Aspen High School singer, songwriter to open for John Oates

Singer, songwriter Gracie Searle-Feinberg approaches a “pivotal” moment in her growth as a musician this weekend. 

The Aspen High School senior will open for John Oates, an iconic rock and soul musician known for songs “Maneater” and “You Make My Dreams,” 7 p.m. Saturday at the Wheeler. Tickets are available at http://www.wheeleroperahouse.com.

“Ultimately, at the end of the day, your dreams may scare you but pursuing them and putting 110% effort in can pay off,” Searle-Feinberg said. “In my case the payout is being able to open for someone whose music I’ve danced to (in) my kitchen and played on car rides to school.”

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But Searle-Feinberg is no stranger to performing. She opened for Nashville artist Oland Tucker at the Midvalley Songwriter Festival in Basalt last summer, performed at the Belly Up showcase hosted by Inspire Aspen Foundation last October, and has recorded professionally since 2022 at Mad Dog Ranch + Studios. 

She recently qualified for the finals of the 2025 Aspen Rocks competition, an “American Idol”-esque local music contest, to culminate in April. Searle-Feinberg first started recording with Mad Dog when she placed second in the competition three years ago and won studio time.

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“She has a very unique way of writing songs, interpreting cover songs,” said Julie Garside, who owns Mad Dog and cofounded music nonprofit Inspire Aspen Foundation with Tami Word. “She just has her own musical style. She’s Gracie. She’s not Sheryl Crow, she’s not anyone, she’s Gracie.”

Searle-Feinberg describes her music as an interlude between country, pop, and folk.

“I try to be very versatile and not pinhole into one category of music because my creativity is expansive,” she said. “And I want to let it continue to be expansive.”

On Saturday she will perform only songs she’s written.

Searle-Feinberg is currently working on an album called “This Long Road Home,” about the importance of maintaining one’s sense of self while pursuing one’s dreams. At only 17, she said she draws inspiration from music, books, as well as her own life.

“I was once told you can’t wait for inspiration, you have to find it,” she said. 

In her song “Some go west,” Searle-Feinberg drew from the TV-show “Yellowstone,” which is about settlement and development in Yellowstone, Montana. “Some go west” explores the concept of manifest destination, or traveling west to strike it rich and become successful.

Searle-Feinberg gathered inspiration for her song “47” while at country singer Wyatt Flores’ concert. In the song she explores whether pursuit of a dream can outweigh loss of identity. 

She wrote “Short term fixes” about a friend who dealt with substance abuse issues. The song, she said, is about how she loves him and doesn’t want him to leave the world sooner than he must.

“It was kind of my ballad to him,” she said. 

Searle-Feinberg hopes to pursue pre-med or pre-law in college after she graduates from high school this spring.

“While also currently and always doing music,” she said. “I like to say music is always going to be my minor in life.”

Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.