Catching up with...Aerin Tedesco

Singer, songwriter, guitarist, drummer with local favorites Congress of Starlings.

I first saw Aerin Tedesco and Andrea Bunch of Congress of Starlings perform at a Chicago Ornithological Society event at The Galway Arms on Clark Street. Later, I had the good fortune of including their music in the Monty and Rose films, including the original song “The Gift” about the birds’ arrival.

Then Aerin set a state record for an Illinois big year by a female birder. We chatted recently about Congress of Starlings’ new release, Orphans, including a show at the fabled Old Town School of Folk Music, on Friday, February 6, at 6 p.m.

TWiB: The last time we talked (for the newsletter) you had just set the Illinois record for a big year among women. Have you been “chasing” as much as you did that year (2020)?

AT: I have never in my life chased as much as that year and my Champaign County big year in 2021! So no. That said, some great stuff has been popping up here and there in the state and counties near me, and I managed to get on most of these birds! I found the second ever recorded Red-necked Grebe at Riverbend in Champaign County, and picked up county lifers Glossy Ibis, Loggerhead Shrike, Brewer's Blackbird, and just [last week], Townsend's Solitaire! I also added a bunch of birds to bump up my Vermilion County life list to 204. I also was able to chase the Short-billed Gull in Rock Island. I found it on the Iowa side and had to wait 45 minutes for it to get up and fly past the middle of the river to the Illinois side! That was Illinois state lifer 355 (and 140 for Iowa)! It has been fun chasing these birds and finding other regulars, and must less intense and exhausting than big year chasing!

TWiB: I know your backyard has been a hotspot for you. Can you tell us about some of your favorite sightings and why you think it attracts so many birds?

AT: Yeah, my yard is absolutely unreal! It has a mix of native trees and plants as well as invasives like honeysuckle. It’s really not all that impressive. But here’s why I think birds show up. The city of Champaign is surrounded by corn and soy. It is essentially an agricultural wasteland for birds—most birds can’t and won’t utilize that kind of habitat. The city has old growth trees, lots of useful native and non-native plants and some folks putting up feeders and water features. So the city itself becomes kind of a wildlife refuge inside the unusable ag habitat. Just putting out a small water feature with a pump is a really great attractor because they can hear the water. On very hot days and very cold days it is a huge draw for birds. I had some great stuff show up again this year: Black-billed Cuckoo, Pine, Mourning and Black-throated Blue Warblers, Olive-sided Flycatcher, and Yellow-breasted Chat (twice!). The best bird by far, though, has been a red morph Eastern Screech-Owl roosting in a cavity in the crabapple tree right outside my kitchen window! It showed up for the first time on November 21 and stayed four days, then again on December 19 and 20, and January 2 through 4! I feel so, so lucky that this bird chose my yard and that I get to see it so often! It’s really incredible and special...

TWiB: It has been a few years since I recall a Congress of Starlings release. What prompted this project between you and Andrea? Are there other collaborators?

AT: This album is a LONG time coming! Andrea and I lead busy lives, so finding time to record was difficult and the album just kept getting put off and put off. So we are THRILLED to finally get these songs onto an album. The reason it is called Orphans is because these songs are like little neglected things that didn’t get the attention they deserved for way too long! The album features Andrea on guitar, keys and vocals, Greg Nergaard on bass, and Lindsay Weinberg on vocals and keys. Also, the guy who recorded and engineered the album, Ryan Groff (Modern Drugs), also plays guitar and sings on quite a few tracks. I played any drums you hear on the record because of logistics and time, but Janet Cramer will be playing drums at the album release show on February 6 at the Old Town School. The album is also unique because this time I wrote all the songs. Since I recorded all the main stuff in Champaign and Andrea, Greg and Lindsay recorded in Chicago and sent me files to edit and mix, it was a long process. Andrea and I decided to just do my songs this time. Perhaps we will do an album of songs she wrote at some point, too.

TWiB: How meaningful is it to play at Old Town School, a place that’s seen so many luminaries through the years?

AT: I feel totally honored and thrilled that we get to play at the Old Town School! It is hands-down one of the best listening rooms in Chicago and the sound engineers know that room and make everything sound awesome! To take the stage where, as you said, so many incredible and talented musicians played is kind of mind-blowing if you think about it! It is the perfect place to bring this album to life live, and we couldn’t be happier we get to play there!

TWiB: I don’t think I’ve ever asked—how did you get into music? Any formative experiences you can mention?

AT: I’ve been singing since I was really small and took voice lessons starting in my teens. I started playing violin in 5th grade and guitar in 10th. Music was always something I was drawn to from a very young age, so it’s hard to say if there was any one thing that get me into it. At risk of sounding cliche, I really do think it’s just in my blood...

Orphans is available for purchase at Bandcamp starting February 6. Listen to the song “Today the Birds Are Saving My Life” here: