Terry Clark ’93, Carter Gravatt ’95 and Barry Privett ’93 formed Carbon Leaf, a band that blends rock, Celtic, bluegrass and Americana, when they were students at RMC. This year they celebrate 25 years of making music together. We caught up with the band recently to talk about music, milestones and memories.

Q. How did it all start?

 Barry: “I was walking through Moreland Hall when I heard music coming from one of the rooms. I leaned in and saw Terry playing acoustic guitar. He asked if I knew any tunes, and we started singing. Terry and Carter already knew each other and had played guitar together.”

Q. Along with Scott Milstead ’96 and Palmer Stearns ’94, you soon formed a band, and you’d often rehearse in Blackwell Auditorium. What was that like?

 Carter: “Having all of our friends show up in Blackwell was a highlight of my time at RMC. That, and getting to see Barclay [DuPriest] every time I walked through the campus center.”

Barry: “A few friends would slink through the back door of Blackwell to watch us rehearse. After a month of rehearsals under our belts, and now 20-30 friends showing up to listen, we started booking fraternity and sorority houses on campus.”

Terry: “Eventually, we had weekend gigs at UVA, Virginia Tech, and Sweetbriar. Then, on Earth Day 1993 we played our first concert at RMC to 150 students. We were the opening act that day for the not-yet-famous Dave Matthews Band. That concert was the pinnacle of our Randolph-Macon days.”

Q. The band has evolved over the years, with several new members coming in and out, but you three have stayed the course. Carbon Leaf has 17 albums and has performed more than 2,400 live shows in the past 25 years. Things really took off in 2002, didn’t they?

 Terry: “Yes. That’s when we won The Coca-Cola New Music Award at The American Music Awards and got to perform on the show. The experience was surreal. Winning an AMA really kick-started our careers, leading to our first national tour, radio play in Virginia, D.C. and Seattle, and eventually a record deal and wider radio play across the country.”

Barry: “Yeah, we had 90 seconds to play a version of our song ‘The Boxer,’ and I looked to my left and saw Sheryl Crow, who was about to introduce us. I forgot to breathe through most of the song, and Carter almost fell down on the first note because the floor was slick. But we didn’t care: Dick Clark and his producers were behind us, cheering us on!”

Q. How do you stay connected to RMC?

Carter: “Social media—Twitter, Facebook, Instagram—really helps me keep up with what’s going on at the college, and with friends. We’re usually on tour during Homecoming, but I’d love to make that sometime.”

Terry: “Buster Ward was far and away my favorite RMC professor. At the time, the college did not have a large music program. There was no music major, and I was the only music minor, so many of the classes were just the two of us. In addition to a fantastic teacher, musician and composer, Buster is a great person to hang out with. I have kept up with him over the years and definitely owe him a phone call!”

Barry: “Seeing people from RMC at shows is the absolute best, whether it’s in Virginia or across the country. Every now and then a voice will ring out from the crowd during a quiet moment or in between songs:  ‘RMC!’ That beats any social media for me, because that’s how it started: just the band and friends together in a room.”

Q. What do you think of the changes that have taken place on campus?

 Terry: “They are truly staggering! Brock Commons and the new athletics facilities and residence halls are amazing. The academic offerings have grown by leaps and bounds, too. I would have loved the opportunity to take classes in music technology and arts management.”

Barry: “When we were students, no one had personal computers or cell phones. If you had to dip into the microfiche archives for a research paper, that was pretty cutting edge. These are things I look back on now with fondness. It was a very analog experience.”

Terry Clark ’93 (guitar)
English major; Music minor
“I really cherish the friends I made at RMC. One of the fringe benefits of touring so much is that we get to see our college friends all over the country.”

Carter Gravatt ’95 (guitar)
Environmental Studies major
“I’m so jealous of all the new facilities and opportunities on campus now. I want to apply for a do-over, so I can take advantage of all of it!”

Barry Privett ’93 (lead vocals)
English and Theatre major; Journalism minor
“RMC is where I learned the difference between creative inspiration and the production of it. I was afforded the time and space to pursue writing, performance, singing, acting, and stage design.”