April 14, 2003
Contact: Robert Lowery (509-963-1487/fax 509-963-2301/e-mail: loweryr@cwu.edu)
ELLENSBURG, Wash. - Central Washington University alumna
Christine Durr is embarking on a second career,but her first love.
Already a successful English teacher in the Yakima School District,
Durr is now embarking on a singing career, with her first professional
CD to be released April 20.
A Yakima native, Durr, 31, began singing as a child. She
earned a vocal scholarship to CWU, but, after just one quarter as a
music major, Durr quit because of what she termed “debilitating stage
fright.”
Durr went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in English, in
1997, and her teaching certification, in 1999, from Central. She has
served as an English teacher at Eisenhower High School in Yakima. She
also owns her own décor business.
“It’s not that I don’t love teaching – I really do,” Durr
says. “But, my ultimate goal is to do this (sing) for a living.”
It was a goal she had given up on, until having second
thoughts recently. She volunteered to sing the National Anthem at a
school assembly, hoping it would cure her stage fright. Midway through
the song the microphone went dead, but she continued undeterred.
Durr then began to sing karaoke hoping to take another step
to overcome her fears. A month later she met a man who had sung in
Nashville and was producing songs of his own.
That chance meeting led to Durr’s participation in last
January’s Nashville Starbound Music Showcase competition, where her
country-blues style caught the ear of Don Reed, owner and promotions
director for Nashville-based Affinity Music.
After the competition, Reed invited her to record a 10-song
CD, titled “The Outskirts of Town,” which was recorded last February.
“He told me I had amazing stage presence for someone who
hasn’t been performing that long,” Durr says. “He thought I had what
it took to break through. I hope he’s right.”
She was one of only two of the 61 competitors at the showcase
given the opportunity to record. Durr’s CD will be available at her
Web site at www.durrzigns.com/. In addition, she has a series
of about 12 live performances scheduled around the Northwest during the
next six weeks.
“Since I’m on a promotional contact, the more shows that I
have and the more people I have that buy my CD, then the more important
I will be considered by Nashville,” she adds. “It’s up to me to do my
part here, so they can do their part there.”
Back in the classroom, Durr’s students are some of her most
ardent fans.
“They are thrilled,” she notes. “They are so excited. They
all want to buy the CD. They want to know where I’ll be appearing.
They’re very, very supportive.”
