GO Getter: Ingrid Gerdes

A Springfieldian-turned-Bostonite, Ingrid is a musical up-and-comer (except in Poland, where she's already a star).

For being a Boston resident for the last six years, Ingrid Gerdes keeps tight bonds with her home town. The 2000 Glendale High School graduate—who went to school at the University of Kansas and then Boston’s famed Berklee College of Music—is making a major dent in the Beantown music scene with hopes of getting even bigger (she’s already huge in Poland). If you want to hear Springfield’s next big thing, your chance is coming up: On March 8, for the fifth consecutive year, Ingrid will perform at the BCFO’s annual A Time To Share fundraiser.

How did you get involved with the BCFO event if you’ve been in Boston for almost six years?
Kathi Cryderman, the owner of Harem Boutique, became a fan of my music when I released my first CD, and insisted on having me come in for this event. The Harem flies me in and has me perform.

So what can we expect from your music? Describe it.
I guess it’s categorized “neo-soul”, like Joss Stone or Amy Winehouse… it’s a cross of genres, classical with R&B, some reggae, a lot of ballads—all my favorite types of music.

How’d you get started in music.
I was actually into opera when I lived in Springfield. In eighth grade I was in a blues band.

When did you move to Boston?
In 2002. I moved to attend the Berklee College of Music and got completely infused in the music scene here.

This is important: Who did you root for in the 2004 World Series?
I was so rooting for the Red Sox. I’m embarrassed. It was so amazing to be here. We kind of killed the Cardinals…

Okay, it was nice talking to you [pretends to hang up]. Just kidding. Tell me about your new album.
It was released in January, and it’s called The Eclectic Collection. It’s my original debut album; I wrote and produced all the songs. It took me a year, between the band I’m in [The Boston Players] and teaching. I tried to do this album the right way, and got some of the best musicians in New England to play on it.

Would we have heard you anywhere? TV, commercials?
That’s my next promotional push, college radio. This is hilarious to me, but Poland loves me. I don’t know why and I don’t know how they found out. I’m played a lot on the radio in Poland.

Why do you think that is?
They’re more receptive to new artists; I feel like in America, the music business is not about the music.

So, as an aspiring music professional, when you watch American Idol do you just roll your eyes, or what?
I can’t even watch it. It’s so frustrating. Obviously it’s a TV show, but I happen to know a lot of people who have auditioned who don’t make it. There’s a lot of stuff that people don’t know about [the process]. As a person with a music degree, who’s a songwriter and a producer, that show would never be for me. But it’s entertainment. What are you going to do?

Name one way that Boston is like Springfield.
Well, it’s snowing right now. Does that count?

Want to listen to Ingrid's music? Try these sites.

http://cdbaby.com/cd/ingridgerdes

http://www.myspace.com/ingridgerdes