Up There: Reflections on Life in Rural NY

There was no single moment when I knew I wanted to be a professional musician, but by age 14 I was certain I would devote my life to music. I realized early on that creative fulfillment and success in the industry would likely require moving to a major city; this expectation was reinforced in college, where I imagined and planned my future accordingly. But in 2020, the world began to change in ways that forced many artists (myself included) to reconsider how we relate to our societies, our communities, and our work. I made a quick and unexpected move back to my hometown of Oneonta, and – throughout the strange and uncertain months that followed – I processed these changes in and through the landscape of Upstate NY. The global upheaval seemed to shift something within me: I found new meaning and possibility in familiar places and developed a stronger understanding of my priorities and identity as an individual and an artist.

Up There culminates this process of reflection that started in 2020 while marking a new beginning of my work. Each piece examines my relationship to Upstate NY from childhood through present day, translating space, feeling, and memory into music through improvisation. The bond you have with the place you grew up is irreplicable. By digging deep into your roots, I think it’s possible to make art that is not only meaningful to yourself, but to the community around you. Composing Up There helped nurture my connection to the area I now choose to live and forged a drive to create music that honors it.

My hope is that this music inspires other artists to see the beauty and worth of Upstate NY and of rural America as a whole. I have a deep respect for all those near and far who work hard to make art happen in their rural towns, regardless of how sparse the population may be. Small towns need artists to communicate human experience and uplift voices that are so often misunderstood or forgotten. In my own small way, I hope to show other musicians that alternative lifestyles and careers in rural areas are not just possible, but profoundly fulfilling and essential to the well-being of our communities.

I could live in another city, and at some point I may do so. But wherever I am, Oneonta will always be the place that reminds me why I make music.

 -Wyatt Ambrose, February 2025 (Edited by Katie Huntington)

Up There: The Music

Water Bodies: A dedication to upstate lakes and rivers, and to my mom, a life-long kayaker and outdoorswoman.

Doldrums: The boredom and lethargy of being stuck at home in front of an oscillating fan during a summer heat-wave.

Underpass: Born from an improvisation under an overpass in Oneonta’s Neahwa Park during the first writing session for Up There. A teenager venturing to somewhere they probably shouldn’t be.

Morning Mist: A song about perspective. The morning mist changing familiar surroundings into something eerie and otherworldly, eventually giving way to the sunrise and a new day.

Root Bound: The difficulty and liberation of choosing who and where you want to be.  

Healing: Written during a particularly hard day, a recognition that music will heal us if we allow it to.

You Are Here: A tribute to all the musicians in New York’s capital region who have become collaborators and friends over the past few years.

Gratitude: Based on Tom Waits’ Train Song, which was the closing song for a party band I used to play with. No matter how tired I might have been at the end of a long gig, playing it always reminded me to be grateful for music and for everything else.

-Wyatt Ambrose, February 2025 (Edited by Katie Huntington)