{{Short description|American singer-songwriter and harpist (born 1956)}} {{Use mdy dates|date=September 2020}} {{Infobox musical artist <!-- See Wikipedia:WikiProject Musicians --> | name = Dee Carstensen | image = | image_size = | landscape = | caption = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1956|2|18}} | birth_place = Maryland | origin = New York City | genre = Contemporary folk, New Age<ref name="AM">{{cite web|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20230711075435/https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-map-mw0000041503|archivedate=July 11, 2023|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/the-map-mw0000041503|title=The Map: Dee Carstensen|work=AllMusic|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}</ref> | instrument = Harp | spouse = Mike Mainieri (m.1993)<ref name="AWBio"/> | years_active = 1993–present | label = NYC, Exit Nine, Blue Thumb{{efn|Blue Thumb was owned by Universal, the company later folded in 2005.}} | associated_acts = }}
'''Dee Carstensen''' (born February 18, 1956<ref name="WASU">{{cite web|url=https://digital.lib.washington.edu/researchworks/bitstream/handle/1773/22612/Bledsoe_washington_0250E_11342.pdf?sequence=1&isAllowed=y|title=The Harp in Jazz and American Pop Music|author=Megan A. Bledsoe|publisher=University of Washington|year=2012|pages=38–40, 76, 96}}</ref><ref name="AWBio">{{cite web|url=https://swco-ir.tdl.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/d0fc3fed-9908-4bfc-a1d9-46e4a9d4f12c/content|title=Dee Carstensen – Bio|author=Arthur Wood|publisher=Texas Tech University - Southwest Music Archive|year=2006|accessdate=May 26, 2024}}</ref>) is a New York City-based contemporary folk and new age singer/songwriter who is best known for her harp playing.<ref>{{cite web|title=Dee Carstensen » Bio|url=http://nycrecords.com/deecarstensen/bio/|website=nycrecords.com|accessdate=November 8, 2016}}</ref><ref name="BB01101998">{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ug0EAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22dee+carstensen%22&pg=PA7|title=Exit Nine's Carstensen Gets marketing Push Via GRP Deal|author=Dylan Siegler|magazine=Billboard|date=January 10, 1998|volume=110|issue=2|page=7 & 83}}</ref>
==Personal life== Carstensen was born on February 18, 1956, in Maryland and later moved with her parents and four siblings to Rochester.<ref name="WASU"/><ref name="AWBio"/> She started her musical interest by playing piano when she was 5 years old, and later took up stringed instruments when she was 8.<ref name="BB09091995">{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1g0EAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22dee+carstensen%22&pg=PA97|title=Something NARM-ed his way comes; Two labels turn 10|author=Chris Morris|magazine=Billboard|date=September 9, 1995|volume=107|issue=36|page=97}}</ref> Part of her studies in the stringed instrument family included the harp, which was done with a harpist from the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra.<ref name="AWBio"/> Carstensen described her relationship with stringed instruments as "love-hate", while she said her upbringing was "classical training" she was also listening to Joni Mitchell, Janis Joplin, James Taylor, and Jimi Hendrix.<ref name="BB09091995"/> Carstensen is married to vibist Mike Mainieri, who she says is the "single most important influence on her musical career."<ref name="BB01101998"/><ref name=nyt>{{cite news|url=https://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/06/living-with-music-a-playlist-by-meghan-daum/|title= Living With Music: A Playlist by Meghan Daum|last=Garner|first=Dwight|work=The New York Times|date=February 6, 2008|accessdate=January 21, 2018}}</ref> She cites this by mentioning 2 separate instances where she would "throw out ideas" and Mainieri offered his constructive criticism for her.<ref name="BB01101998"/>
==Career== Carstensen's debut came in 1993 with her album ''Beloved One'', which was largely produced by Bob Marlette and included guitar work by Mark Knopfler of Dire Straits.<ref name="AWBio"/><ref name="BB09091995"/> Her second album called ''Regarding the Soul'' came out in 1995, and was produced by Neil Dorfsman.<ref name="AWBio"/> In this album Dee integrated her singing, songwriting and harp-playing after "fooling around" with the instrument for a bit.<ref name="BB01101998"/><ref name="BB09091995"/> ''Regarding the Soul'' was initially released under a subsidiary imprint called "Exit Nine Records" by Mainieri, and was later re-released in 1998 under Blue Thumb.<ref name="AWBio"/><ref name="BT">{{cite web|url=https://nycrecords.com/deecarstensen/project/regarding-the-soul/|title=Regarding the Soul|work=NYC Records|accessdate=June 4, 2024}}</ref> Dee's third album called ''The Map'' also came out during this year which was released under a joint-venture agreement between GRP and Mainieri's NYC Records.<ref name="BB08151998">{{cite magazine|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=EwoEAAAAMBAJ&dq=%22dee+carstensen%22&pg=PA12|title=Show Them The Way|magazine=Billboard|date=August 15, 1998|volume=110|issue=33|page=12}}</ref> However, the Gavin Reports release schedule for the Summer of 1998 mentions Blue Thumb instead.<ref name="GR06051998">{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Gavin-Report/90/98/Gavin-Report-1998-06-05.pdf|title=Summer Releases|author=Jon Fojtik and Keith Zimmerman|magazine=Gavin Report|date=June 5, 1998|issue=2209|page=40}}</ref>
Dee also recorded a children's album, ''Can You Hear Lullaby'' (2001), which featured guest vocals Everett Bradley, Curtis King and Julie Dansky and instrumental work by her husband.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}} Dee went back into the studio and recorded a solo album, ''Patch of Blue'', which was released in 2005.<ref name=nyt/> Unlike previous work, all eight songs were originals, except ''Fly Away'' whose music was co-written with her husband, who played vibraphone on the album.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}} ''Patch of Blue'' did not include any guitar work.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}} Instead, it featured Dee's harp and vocals, with backing from the Tosca String Quartet and several woodwind players.{{citation needed|date=June 2024}} Carstensen has been described as using her harp "like a guitar" in her folk/pop compositions.<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x8KvAwAAQBAJ&dq=%22dee+carstensen%22&pg=PA429|title=Continuum Encyclopedia of Popular Music of the World, Volume 2|author=John Shepherd, Dave Laing, Peter Wicke, Paul Oliver, David Horn|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|year=2003|page=429|isbn=9781847144720}}</ref>
==Discography== {| class="wikitable" |- ! Year (release) ! Album ! Label |- | {{center|1993<ref name="BB09091995"/>}} | {{center|''Beloved One''}} | {{center|NYC Records}} |- | {{center|1995<ref name="BB09091995"/>}} | {{center|''Regarding The Soul''}} | {{center|Exit Nine Records{{efn|re-released in 1998 by Blue Thumb Records.<ref name="BT"/>}}}} |- | {{center|1998<ref name="BB08151998"/>}} | {{center|''The Map''}} | {{center|Exit Nine/Blue Thumb<ref name="GR06051998"/>}} |- | {{center|1999<ref name="WASU"/>}} | {{center|''Home Away From Home''}} | {{center|Exit Nine/Blue Thumb}} |- | {{center|2001<ref name="Glass">{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ELHHAgAAQBAJ&dq=Can+You+Hear+a+Lullaby+%22Dee+Carstensen%22&pg=PA191|title=Glass Ceilings and 100-hour Couples|author=Karine S. Moe, Dianna J. Shandy|publisher=University of Georgia Press|year=2010|page=191|isbn=978-0-8203-3404-2 }}</ref>}} | {{center|''Can You Hear a Lullaby''}} | {{center|Exit Nine/Blue Thumb}} |- | {{center|2005<ref name="WASU"/>}} | {{center|''Patch of Blue''}} | {{center|Exit Nine/Blue Thumb}} |}
==Notes== {{notelist}}
==References== {{Reflist|colwidth=50em}}
==External links== * {{Official website|1=https://nycrecords.com/deecarstensen/bio/}} * {{AllMusic|class=artist|id=mn0000815425}} * {{IMDb name|3224816}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Carstensen, Dee}} Category:1956 births Category:Living people Category:American folk musicians Category:American women folk musicians Category:American new-age musicians Category:Musicians from New York (state) Category:American women harpists