobisz when she came across a chapter called “The Chickadee Sermon.”
“The chapter really focused on the story’s female protagonist finding her independence and confidence to blaze her own unique trail,” Hood-Sturm said. “That really resonated with us when the band was in its infancy and still does today.”
Anchored with a vision, the duo realized that a banjo and a bass would round out their sound.
Mike Tasch and Charlie Harris were both on stage with the two women by 2017.
“Charlie is one of the best musicians in Illinois, and also a very busy guy, so we were truly ecstatic when he said yes,” Hood-Sturm said.
“We all work together to bring a song to fruition; someone will bring the foundation of a song and the four of us will work on building it up together,” Hood Sturm said. “Everyone brings their own strengths to the table, so we try to harness all of it as best we can.”
That energy is something that has had their summer schedule filled with performances. Hood-Sturm said that after a hard year dealing with COVID-19 restrictions, it feels amazing to be singing in front of crowds.
The quartet will perform at the Mahomet Music Festival on Sept. 18. The festival is open from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. in downtown Mahomet. Grammy Nominated Jimmy “Duck” Holmes will also perform.
“There’s nothing that can replace that energy of live music, and I believe it can be truly healing. It’s great to be together sharing those experiences again.”
This summer’s local shows have been just one way to highlight the release of their debut album Town to Town.
“There’s nothing like being in the groove of a good song with your friends by your side,” Hood-Sturm said. “The energy that we share as a band and hopefully share and receive with an audience is a really special thing, full of both comfort and bliss.
“We hope that our songs might speak to you in a way that is unique and special. Maybe you’ll hear our rendition of an old traditional song and it will bring you back to a place of beautiful nostalgia. And hopefully, folks are making memories with the ones they love, and we are just happy to be there providing the soundtrack for that experience.”
Town to Town can be purchased at upcoming shows or by contacting the group on their Facebook or Instagram pages: The Chickadee Sermon or by emailing address–thechickadeesermon@gmail.com.
