Crystal Guzman

A folk and country singer/songwriter, Crystal Guzman's melody pull in the listener to the lyrics. She definitely hold the folk influence close while keeping popularity of the country genre. Joni Mitchell come to mind with the folk songs. Older country stars comes to thought for the country songs.

I enjoyed "Cha-Cha-Cha" for the folk part, and "A Soldier's Wife" for the country part. Simply a great songwriter with elegant vocals. - The Independent Music Scene

How did a girl from Waterloo, Iowa, end up in Nashville, by way of Iraq?

Crystal Guzman began her music career at an early age with violin lessons. She taught herself guitar in high school in order to write songs and perform them for her family. Then, after high school she made the decision to enlist in the U.S. Air Force—to serve her country and pursue her other calling, nursing. That led to her deployment in Iraq.

Now in Nashville, Crystal works in the healthcare industry, while pursuing her passion for songwriting and performing. Operation: Sound Off! is helping Crystal reach for those dreams. For more information about how you can help, follow the links at the bottom of this article.

How long have you wanted to pursue a music career? What inspired you?

For as long as I can remember I have wanted to pursue a career in music, but the defining moment came the year that I saw Alison Krauss perform at the Strawberry Point Bluegrass Festival. As soon as I entered the fourth grade and heard about the Orchestra program being offered at school, I begged my parents to let me play violin. I continue to play violin, but my musical interests have shifted more toward singing, songwriting, and guitar playing.

Over the years, I have never stopped playing music, but my commitment to following my passion has come and gone with waves of excitement and disappointment. My experiences as a nurse in the military served to strengthen and renew my passion for music, because they gave me something meaningful to sing about. Until very recently, I never talked about my experiences in Iraq, because I didn’t think many people would want to hear or could even grasp some of the ‘not-so-pleasant’ things I would have to say. However, I found out early on that I could write and sing about my experiences without it feeling ‘too personal’, and, as a result, music has been instrumental in helping me move forward and heal both mentally and emotionally.

Looking back on some of the choices and career changes I have made, I now see a pattern of unrest in which I would often find it easier and more secure to pursue the ‘next big thing’ than to follow my true passion. However, that little nagging voice in my head telling me to ‘go for it’ has never left me for a moment, and, for the first time in my life, I am eager and determined to heed its advice!

Do you write your own songs? If not, what do you look for in a song?

Yes, I write my own songs. I love the creative process of songwriting even more than performing. Writing is a freeing experience for me. I don’t have to follow anyone else’s rules!

You chose to postpone your other life goals to join the U.S. military. Why? What impact has that decision had on your life?

I wish that I could honestly tell you ‘why’ I joined the military, but I don’t really have an answer to that. Some may call me naïve, but all I know is that I felt very comfortable and at peace with my decision from the very beginning. I wouldn’t necessarily say that I ‘postponed’ my other life goals, but, rather, took a different route to get where I am today than I once might have imagined.

Although my military experience has changed me in many ways, I will never regret my decision to join. I have made so many wonderful friends and had amazing experiences along the way that I wouldn’t trade for anything in the world. Life has taken on a new color for me after witnessing the pain, love, suffering, fear, and heartache present in a wartime environment. Initially, after my deployment, it seemed harder to ‘fit in’ to society, because most of the things that once mattered to me had become far less important. I think that most veterans carry around a certain amount of ‘why guilt,’ whether they ask themselves why this is happening, why me, or why they survived. In my case, I think I was simply waiting for someone to give me permission to ‘live’ again, not realizing that I was the only person who could give myself that.

What music artist or artists have most influenced your musical style? Have you met any of your musical heroes? If so, what was that like?

Ray LaMontagne, Alison Krauss, John Denver, Patty Griffin, Hank Williams Sr., Amos Lee, and the list goes on… I was within a few feet of Alison Krauss at an awards show once, but have never actually ‘met’ her! That will be a day to remember, for sure.

Has God ever provided an unexpected “detour” in your life that turned out to be positive?

I would have to say that my deployment to Iraq was an unexpected detour in my life that has turned out to be a positive experience. Without my experiences in the military, I wouldn’t understand the sacrifices that our military men, women, and families make on a daily basis, or have ever gotten involved with Operation: Sound Off! This ‘detour’ has lit a passion within me for helping our troops find ways to cope and for increasing awareness about the many diverse needs of our veterans and their families. When I found out about Operation: Sound Off!, I was instantly on board with its mission.

Let’s talk about your music!

Well, this is where Operation: Sound Off! comes into play! I am a songwriter by nature, and I don’t pretend to be an audio engineer or producer. I primarily write folk-acoustic style music and record my songs in a small home studio. It would be wonderful to be given the opportunity to have a song or two professionally produced, and for my music to touch the lives of a much broader audience. Operation: Sound Off! will provide military men and women with this very opportunity!

How did you find out about Operation: Sound Off!?

I actually just sort of stumbled upon an Internet article soliciting artists for Operation: Sound Off!. I submitted my artist profile that very day and have been a believer in its purpose and potential ever since.

Besides providing entertainment, as a performer what is the one thing you hope to convey to your audience?

Honesty. I want my audience to hear more than the words that I sing; I want them to attend to the deeper meaning that lies just beyond the lyric. Music can be brutally honest, and that’s what makes it such a wonderful mode of expression. I may not be able to tell my listeners what is true, but I can help my audience find out what is true for them. Music is as much a process of self-exploration as it is about rhythm and rhyme.

A few fun questions…
is your favorite comfort food and why?

If coffee was a food, it would definitely be my favorite! There is just something about feeling that warm cup of Joe in my hand that reminds me of home, family, and all the good things in life.

This website features both music and literary guests. Do you have literary, as well as musical, talent?

I don’t know if I would call it a talent, but I love writing poetry. Two of my poems were published in the Journal of Gerontological Nursing shortly after I finished nursing school. Other than that, I have attempted to start a book or two…. I guess I can call a few pages of scribbles a start, right?

What kind of books do you like to read?

I like books that make me think about the world in new ways and that challenge the ideas I hold sacred. Fortunately for me, these types of books span all genres.

In describing your personality, would you say you are a major or a minor chord?

Definitely a minor chord. I’m not one of those blend-in-with-the-crowd types. I like being different.

For the ladies: In the story that is your life, are you the strong, female lead; the girl next door; the mysterious woman behind dark glasses; the super heroine; or the little girl trying to walk in high heels?

I’ve played so many of these parts in my life that I can’t name just one! I try my best to rise to whatever occasion or situation life offers me.

Do you have a pet? (Or a favorite pet from the past?) If so, please tell us about them.

I don’t currently have any pets, but growing up my family had a golden retriever. I was pretty young when we had him, so most of my ‘memories’ come in the form of pictures. I am assuming he was a pretty calm dog, as there is a picture of me sitting on him and sticking my hand in his mouth. And I still have both of my hands!

Crystal, thank you for your service to our country! It’s a pleasure to have you at DivineDetour!

Thank you for having me. - Divine Detour – Kathy Harris

Valley graduate Chrystal Guzman is using music to soothe her soul while reaching out to others. After spending six months in Iraq on deployment this young musician decided to follow her dreams which involved packing up and heading to Nashville.
Valley graduate lives out her dream while helping others
By Jessica Duren, News Editor
Published:
Tuesday, August 23, 2011 11:44 AM CDT
From a young age Chrystal (Woodson) Guzman has had a heart for music. After putting her dreams of becoming a recording artist on hold for several years, this 2000 Valley graduate is seeing how her dreams can make an impact.

Beginning private violin lessons at the age of 9, Chrystal, the daughter of Gary and Rachel Woodson of Elgin added the guitar to her list of talents when she taught herself how to play during high school.

After graduation Chrystal attended the University of Iowa to earn her nursing degree. There, she played in the orchestra and began writing songs her freshman year. After graduating in December 2003, Chrystal continued her medical career by joining the U.S. Air Force Nurse Corps in March 2004. While stationed in San Antonio, Texas, Chrystal met her husband, Michael.

Her time in the Air Force eventually led to a six-month deployment to Iraq. It was there that Chrystal used music as a way to soothe her soul.

"Some people had sent us old guitars. It didn't matter if the guitars were half-broken, we would take them out to an old storage shed behind the hospital and play anything we knew how to. It was kind of a way to calm the world down for a minute," the former airman reminisced.

During her time in Iraq, Chrystal's passion for music grew stronger. While serving her country the Elgin native treated Iraqi civilians, as well as military men and women from all different countries.

"Sometimes it felt like a struggle to know what was going on. We weren't seeing the moving forward points, just the destruction," Chrystal related.

The intense mission lit a fire under Chrystal.

"Life is very, very short, and there is no better time than now to pursue my dreams," the ambitious veteran explained.

So when Chrystal finished her time in the Air Force in 2007, she packed up and moved to America's Music City—Nashville, Tenn.

Because serving in Iraq burnt out Chrystal's passion for nursing, she went back to school for music business, but changed her career path yet again and earned her master's degree in accounting. She began working in the health care and finance field when she became a certified public accountant (CPA). Chrystal is now a financial analyst for Word Entertainment, a primarily Christian music label under Warner Music Group.

In the midst of all, this the young veteran had a hard time dealing with the nightmares of war.

"Songwriting was the only way for me to move forward in life, to express what I had seen. Up until a year ago I hadn't really talked about my experiences," the passionate artist said.

To cope with the memories, Chrystal began putting her emotions into songs.

"I did that in ways I couldn't speak to people," she noted.

Approximately two years ago Chrystal became a part of an organization designed to help veterans pursue their music careers. Operation: Sound Off! (OSO) was developed with the slogan: "Fulfilling the Dreams of Those Who Fight for Ours."

The organization was founded by Robert Reynolds, a member of the Grammy Award-winning country/rock group The Mavericks. Scotty Huff, a well-known music producer and instrumentalist jumped on the idea and together Reynolds and Huff developed OSO to help the men and women who made their own dreams possible.

Through the program Chrystal has been able to work through her own issues. One of four OSO artists, she has seen how therapeutic music can be for veterans.

"It's not even about my personal passion, but to help bring some perspective to other people and to ease some of the pain through music. Even if it's not them (other veterans) being able to play or write, I hope they can listen and understand. That is the purpose of the music for me right now," reflected the young songwriter.

Performing on stage at several Nashville area fundraisers for veterans has been an eye-opening experience for Chrystal. She said she is now getting to the point where she feels comfortable playing.

"Everyone here is so talented. It's intimidating how good everyone is," she noted.

Although Chrystal is taking everything one step at a time, she has her dream in the back of her mind at all times.

"The hardest thing is sticking with it. It's the thing I love the most in the world. From a self-esteem standpoint, I am giving something of myself, and I have to go out and sing that to people. It is tough sharing the deepest part of myself," she admitted.

While being so honest in her songs is tough, Chrystal said that is when her best songs are created.

Using musical inspirations like Alison Krauss, Ray LaMontagne, Adele and John Denver, Chrystal hopes that even if the OSO organization can't always support her passion, she will be able to pursue her dream further, helping others along the way.

"I cannot think of anything else in the world I would rather do than this," Chrystal closed.

To hear some of Crystal's original music, go to http://www.myspace.com/crystalguzman. For more information on Operation: Sound Off!, go to http://operationsoundoff.blogspot.com/. - Fayette Publishing - Elgin Echo