Rising Stars: Meet Patricia Wallen of Betsy Layne

Today we’d like to introduce you to Patricia Wallen .

Hi Patricia, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I grew up in a musical family. My mother, father, and one of my brothers all played in a band with two other members. They were a Bluegrass band, so that’s how my love for bluegrass started. I would dance in my playpen as they practiced music in the living room. At 8, I started learning how to play the mandolin. My dad taught me to play mandolin and would play along with me as he played guitar. I also found that I could sing, so my dad taught me all kinds of bluegrass tunes to play on the mandolin and sing. I remember I loved attending festivals with my dad as a child. My dad played mandolin for various bands, and I would tag along and watch. My dad usually called me up on stage to sing one or two. At 17, my dad and I had a band and a few other members. We played for about a year until my dad’s health declined, and it was hard for him to go places to play music. My dad and I continued playing music at the house for fun. My mom and dad passed away about a year ago. My mom had Alzheimer’s since I was around 12, so my dad practically raised me. My dad died at the hospice, and at his bedside, I played mandolin and sang one of our favorite gospel songs, “I’ll fly away” it was then I looked at him knowing he was fading away. He was dying, but I made myself a promise that I would keep him alive by living through me. I want to carry on his legacy. I continue to play music. I play local shows, usually on the weekends, where I work through the week, but I continue to play as my love for music will always be.

Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
There are some struggles when it comes to playing. I play mandolin, so I have to have a guitar to back me up, and sometimes it’s hard to find someone who plays bluegrass. I play in a band now that I play bluegrass, country, rock, etc. My band is called “pink ladies” it consists of myself, Tia Woods, and Sarah Beth Bailey. Tia plays guitars/vocals, and Sarah plays drums. I play mandolin and do songs. It’s also hard to find gigs. Sometimes it’s a lot of work calling venues, booking dates, making merch, etc.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I work at a hospital as a nursing aide. It’s a challenging but rewarding job, which I’m proud of. I play music on the weekends and am pleased to be doing what I love! I love taking care of people and helping.

Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
My mentor was my dad, but not everyone has a musically inclined family. But you could reach out to people who are experienced in the music business and get advice from them. People who have been at it for a while have asked for advice, and it’s helped me.

Contact Info:

• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/patricia.shawn.566
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/c/patriciawallenmusic