Amanda Christine

Spring Hill’s Amanda and Morgan Torp-Pedersen are about to “take the music industry by storm.”

A Warner Brothers Music representative gave that particularly high praise to the sisters recently.

Given their current resumes, that prediction could very well hold true.

Just 17 years old, Morgan recently opened a music publishing business - Dansk Acres Music Publishing - and is preparing to go on the road as personal assistant to The JaneDear Girls for their tour-finale shows opening for Jason Aldean. Morgan graduated last week from Independence High School, a year early.

At 22 years old, Amanda - who uses the stage name Amanda Christine - has already performed as an opening act for Charlie Daniels.
Amanda performed during a music festival in Illinois, and audience members voted for their favorite performer. The performer to recieve the most votes was to open for Charlie Daniels.

“On the Waterfront is the largest music festival in Illinois,” explained Morgan. “Out of 120,000 votes, Amanda had over 80,000 votes, so she opened for Charlie Daniels.”

The Torp-Pedersens are originally from Rockford, Illinois. Amanda moved to the Nashville area four years ago to attend Belmont, and Morgan moved to Spring Hill in July with their parents and their other siblings - two sisters and a brother.

Amanda graduated in May from Belmont with a degree in songwriting, one of the first participants in the new songwriting degree program.

Performing is not new for Amanda, but she credits Belmont for introducing her to songwriting.

“My first public performance was at four years old in front of my church,” recalled Amanda, “and I have been writing poems all my life.”

The new songwriting program seemed to be a natural fit.

“It really gave us a lot of opportunities,” said Amanda, “I’ve been able to write with some big-name songwriters - Tom Douglas, James Elliot, Thom Schuyler…I got to write with the woman who wrote Jason Aldean’s ‘She’s Country’.”

Morgan’s path into the music industry began by booking writer’s nights and shows and scheduling interviews for Amanda. And Amanda has helped Morgan create contacts for her new publishing business.

“We’re both helping each other out,” said Morgan, “but we’re not planning on really working closely.”

She explained that working relationships among family members in the music industry sometimes don’t work out too well.

According to Amanda and Morgan, Amanda is the only musician in the family, but their parents, Chris and Debbie, fully support both girls’ music-industry ambitions.

“Our parents are extremely supportive,” said Morgan, “when we have ideas or want to try something, they push us to do what we want.”

Right now, Amanda wants to earn a publishing contract and, ideally, a recording contract. Morgan hopes to grow her music publishing business and expand into artist management and eventually have a location on Music Row.

“I’d like to (be on Music Row) by the time I’m 21,” said Morgan.

Based on their progress so far, the outlook is promising.

Amanda will perform a 30-minute set at The Fontanel on June 22.

For more information, find Amanda Christine on Facebook or MySpace. Information about Dansk Acres Music Publishing will be available on www.bmi.com by the end of June. - The Advertiser News ~ Sara McManamy-Johnson

Last week, ACR had the pleasure of sitting down with Amanda Christine, an aspiring Illinois country singer now residing in Nashville. During the interview we discussed her childhood, how she got into singing, her future plans and more.

Amanda grew up on a farm near Chicago Illinois where she experienced the life of a "farm girl" helping her family to raise goats over a 17 year period. During this time, she would sing at functions around her town, experiencing her first performance at the age of four at her local church.

Through her career, her family and fellow Nashville residences have showed very warm support. The main words of advice that Amanda receives is to "be patient and listen to what others have to say".

While singing is her passion, she also enjoys playing instruments, and is taking lessons on the acoustic guitar.

Amanda attended Belmont University in Nashville, TN and graduated with a Degree in Song Writing. Amanda feels most inspired to write as she drives home after a long day. "Ideas will just come flooding, but most will reflect what I'm going through at that time in my life" says Amanda. Topics can be about anything though she doesn't really write about going out and partying as she doesn't feel it fits her personality. Since the age of 18, Amanda has written over 300 songs including many collaboration’s with fellow Nashville musicians. She sees Nashville as the "co-writing city". Amanda very much enjoys the music of Carrie Underwood and Jason Aldean and has said if she could duet with anyone; it would be one of them.


Amanda performs in a variety of settings, just last month, she brought her band back together and began rehearing again in the hopes of an imminent tour. While she performs with her band, she often enjoys solo appearances at events such as song-writers circles.

Over the next few months, Amanda Christine will begin working on her EP debut with the goal of landing a record deal and touring within the next couple of years.

A voice like Amanda's needs to find its way onto the East Coast stage so everyone can hear it. With Atlantic Canada being one of the most country-music loving places in the world, there’s no better place for her to be than the Cavendish Beach Music Festival this summer from July 5th-8th. I encourage Atlantic Canada, as well as festival organizers to check out her amazing voice.

Would YOU like to see Amanda Christine this summer?!

Watch Amanda's latest music videos on her YouTube Channel!


You can also follow Amanda on Twitter, Facebook & Myspace.

- Atlantic Canada Rocks ~ Cole McLean

Amanda Torp-Pedersen will open for The Charlie Daniels Band Sept. 3 at Davis Park in Rockford at the pre-festival On the Waterfront concert.

Torp-Pedersen won a contest by popular online vote for local bands to open for Daniels through Q-98.5, the Rockford country music radio channel.

She and her band will perform under the name Amanda Christine.

Torp-Pedersen is a 2007 graduate of Rockford Christian High School and attends Belmont University in Nashville. - Rockford Register Star ~ Georgette Braun

ROCKFORD — Under a full moon tonight with his big-brimmed cowboy hat covering his eyes, Charlie Daniels sang about boozin’ his troubles away as some of the 3,000 people in Davis Park raised their beer cups at the On the Waterfront kick-off concert.

He invoked the names of ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Willie Nelson in “South’s Gonna Do It Again” as his white beard rested on the base of his fiddle and fans buttoned their sweaters. He stood at the microphone with legs slightly spread, a stance that caused the eye to focus on the baseball-sized buckle of the belt threaded through his jeans.

His look is much the same as it was in 1979 when he struck it big with “The Devil Went Down to Georgia.” Daniels saves that song, which rose to No. 3 on pop charts, for the end of his shows.

But early in his performance, in the same vein as “The Devil,” Daniels delivered a story with deep-voiced words in “The Legend of Wooley Swamp.” One difference, he played guitar with his five-piece band instead of the fiddle.

Tim Petty, 29, of Rockford, who works in a bowling alley, said Daniels’ hard-edged Southern rock boogy style appeals to him. He owns eight of Daniels’ albums. They are among his collection of 10,000 albums and 11,000 45s. Petty said he bought four tickets for him and family members for $5 each for lawn seating at a radio-station promotion, but he won’t be attending Waterfront this weekend because the down economy is squeezing him financially.

Hundreds of other concertgoers were plunking down cash for cornbread, rib tips and bacon-wrapped scallops, though. Lori Spotts, 38, of Dixon, who works as a clerk, bought a black T-shirt with Daniels’ 2009 tour dates on the back.

While out-of-towners and locals alike enjoyed the concert from chairs and blankets, two performers on stage noted their Rockford roots.

John Fulling, drummer for the Kalamazoo, Mich.-based The Bronk Bros., graduated in 1984 from Boylan Catholic High School. The group bills itself as a “rockin’ hillbilly extravaganza” and got the crowd clapping with the refrain, “I wanna see your tan lines.” A honky-tonk nursery rhyme featured the words, “bar light, bar bright, first bar I see tonight ...”

Amanda Torp-Pedersen, a 2007 Rockford Christian High School alumna who goes to college in Nashville, Tenn., opened the concert with her six-piece band and a backup singer. At times, her voice was soft, almost Alison Krauss-like. At other times, she belted out rockin’ country tunes. - Rockford Register Star ~ Georgette Braun

This issue we continue a feature called Young Rockford Woman. We celebrate the promise of the area's next generation.
Age: 20

City of residence: Nashville
Hometown: Rockford
High school and year graduated: Rockford Christian, 2007
College and area of study: Enrolled as a songwriting major with a music business minor at Belmont University in Nashville.
Family: Parents, Chris and Debbie Torp-Pedersen; three sisters: Lauren, 18; Morgan, 15; and Megan, 12; and a brother, Jonah, 10.

Involvements and accomplishments: I am a member of Service Corps. As a member, I’ve had the opportunity of being at several award shows, including working the dressing rooms for the CMT Awards and escorting country artists to their press rooms. I played my first concert at the Rockford RiverHawks’ Faith Night, and I have sung at the National Day of Prayer. I was the 2007 winner of the vocal competition for On the Waterfront. I sang for the RiverHawks, Rockford Raptors, Rockford Lightning (still wish they were in town) and the Rockford IceHogs. I was the first in my high school to win the poetry competition for the Rockford Woman’s Club, took first place in the Dean’s Food poetry competition, and am in a master’s songwriting and lyric-writing course at Belmont.
What’s next: I’m working on completing and marketing it my first CD. Also, I will perform in different Nashville venues this summer.
What I do for fun: I love spending time with friends, playing Ultimate Frisbee, swimming, baking, jamming out to music in the car and swing dancing.
I define success as ... being a woman God would be proud of, and being a role model and a witness for him. God has a plan for everyone; we just need to be open to listen to him.

Best advice I have received: Be yourself. It doesn’t matter what other people think of you. You shouldn’t have to change who you are just to please others. People will love you for you.
Being a woman means ... being confident in yourself. Women are strong individuals, and we often lose sight of the fact that we are strong, amazing and beautiful.
My mom always told me: God has a purpose and will for my life. He will open doors and close windows. Everything happens for a reason. All the obstacles we face will only make us stronger. We can take all the lessons we learn along the way and apply them to any obstacles or trials that we will face.
A woman I admire who is not my mom: Faith Hill. For being known as the Queen of Country Music, she has an amazing story. She was adopted when she was a week old, and moved to Nashville when she was about my age to pursue a musical career. She has achieved her dream of becoming a country performer, becoming a legend in country music through her perseverance. She is an extremely grounded woman who started the nonprofit Neighbor’s Keeper Foundation in 2005 with her husband, Tim McGraw. It provides funding for communities for children and adults in need of proper health care and education.
No. 1 issue facing women: Single parenthood. I find that a lot more women are becoming single mothers either because of a divorce, their husbands have died, or they are having children out of wedlock. These are unbelievably strong women because they are raising their children while balancing a job and taking care of the household. My grandmother, Lorraine, raised five children on her own. She is incredibly strong.
Ten years from now, I’ll ... still be singing and writing music. Since age 4, I have been singing, and I doubt I will ever stop. I hope to be a role model for other young women. I want them to know that abstinence is important, that it’s that much more special if you wait for marriage.
Something I’ve always wanted to do/learn: I would love to visit Egypt. I am completely fascinated with that culture. I also would love to skydive.
The piece of technology I can’t live without: My cell phone. I am constantly texting and talking to people throughout the day. I can’t go anywhere without it. - Rockford Woman Magazine