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It only takes a few moments to be completely enchanted and inspired by soulful folk-rock singer Christine Hand who was selected as a finalist in the Al Johnson Performing Songwriter Contest<\/strong>.\u00a0 The Americana songwriter is a native of Fort Worth, Texas and recently released her first album, The Book of the World, <\/em>now available on iTunes, Spotify, and Amazon.<\/p>\n Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival spent a bit of time chatting with Christine to find out a little more about the momentum and spurring that led to becoming a finalist in this competition.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u00a0<\/strong>Wildflower! Arts & Music Festival:\u00a0 <\/strong>What makes you unique? <\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n Christine Hand:<\/strong>\u00a0 By day, I’m an English professor, and I did my dissertation on Bob Dylan. As a writer, what makes me unique is that I tend to see the magic in the mundane and I love to bring out those connections for others who may not see it that way.<\/p>\n WAMFest:\u00a0 When did you learn guitar and was it a formal education, or self-taught? Do you play any other instruments?<\/strong><\/p>\n CH:<\/strong>\u00a0 Around age 14.\u00a0 Mostly self-taught, with help from my multi-instrumentalist dad.\u00a0 I play a bit of piano, percussion, and mandolin \u2013 but only very little!<\/p>\n WAMFest:\u00a0 Are you solo or happen to play with any other groups? <\/strong><\/p>\n CH:<\/strong>\u00a0 I usually perform with my husband Adam Jones (guitars, mandolin and percussion) and my dad Ed Hand (keyboards and percussion.)<\/p>\n WAMFest:\u00a0 What song inspired you to become a songwriter? <\/strong><\/p>\n CH:<\/strong>\u00a0 Amy Grant’s “Lead Me On.” I was 8 years old and I remember poring over the liner notes to that album and that song.<\/p>\n WAMFest:\u00a0 What else inspires you to write? <\/strong><\/p>\n CH:<\/strong>\u00a0 Literature, nature, and everyday life.<\/p>\n WAMFest:\u00a0 What typically strikes you first, the music or the lyrics? <\/strong><\/p>\n CH:<\/strong>\u00a0 If I’m inspired, it’s usually music and lyrics together; just one cool sounding phrase of both. If I have to work through the song, it’s usually lyrics first, coming out of tons of free-writing.<\/p>\n