This Chick Can Rock
US DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
The first time she picked up a violin, at 10 years old, Lorenza Ponce knew she was not going to be a classical musician. Lorenza, a Maryland native who now calls New York home, is a violinist and singer, who has played alongside Ben Folds, Jon Bon Jovi, Sheryl Crow, John Tesh and Thriving Ivory. She has also recorded her own music and plays regularly with her band, as a duo and a trio.
Thanks to Sheryl Crow, who bought Lorenza her first pair of leather pants, the artist has found her sound as a “rock chick.”
“I was a new age artist and she hired me in her rock band,” Lorenza recalled. “She helped me morph into a rock girl. She made me play acoustic guitar in her band - she is just great- she is a really cool chick.”
Crow is a breast cancer survivor; much like the audience at VA New York Harbor Healthcare System, who recently had the pleasure of seeing Lorenza and her band perform. On June 13, VA’s Brooklyn Campus celebrated its sixteenth Cancer Survivor’s Day. Headlining the event was LP and the 45s – or, Lorenza Ponce and her band.
“It was a very moving experience,” she said after the show, held on a small stage in the second floor conference room at the Brooklyn Campus. “Seeing the strength in that room- everybody with their pins on saying how long they survived- (it was) so incredibly inspiring, so humbling. It put things in perspective. I think so many times we take getting out of bed for granted. I left there thinking I can do anything.”
As part of the set, LP and the 45s played “Carry On,” a Crosby Stills & Nash song. “I played it for two reasons- it’s a very uplifting song- that’s what it’s all about- carry on, no matter what, we carry on. The second reason I played it is my band is so good at harmony- it is so fun and people just love it and I wanted the Veterans to be uplifted – I didn’t write it and haven’t recorded it, and it’s one of my favorites to perform to bring people happiness.”
Lorenza’s own father is a World War II Veteran, a radar jammer in the Army, who lost a brother who also served. “I have always had a soft spot for Veterans,” she said. “Even if I didn’t have a father who was a Veteran, I have a great respect for any man or woman who was willing to put their life on the line for their country. I find it extraordinary I have huge respect for that.”
In fact, Lorenza would love to continue to perform at VA facilities and even do a USO show if she got the opportunity. But the Brooklyn show was the first.
“It’s harder to play a little room like that- if someone looks bored, you can see it. In an arena, you can barely see the person in the front row. But the Veterans really appreciate it. There’s no money exchanged. It’s all about the joy of music. That really means something to me,” she said.
“There’s something about the old fashioned about it,” she noted. “I have a gift and I want to play it for you. I have a gift and you appreciate it. I would like to do more of this kind of thing. It just makes me feel good. It’s just fuel for the soul.”
Spoken like a true artist.
ARTICLE LINK: https://www.nyharbor.va.gov/NYHARBOR/features/ThisChickCanRock.asp
