The locals call someone who moves to Cape Cod but was not born there a Washashore. In Texas, a young girl barrel-raced on Pleasant Valley Ranch and had never seen the ocean. So when Monica Rizzio crossed over the iconic bridges of Cape Cod in 2004, she instantly became the Washashore Cowgirl.
The former Tripping Lily front woman has left behind the acoustic, condenser mic style and has brought her East Texas roots up North. Rizzio is a founder and co-owner of the roots-based music school, West Bend Music, providing all-ages private instruction. In 2014 she founded and launched Vinegrass, a non-profit music production company, that raises money for scholarships, instruments, and grants through concerts and an annual roots-music festival.