Photo credit: Anthony Scarlati
Tell us about your tour vehicle.
Thomm Jutz: I rent a car or travel in a Volvo XC 90 that has about 90,000 mi on it. I love that car. It’s never given me any trouble and it feels super-safe.
Tammy Rogers: I seem to fly a lot to an area, then rent an SUV…. that seems to be the most efficient way to get around these days! If the gig is somewhat close to Nashville, I’ll drive my Mercedes-Benz 450GL which is a large SUV and feels like you’re riding in a recliner…. love it! My husband and I bought it used a couple years ago, but it only has about 90,000 miles on it.
How do you eat cheaply and/or healthy while on tour?
Jutz: I don’t eat fast food. I’d rather wait and tide myself over with a protein bar or something. I’m pretty mindful of what goes into my body, also, one of the pleasures of the road is to try local food, beer, etc… that you haven’t tried yet.
Rogers: I definitely try to skip the fast food joints! If I have to eat something fast, then I’ll choose a salad if there’s one on the menu.
I usually travel with some sort of protein bar and always have some tea bags on hand.
How many strings do you break in a typical year? How much does it cost to replace them?
Jutz: I play with a very light touch. I don’t think I’ve broken a string in 20 years.
Rogers: I went through a spell a few years ago where I was breaking a lot of E strings…. very inconvenient on stage! I actually switched brands and that seems to have helped. With fiddle strings, I don’t usually change them more than a couple times a year which is nice, because a set is about 60$ these days.
Where do you rehearse?
Jutz: We rehearse at my studio or in Tammy’s living room. One of the many nice things about playing acoustic music is that you can gather anywhere and get going. No PA, mics, etc needed.
Rogers: I like rehearsing at my house or Thomm’s because we both like really good coffee and I know I can get a good cup at either place! It’s the little things…. and my dog is awesome, so it’s nice to have him around.
What was the title and a sample lyric from the first song that you wrote?
Jutz: I honestly cannot remember, but it was probably a horrible mash-up copy of AC/DC and The Rolling Stones. But I think Tammy has some pretty clear memories of her first song.
Rogers: My first song was called “Two Wrongs Don’t Make a Right”. Really pretty terrible and cliche but we all have to start somewhere!
Describe your first gig.
Jutz: It was in the auditorium of a school I went to in Germany. I was 14 years old. I immediately caught the bug, luckily it has never left me.
Rogers: My first gig was the elementary talent show, in fifth grade. I knew two fiddle tunes at the time so I played one of them with my dad accompanying me on guitar. I was hooked from then on.
What was your last day job? What was your favorite day job?
Jutz: I’m a lecturer in the songwriting department at Belmont University, and I’m really enjoying what I get to do there.
Rogers: I was an adjunct professor of commercial violin at Belmont University here in Nashville for about 15 years. I took a break from it a couple of years ago since I was getting really busy touring…. of course, a worldwide pandemic hit the next year and I could have used that day gig, but oh well! I’m actually enjoying not teaching much at the moment, although I’m sure I’ll get back to it at some point in my life.
How has your music-related income changed over the past 5-10 years? What do you expect it to look like 5-10 years from now?
Jutz: Mine has changed in a positive way, since I started getting a lot of sync placements. It’s interesting to write for moving pictures, it’s very different from what I usually write, and it keeps me on my toes as a player and as an engineer. I hope to see that side of my work pay off even more over the next 5-10 years.
Rogers: I think my income has remained fairly consistent in the last 5-10 years. It’s just varied from the sources, if that makes sense…. I guess I mean, some years I have toured more, and some years I have recorded more, some years I’ve had more freelance work, etc. I hope things continue this way for the foreseeable future…I like the variety of work that I get to do.
What one thing do you know now that you had wished you knew when you started your career in music?
Jutz: Never buy a house with a pool until you can afford somebody to take care of it… joking aside: I wish I had known more about the business side of music. To me it was all about playing gigs, till I was in my late twenties. I only started at the business end of things once I moved to Nashville in 2003.
Rogers: That all my heroes were/are just regular people that happen to do extraordinary things….I think I was too caught up in being in awe of them when I was younger. I had opportunities to be around some or even play/record with some and I would just be almost tongue-tied hanging out with them. I guess that speaks to me learning to be comfortable in my own skin!