The recently reviewed When The Sun Comes Out by Amy Banks offered a fine selection of standards and cover versions plus one original song. Ruined For the Rest is actually the only song Amy has written so far as she tells in the jazz-not-jazz interview. If you want to know what Betty Carter has to do with this and why Amy is doing fine right in the middle of Amish farm country then keep on reading:

Q: Both your parents were music education majors at Eastern Illinois University. How influential were they for your musical education and how supportive were they when you’ve told them you wanted to pursue a singing career?

Amy Banks: My parents are the sole reason I attached to music. When we were little, they would sing little songs to my brother and me before we went to sleep at night. I had piano lessons by age eight and learned to play the French Horn because of their urging. Ironically, I wouldn’t call them particularly fond of my vocal performance career. I’m clear they would have preferred I be a music teacher, rather than the unpredictable circumstances that sometimes dictate the security of a stage performer. In fact, I’m certain my Dad still doesn’t understand the fact I’m actually an accomplished singing professional.

Q: You’ve performed in numerous musicals and for the American Music Theater in Lancaster. How helpful has this training (singing on a daily basis the same songs for a long time) been for you?

Amy Banks: The experience is truly incredible. I’m not the same singer I was when I arrived at the theater four years ago. The biggest benefit, however, has been working with people more experienced than me. My best teachers are those who set an example on the stage. And performing a specific show on the theater stage for a house of 1600 is a different animal than singing jazz standards of my choosing for an intimate crowd. Precision and control are paramount, and those skills roll-over on the jazz stage.

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