Biography: Nan Ivins -
Portrait of an Acoustic Poet
Singer/Songwriter, Acoustic Guitarist & Cover Artist
 Nan Ivins is a singer and songwriter who is becoming well known for her soulful and sultry vocals, her gutsy lyrics and her melodic, hook-ridden acoustic rock original songs. She has made a name for herself as a dedicated and talented singer, songwriter and acoustic guitarist, appearing as well as hosting acoustic shows at various nightclubs, coffee shops and benefits in the Philadelphia and South Jersey area. She performs live acoustic versions of a wide range of popular music in addition to her original songs under the stage name The Acoustic Alternative.
Nan is dedicated to keeping live local acoustic music accessible by both playing whenever and wherever possible and by helping other artists to share their work. In her quest for venues for local original acoustic artists, Nan helped create and hosted the popular Open Mic at Port City Java in Deptford, New Jersey. She was also the founder & featured performer of the Acoustic Jam & Open Mic every Saturday afternoon at Barnacle Bill's Tavern, now known as Cousin's Irish Pub, in Westville, NJ. She made regular appearances with the cover band Fabulous Johnson. She was a regular performer for Borders Books & Music during 2003 & 2004. Nan has performed live at the Elderberry Foundation Awards Show, The Our Lady Help the Christians Annual Beer Garden Charity Event, and The Gloucester County Special Services School District Annual Car Show. In 2004, she produced and performed at the Acoustic Music Festival for the Westville Lions Club Art in the Park Event. She hosted the Singer Songwrtier Showcase the first Wednesday of every month for a year during 2004 and 2005 at the Barrington Coffee House in Barrington, NJ. She was also the acoustic stage coordinator and host of the acoustic stage at Scenefest 2005, an outdoor music festival in August 2005 featuring 10 bands and 13 acoustic acts which was dubbed the musical event of the summer. In 2006 Nan produced and hosted the Acoustic Jam at L'Hexagon Nightclub in Philadelphia. Nan is a born entertainer and frequently performs at private parties and public events.
Nan is also an accomplished recording artist who has been involved with several recording projects. Her first four demo songs were recorded and engineered by guitarist Billy Ingram of the Ingram Brothers Band, and she has been involved with numerous other studio and live recording projects. Her self-produced Acoustic CD - Alive & Well, was a compilation of live solo demo recordings and is no longer in production. Her first indie studio production, Inside Looking Out, which was produced with the help of her good friends from The Boneyard Studios, producer Anthony Marcus, and David St. James, is now available through her website, www.NanIvinsRocks.com as well as at live shows, with a CD Release Party being planned for Summer 2009.
Nan started writing at a very early age, winning contests and publishing poetry and prose in school and local publications. She put her creative writing skills to work as the press coordinator for a local entertainment agency during 2004. She returned to school and obtained a degree in Website Development for E-Commerce in 2008, along the way designing, developing and publishing the content found on her own website (www.NanIvinsRocks.com), as well as sites for other artists and bands, a recording studio and a music store. She is the proprietor of her web design company, High Impact Web Designs.
As the parent of a child with autism Nan became involved as a family support activist, and she is currently the Chairperson of the the NJ CDD Regional Family Support Planning Council #8, serving Gloucester, Salem and Cumberland Conties. Her work on the Special Education Child Care Project earned her the ARC Gloucester 2006 Distinguished Community Service Award, and she is a graduate of the Partners In Policymaking Program.
Nan is also a certified Yoga, Pilates, Hydropilates, Aqua and Zumba Instructor, teaching classes at Future Fitness Centers in Southern New Jersey, private group classes, and offering private and semi-private lessons. After raising three children and sruggling for nearly two decades with her weight, Nan has finally achieved a healthy weight to go along with her healthy lifestyle, which she attributes to regular exercise and focusing on a healthy diet.
This native Philadelphian is a former second generation battered woman who has risen from the depths of the mean streets of the City of Brotherly Love with something to say and some light to spread and is driven to share her dreams and visions. She is a "survivor" who has truly risen above, and she attributes her success to her refusal to permit the negative to interfere with her dreams, as well as her thirst for lifelong learning. She is a strong advocate for battered women and children, and for the autistic community, and her vision is to spread the word to the victims that there is help available and that they, too, can learn to break the cycle of violence and rise above their negative circumstances to enjoy a successful and happy life.
©Copyright 2006 - 2009 - Nancy T. Ivins - All Rights Reserved. |