Cook Series Presenter Savanna Chestnut Discusses Art of Songwriting and the Musical Life

Country music singer/songwriter Savanna Chestnut discussed the art of songwriting and the musical life at Cloud County Community College in Concordia on Thursday, March 24th.

Chestnut's music reflects her roots.  Growing up in Americus, a small farm town near Emporia, Savanna developed a love for the sweet, tangy sounds of old school country music, and that is exactly what she aims to bring back to the modern country scene.

Chestnut started writing and performing around age 13 and she constantly tours around the country playing a wide variety of venues, festivals, fairs and events.  Chestnut has opened for acts like Gary Allan, Eli Young Band, Tanya Tucker, Ned Ledoux, Sunny Sweeny, Ward Davis, Granger Smith, Restless Heart, Shenandoah and more.

Chestnut says a key to finding success in the music industry is to be consistent and stay persistent.

Chestnut was a contestant on Season 20 of "The Voice," earning a spot on Blake Shelton's team.

She says her participation in the reality singing competition has allowed her to take her career to another level.

On Saturday, March 26th at 7 pm, Chestnut will be live in concert with her band, The Field Hands, at the Brown Grand Theatre in downtown Concordia.  The band features guitarist Casey Dailey from Concordia.

The Lazy Wayne Band will be the opening act for Chestnut.  The concert is free and open to the public.

Chestnut writes her songs for, and about the folks that still love true country music.  She brings a traditional sound to the table, with a simple, yet poetic songwriting style.

She told us what audience members can expect from this weekend's performance.

This year marks the 29th anniversary of the Charles and Marian Cook Series at Cloud County Community College.  The Cooks were travelers who wanted to bring the world to those who could not travel themselves.  Over 75 events have been presented under the auspices of the Cook Foundation and the Division of Humanities, Social Sciences, and Business in the past quarter-century.  It always has been Marian Cook's wish that all Cook Series events are free and open to the public.